Undefeated Nyquist becomes fourth straight favorite to win Kentucky Derby.
UNDEFEATED NYQUIST NOW 8-FOR-8 WITH WIN IN RUN FOR ROSES
DERBY FAVORITE ANSWERS DOUBTERS,
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — All week long, people prowling the backstretch at Churchill Downs were saying a lot of things about the thoroughbred class of 2016.
And a lot of it wasn’t good.
The 20 horses heading into the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby were a slow bunch. They weren’t running fast enough numbers. Yes, indeed, it was going to be a tough spring to be a horse racing fan as the Triple Crown season started anew.
And then along came Nyquist. The colt who has done nothing wrong in his career continued to be perfect Saturday as he cruised to a 2½-length win in the Derby on a warm, sunsplashed Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs in front of 167,227, the second-largest crowd in the race’s history. The alltime best attendance was 170,513, set last year.
With the win, Nyquist, named after Detroit Red Wings hockey player Gustav Nyquist, improved his career record to eight wins in as many starts. He is the eighth horse to exit the Kentucky Derby unbeaten, joining the likes of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew (1977), and, more recently, Smarty Jones (2004), Barbaro (2006) and Big Brown (2008).
And the colt, the son of Uncle Mo, showed he was plenty fast enough. His final time for the 1¼ miles was 2:01.31. That’s the fastest Derby time since New York-bred Funny Cide ran it in 2:01.19 in 2003. Those who had knocked the colt were saying he would be questionable at the distance.
“We respect all journalists,” trainer Doug O’Neill said with a laugh. “It’s part of sports.”
Nyquist’s time was faster than last year’s win- ner, American Pharoah (2:03.02), who went on to become the sport’s first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Nyquist’s Derby was faster than Derby champion California Chrome (2:03.86 in 2014) and a click quicker than Barbaro, who finished in 2:01.36.
“He is definitely the best horse I have ever been around,” said O’Neill, who took I’ll Have Another to victories in the 2012 Derby and Preakness. “This is very exciting. This horse just never gets tired.”
Nyquist was ridden by Mario Gutierrez, who also rode I’ll Have Another to the Derby win four years ago. Those are the only two mounts the rider has ever had in the Run for the Roses. Nyquist is owned by Paul Reddam, who also owned I’ll Have Another.
“It’s unreal,” Gutierrez said. “No words can describe it. There was pressure. We have a horse that is undefeated.”
Nyquist, the 2-1 favorite in 20-horse Derby, allowed pace setter Danzing Candy and jockey Mike Smith to set swift early fractions. That colt ran the first quarter-mile in 22.58 seconds and the half-mile in 45.72. At the six-furlong mark, the time was 1:10.40 and it was evident Danzing Candy was finished.
The new leader was the Steve Asmussen-trained Gun Runner, but Nyquist and Gutierrez, who were running behind Danzing Candy and Gun Runner from the bell, had their sights on the lead.
After Gun Runner took the lead, Nyquist showed a burst of speed and roared past Gun Runner on the outside like he was standing still.
“We tried to win, you know what I mean?” Asmussen said. ”I loved where Gun Runner was. I was worried about him going too fast.”
Nyquist was just too fast, and after floating wide into the stretch, he began to increase his lead. But there would be one more challenge to come.
Exaggerator, the Santa Anita Derby winner, showed he didn’t need a sloppy track (which his past two wins came on). Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Exaggerator, the second choice at 5-1, began to gobble up ground late and looked like he might just get to Nyquist. But Nyquist kept moving and flashed under the wire. Gutierrez would say later that he was never worried about Exaggerator.
“It’s no shame running second to him,” said Keith Desormeaux, the trainer of Exaggerator. “I am as proud of my horse as I am respectful of Nyquist.”
Exaggerator held on for second, 3¼ lengths ahead of Gun Runner, who finished third. Gun Runner finished a head in front of the Kiaran McLaughlintrained Mohaymen, who was a nose in front of Suddenbreakingnews.
O’Neill said that Nyquist will likely ship to Baltimore on Monday where he will begin to get ready for the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness, at Pimlico on May 21.
Nyquist paid $6.60, 4.80 and 3.60; Exaggerator returned $5.40 and 4.20 and Gun Runner paid $6.00.