Nyquist looks to cap O’Neill’s huge meet with Futurity win
DEL MAR, Calif. – This has been a summer to remember at Del Mar for trainer Doug O’Neill, and he is hoping to go out on a high note on Monday when he sends out the favored Nyquist and the longshot Archaeo in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Futurity, the highlight of a 10-race closing-day card.
Nyquist on Aug. 8 won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes, the major local prep for the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity. Earlier that week, O’Neill went one-two in the Graduation Stakes, continuing a terrific run he’s had with his 2-year-olds. But the highlight of the meet came July 29, when O’Neill set a single-day track record with five wins.
“That was a career day. The babies have all run well. It’s been a good summer,” O’Neill said the other morning.
Nyquist could provide an appropriate coda to the Summer of Doug.
“He’s done really well since his last race,” O’Neill said. “He’s had two good works. We’re excited.”
Mario Gutierrez, aboard Nyquist in his first two starts, is back aboard Monday.
Swipe and Annie’s Candy, who finished second and third in the Best Pal, are back to try again, but the main threat to Nyquist could be Blameitonthelaw, who was a powerful winner of his lone start Aug. 2.
Bob Baffert entered both Mt Veeder and the maiden Nightly News. Baffert has won the Futurity a record 12 times, all since 1996, including last year with American Pharoah, who turned out to be pretty good.
KEY CONTENDERS
Nyquist (Career Beyers: 89-84)
◗ He pressed a soft pace and then powered home to win the Best Pal after a debut in which he was forced to show sharp speed from the rail, so he appears to be able to adapt to however this race unfolds.
“Like most good horses, he’s got a really good mind on him,” O’Neill said.
Blameitonthelaw (Beyer: 88)
◗ He’s had just one start, but it was a good one, a 4 1/4-length victory going 5 1/2 furlongs while earning a Beyer Speed Figure just one point inferior to what Nyquist got in the Best Pal.
“It’s nice when you break your maiden early in the meet like that. The spacing to the Del Mar Futurity was perfect,” said trainer John Sadler. “Once he won his first race the way he did, we just wanted to wait until the Futurity.”
◗ Blameitonthelaw should appreciate the added distance, as he is by Blame.
◗ He also drew well, landing post 7 in the field of eight, two slots outside of Nyquist.
Swipe (Last 3 Beyers: 77-80-67)
◗ He and Annie’s Candy are the most experienced horses in the race, with four starts each.
◗ He was a distant second to Nyquist in the Best Pal, but he ran into some traffic on the far turn, and his late run was compromised by the soft early pace. He can make a far more significant impact if there is more pace in front of him this time.
Mt Veeder (Beyer: 73)
◗ He flashed sharp speed when winning his debut Aug. 15. After initially saying he was leaning toward skipping this race, Baffert changed his mind after a five-furlong work in 1:00.40 on Tuesday that was the second-best of 20 at the distance.
Annie’s Candy (Last 3 Beyers: 76-67-84)
◗ He gave Nyquist a tussle in that horse’s debut June 5, but he was no match for Nyquist in the Best Pal, fading to third without a visible excuse. Trainer Peter Miller has looked at several other spots for him, so he’s not certain to run.
Rockin Bayou (Beyer: 65)
◗ He dueled for the lead and then prevailed in his lone start July 18, racing over a sloppy and sealed track owing to a freak storm that hit the area that day. He has turned in a series of sharp drills since then and has a right to better that figure over a fast surface.