Kentucky Derby clocker: Nyquist goes easily
Keeneland
Weather: Cloudy
Track: Fast
Temp: 58
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With the skies clear and the track fast, Kentucky Derby favorite Nyquist went back to work Saturday at Keeneland, turning in a fairly easy five-furlong breeze that had been postponed from the previous morning due to rain.
Going in company with stablemate Ralis, Nyquist broke off about seven lengths behind his target at the one-mile pole but was eager to get on with it while open-galloping three furlongs in 42.57 seconds. The undefeated juvenile champion joined his partner under a strong hold leaving the five-eighths pole and cruised along outside Ralis through splits of 24.01 and 36.03 to the top of the stretch.
Nyquist, breezing with his head cocked outward while seemingly taking in the local scenery around the bend and through early stretch, remained on his correct lead down the stretch, something he did not do in his convincing win earlier this month in the Florida Derby. He forged nearly three-quarters of a length in front of his mate, going easily enough to the wire, after completing five panels in 1:01.78 before easing up fairly quickly into the turn, galloping out six furlongs in a very average 1:17.79. His time for the mile was 1:44.36.
Obviously, this is a horse who saves his best for the afternoon and isn’t one to wow anybody in the morning like last year’s Derby winner, American Pharoah. This was strictly a maintenance move and exactly what trainer Doug O’Neill had in mind.
“I was very pleased,” O’Neill said as Nyquist made his way back to the barn. “Just a maintenance move. He’s locked and loaded and ready to go.”
The only other potential Derby starter to work Saturday at Keeneland was the maiden Laoban, who will need some help to draw into the race. Laoban worked five furlongs shortly after the renovation break in 1:01.19, completing his final quarter in 24.70 under a bit of urging before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.
Cathryn Sophia turned in the work of the day at Keeneland in preparation for the Kentucky Oaks, going five panels in 59.61 under jockey Paco Lopez.
Cathryn Sophia, coming off the first loss of her career in the Ashland Stakes, posted splits of 23.44 and 35.59 and changed leads right on cue upon entering the stretch, with Lopez letting her just cruise along on her own from start to finish. She galloped out in 1:12.58.
O’Neill also sent out his Oaks hopeful, Land Over Sea, to breeze five furlongs in a similar style to Nyquist, although she went alone over a chewed-up track about 45 minutes after the track reopened following the break.
Land Over Sea was full of energy as she left the mile marker, open-galloped to the five-furlong pole in 42.50, then completed the distance to the wire in 1:02.14, with splits of 24.67 and 36.81 while allowed to fan about four paths wide coming off the turn. She did appear to tire slightly coming to the wire before easing up fairly quickly on the gallop-out.
There were three Derby workers Saturday at Churchill Downs, led by Blue Grass Stakes winner Brody’s Cause, who went five furlongs in 1:01.80, according to track clockers, with exercise rider Tammy Fox up.
Tom’s Ready, going in company with stablemate Forever D’Oro, went the same distance in 1:01, while Fellowship, a very good work horse who, like Laoban, needs some help to get into the field, covered five panels in 1:00.40 while getting the best of his graded stakes-winning stablemate Awesome Banner.