Nyquist picks it up while training for return

ARCADIA, Calif. – Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist stepped up his training Friday at Santa Anita, galloping for the first time since returning to California from Baltimore one week ago.

Nyquist, whose third-place finish in the Preakness Stakes was his first loss from nine starts, was declared out of the Belmont Stakes after coming down with an elevated white blood count and a high temperature days after the Preakness. The colt has since recovered, returned to Santa Anita on June 5, and had been jogging two miles daily until Friday, when he resumed galloping.

Trainer Doug O’Neill said Friday that Nyquist was about a week away from a workout.

“For a horse that won the Derby, won 8 of 9, he looks great,” O‘Neill said.

O’Neill and owner J. Paul Reddam have a number of options regarding a summer campaign for Nyquist: the San Diego Handicap (July 23) and the Pacific Classic (Aug. 20) at Del Mar; the Haskell Invitational (July 31) at Monmouth Park; the Jim Dandy (July 30) at Saratoga; and the Pennsylvania Derby (Sept. 24) at Parx.

“They’re all in play,” O’Neill said.