Byron King's Preakness analysis
Not every Kentucky Derby winner is capable of handling the two-week turnaround to the Preakness, but NYQUIST gives the impression that he will. He has trained with his usual gusto while at Pimlico for much of the past two weeks, acclimating to the racetrack and the surroundings.
He has yet to find a track over which he could not win. Unbeaten in eight starts, he has won at five different racetracks and in three different states.
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With rain in the Saturday forecast for Baltimore, it is important to note that Nyquist won over a wet surface rated good in the Florida Derby. That bodes well for his chances of maintaining his perfect form.
Derby runner-up EXAGGERATOR is an experienced wet-track horse, having won the Santa Anita Derby in the slop, the Delta Jackpot in the mud, and run second in the Breeders’ Futurity, also over a muddy strip.
The Santa Anita Derby particularly stands out. He relished the ground, while many of his foes did not. And with steady rain predicted throughout Saturday, a sloppy track might be just the type of surface over which the Preakness is run.
CHERRY WINE fell just short of having the necessary qualifying points to make the Kentucky Derby, and was rerouted to the Preakness. He rallied to finish third in a fast-paced Blue Grass last out, edged by a head late for the place.
His form is much improved in his four races going two turns on dirt since November. Besides his third in the Blue Grass, he ran fourth in the Rebel and won an allowance and a maiden race by open lengths. The maiden victory came in the slop.
AWESOME SPEED is a live longshot to use on the bottom of the exotic wagers. He fell off the Derby trail after a distant fourth in the Fountain of Youth Feb. 27 at Gulfstream, and rebounded to win the April 9 Federico Tesio at Laurel via disqualification after being fouled by Governor Malibu in a stirring stretch battle.
Although his Tesio earned him just an 83 Beyer Speed Figure, the form of the race was validated when Governor Malibu returned to finish a close second to heavily favored Unified in last week’s Grade 2 Peter Pan at Belmont.