Florida Derby's top four make plans for Kentucky Derby

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Led by Nyquist, the top four finishers from Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby are all pointing to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7.

Nyquist, last year’s 2-year-old champion, remained undefeated and likely earned the favorite’s role for the Kentucky Derby by virtue of his dominant 3 1/4-length victory in the Florida Derby over a wet Gulfstream Park track labeled “good.” It was his seventh victory from as many starts, his fourth in a Grade 1.

Less than 24 hours later, he was bedded down at Keeneland Race Course, where it is expected he will do all of his serious training leading up to the Kentucky Derby. With Keeneland having a synthetic training track - in addition to a dirt main track - Nyquist would have an uninterrupted training schedule in the event of inclement weather.

“The training track synthetic course is such a blessing,” Doug O’Neill, Nyquist’s trainer, said Saturday night. “As long as he stays healthy and doesn’t get sick on us he can train on a daily basis so we love the Keeneland option.”

O’Neill flew back to Southern California along with owner Paul Reddam on Saturday night. Nyquist was flown to Lexington, Ky., late Sunday morning. Tyler Cerin, who works as an equine physical therapist and is part of O’Neill’s team, said Nyquist came out of the race great.

“He’s full of himself, feeling good after the race,” Cerin said Sunday morning at Gulfstream. “I haven’t seen him bounce out of a race like this.”

Cerin said Nyquist reminds him a little of I’ll Have Another, who in 2012 won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness for Reddam and O’Neill before a tendon injury ended a potential Triple Crown bid in the Belmont Stakes.

“He looks a horse in the eye down the stretch and knows what needs to be done,” Cerin said. “I see that same fire in his eye.”

Nyquist, who earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure for Saturday’s effort, won the Florida Derby as the second betting choice.

Mohaymen, with prior victories over the Gulfstream surface in the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth - both Grade 2 events - was the 4-5 favorite. Mohaymen was four wide into the first turn, and five wide on the backside under Junior Alvarado. But even when he got to the flank of Nyquist at the quarter pole, Mohaymen came up empty in the stretch and finished fourth, beaten 8 1/4 lengths. It was his first loss in six starts.

Kiaran McLaughlin, Mohaymen’s trainer, noted that, according to Trakus, Mohaymen traveled 54 feet further than did Nyquist.

“He wasn’t traveling like he was his last couple of races,” McLaughlin said. “He wasn’t taking him there. Even though he got to [Nyquist] at the top of the lane, he never was traveling like he liked the track because he never was on the bridle. But, the winner had to run over it also. Congratulations to them; they won the race. The main thing is he’s good this morning.”

McLaughlin said his initial thought is to ship Mohaymen to Churchill Downs early enough to get two workouts over the track.

McLaughlin said he saw no reason to make a rider change.

“Junior didn’t do anything wrong,” McLaughlin said.

The surprise of the race was Majesto, who rallied to get second by a length over Fellowship in his fifth start at the meet. Majesto, coming off a maiden win on Feb. 27, earned 40 qualifying points to the Derby and in all likelihood is headed to that race.

"We'll make a final decision in a couple of days, but of course the owners want to go," said Gustavo Delgado Jr., the assistant trainer to his father, Gustavo Delgado Sr. "Although we'll need another rider for the Derby if we do run, since Javier is committed elsewhere."

Delgado was referring to Javier Castellano, who rode Majesto in the Florida Derby but is also the regular rider of Destin, the Tampa Bay Derby winner who is training up to the Kentucky Derby.

Majesto is owned by Grupo 7C Racing.

The younger Delgado said his father was planning on shipping a string of horses to Belmont Park later this month but now might alter those plans and head to Kentucky instead. He added that no decision had been made yet on the status of Paola Queen regarding the Kentucky Oaks. Paola Queen, who is also owned by Grupo 7, finished second earlier Saturday in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks.

Trainer Stanley Gold said his owner, Fred Brei, expressed a definite interest in running Fellowship in the Kentucky Derby but that he has made no decision at this time. Fellowship finished third in the three major Kentucky Derby preps held at Gulfstream Park this winter, including the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth.

"He had a little bit of a wide trip. He got into a little trouble on the inside. We probably could have gotten up for second if we could have reversed positions with Majesto," said Gold when asked to assess Fellowships' performance in the Florida Derby. "It might have been a different story if [Takeittotheedge] could have gotten out of the gate a little better because he has enough speed to have altered the outcome. But you've got to give Nyquist all the credit; he wasn't on the defense. He said ‘I'm going.’ ” He took on all comers and he put them all away. But I thought Fellowship ran a good race. He got beat 4 1/2 lengths by the champ, and I'm happy."

Gold said he'll continue to train Fellowship as if he was going to the Derby, while adding that Jose Lezcano, who rode him in each of his last two starts, would have first call.

"I've always said he'll get better the further he goes and I think his future is still in front of him," said Gold. "Until a final decision is made, I'm just going to go on with him as if we're going to go. Jose has a mount in the Blue Grass, so we'll leave it up to him and his agent if they want to ride this horse or go elsewhere. Right now, he has first call."

Gold said if Fellowship does run in the Derby, he would likely have all his major preparations at Gulfstream Park and ship to Churchill Downs just far enough in advance to get acclimated to the track and surroundings.

- additional reporting by Mike Welsch