The 2016 Kentucky Derby has an undefeated favorite horse to win in Nyquist but that’s no guarantee to happen at Churchill Downs.
Advertisement
Nyquist, named for National Hockey League player Gustav Nyquist of the Detroit Red Wings, ran a winning time of 2 minutes 1.31 seconds and paid $6.60, $4.80 and $3.60.
I’ll Have Another also won the Preakness that year but did not get a chance to win the Triple Crown after scratching out of the Belmont Stakes with an injury.
Nyquist is now 8-for-8 in his career and becomes just the second horse to win both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at age 2 and the Kentucky Derby at 3, joining Street Since in 2006.
The winning time for 1 1/4 miles was 2:01.31. That was nearly two seconds faster than Triple Crown victor American Pharoah’s time past year.
“He’s awesome”, said Gutierrez. “You can see it in his eye on a daily basis”.
A total of 167,227 people attended the Derby, the second-highest attendance ever for the race.
Destin was sixth, followed by Brody’s Cause, Mo Tom, Lani and Mor Spirit, trained by Bob Baffert, who guided American Pharoah previous year.
In a recent NHL.com story, Nyquist said he has watched the horse race on the Internet. Exaggerator, the Santa Anita Derby victor and second-betting choice, made a late run from the back of the pack but came up short in the end under jockey Kent Desormeaux.
Still, Nyquist wasn’t the buzziest of horses.
Reddam said: “I only thought to this (race)”.
The prohibitive favorite to win the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby lived up to the billing.
“He does it workmanlike, but he does it fast”. And he will go on to Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course as a fresh horse, having made only three starts this year.
Exaggerator, the second choice, finished second by 1-1/4 lengths followed by Gun Runner, who was 4-1/2 lengths off the pace.
Still, that memory did not prevent them from celebrating heartily when Nyquist blew past the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs, proving himself once more. The colt broke well out of the 13th post and showed some early speed getting away from the gate.
Nyquist stayed just off the lead and Gutierrez kept him in the clear, steering him to the outside on the final turn.
Advertisement
Gun Runner was only in front briefly before Nyquist showed a strong finishing kick.
