Nyquist in growth spurt, will spend two weeks swimming
DEL MAR, Calif. - Nyquist, the Kentucky Derby winner, is going through a growth spurt and will spend the next two weeks swimming at the San Luis Rey Downs training center, trainer Doug O'Neill said Sunday morning at Del Mar.
"That's our Olympics, that's our Rio," O'Neill said. "He's shot up a couple inches, so we're going to take it easy with him right now. He came out of the Haskell tired, but as free and loose as he's ever been. We just don't want to put a saddle and rider on him while he's going through this growth spurt."
O'Neill said that the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita remains the year-end goal for Nyquist, who finished fourth in the Haskell in his first start since the Preakness, in which he finished third while suffering the first loss of his career.
"Whether he has another race between now and then, I don't know, but the race we're considering is the Pennsylvania Derby," O'Neill said.
O'Neill said a decision on whether to run in the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby would not be made until after Nyquist gets back to working out on the track. He said that if the Pennsylvania Derby ends up being the next start, he'd have time to put about three works into Nyquist after his swimming break and prior to the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 24. The Pennsylvania Derby is six weeks prior to the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic.
Nyquist won last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile to secure the title as Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male.