Nyquist stays undefeated with Kentucky Derby victory
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) — The racing world wondered if there was a worthy successor to last year’s Triple Crown champion American Pharoah.
Enter Nyquist.
The bay colt, who lacks any distinctive markings, won the Kentucky Derby by 1 ¼ lengths on Saturday last, improving to 8-0 in his career as the fourth consecutive favourite to win the race.
Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Nyquist ran 1 ¼ miles in 2:01.31. The three-year-old colt became the eighth unbeaten winner in the race’s 142-year history, and the first since Big Brown in 2008.
“We got a beautiful trip from the start to the end,” Gutierrez said.
Nyquist delivered a second Derby win for Gutierrez, trainer Doug O’Neill and owner J Paul Reddam. The Southern California-based team was behind 2012 Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another.
“This is such a special horse,” O’Neill said. “You can see it in his eye on a daily basis, and he’s such a professional. Any human sport, he’d be the top-notch athlete. He’s just first class.”
Nyquist enjoyed a perfect trip over the Churchill Downs dirt in front of 167,227, the second-largest crowd in Derby history. The colt broke well out of the 13th post and showed some early speed getting away from the gate. Gutierrez eased Nyquist back to let speedster Danzing Candy take the lead going into the chaotic first turn.
“His run was awesome,” Reddam said. “Obviously, we were going to take it to ’em. I love the way that we fired out of there, and he sat behind Danzing Candy. This horse, he’s really something. We’re just really lucky to be a part of that.”
Nyquist stayed just off the lead and Gutierrez kept him in the clear, steering him to the outside on the final turn.Nyquist and Gun Runner overtook tiring leader, Danzing Candy at the top of the stretch.
“I thought I had it for a minute,” said Florent Geroux, aboard Gun Runner. “He started pricking his ears back and forth at the top of the stretch.”
But Gun Runner was only in front briefly before Nyquist showed a strong finishing kick. He put away his closest rival and sped to the finish line, with Exaggerator closing but never threatening, after coming from well back.
Exaggerator fell to 0-4 against Nyquist, including two runner-up finishes under the brother team of trainer Keith and jockey Kent Desormeaux.
“What a horse!” marvelled Keith Desormeaux. “I can’t respect that horse enough.”
The bay colt is from the first crop of sire Uncle Mo, who never got the chance to run in the Derby, after being the early favourite for the 2011 race. He was scratched the day before with a stomach illness.Uncle Mo had two other offspring in this year’s race: Mo Tom and Outwork.
