Nyquist bedded down at Pimlico for Preakness
.jpg)
Nyquist, the Doug O’Neill-trained winner of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, arrived on Monday evening at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course, the host of the Preakness, and was bedded down in the stall of a former Derby winner who was also trained by O’Neill, according to a release from the track.
Nyquist arrived at Pimlico at 6:08 p.m. following a police escort from Baltimore-Washington International Airport, according to the track. He was placed in Stall 24 in Barn 40, Pimlico’s stakes barn, the same stall that was occupied by I’ll Have Another, the Doug O’Neill-trained horse who won the 2012 Derby and then took the Preakness two weeks later.
Nyquist traveled with six other horses trained by O’Neill and with assistant trainer Jack Sisterson. O’Neill flew from Kentucky to his home base in California on Sunday and is expected to arrive in Baltimore on Thursday, Pimlico said.
“The trip went very well,” Sisterson said, according to Pimlico. “The thing about Nyquist is that he is mentally so prepared for anything you put in front of him. We’re just blessed to have a horse like him.”
[bc_video_id:383291:]Sisterson said that Nyquist will walk the shedrow on Tuesday and Wednesday. He will go to the track for the first time for “light exercise” on Thursday, Sisterson said.
O’Neill’s top assistant, Leandro Mora, told Daily Racing Form on Monday that it is unlikely that Nyquist will have a formal workout at Pimlico.
“He just needs light training,” Mora said. “He’s way fit. I don’t think we need to push it too much.”
Nyquist is considered the strong favorite for the May 21 Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown. The second-place finisher in the Derby, Exaggerator, and the third-place finisher, Gun Runner, are both pointing toward the race. In addition, Pimlico’s racing office has said that 12 other horses are being considered for the race, including three others that ran in the Derby.
Entries for the Preakness will be taken on May 18, the Wednesday prior to the race. A maximum of 14 can start in the race.
| Potential Preakness Starters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Last Race, Finish |
| Awesome Speed | Alan Goldberg | Jevian Toledo | Federico Tesio, 1st |
| Cherry Wine | Dale Romans | Corey Lanerie | Blue Grass, 3rd |
| Collected | Bob Baffert | Javier Castellano | Lexington, 1st |
| Dazzling Gem | Brad Cox | undecided | Ark. Derby, 4th |
| Exaggerator | Keith Desormeaux | Kent Desormeaux | Ky. Derby, 2nd |
| Fellowship | Mark Casse | Jose Lezcano | Pat Day Mile, 4th |
| Gun Runner | Steve Asmussen | Florent Geroux | Ky. Derby, 3rd |
| Lani | Mikio Matsunaga | Yutaka Take | Ky. Derby, 9th |
| Laoban | Eric Guillot | undecided | Blue Grass, 4th |
| Nyquist | Doug O'Neill | Mario Gutierrez | Ky. Derby, 1st |
| Sharp Azteca | Jorge Navarro | Edgard Zayas | Pat Day Mile, 1st |
| Stradivari | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez | Kee. alw., 1st |
| Suddenbreakingnews | Donnie Von Hemel | Luis Quinonez | Ky. Derby, 5th |
| Uncle Lino | Gary Sherlock | Fernando Perez | Ca. Chrome, 1st |