Nyquist workout moves him closer to July comeback

ARCADIA, Calif. - Nyquist, the champion 2-year-old male of 2015 and winner of last month's Kentucky Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:02.07 prior to the first race at Santa Anita on Saturday, moving closer to a comeback in an undetermined race later this summer.

Nyquist was ridden by regular rider Mario Gutierrez. The workout was conducted 45 minutes before the start of Saturday’s nine-race program.

The exercise began with a slow jog of about a mile, beginning on the backstretch. Nyquist was not at top speed when he began the workout a half-mile from the finish line. He ran the opening quarter-mile in 26.08 seconds, and quickened through the stretch, running the second quarter-mile in 23.12 seconds.

Nyquist's workout continued past the wire to the seven-eighths pole, in the first turn. Nyquist ran the final furlong in 12.87 seconds. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.85, according to Santa Anita clocker Dane Nelson.

The relatively slow time was not a concern for trainer Doug O’Neill.

“If you put him in company, he’ll go a faster time,” O'Neill said. “We’ll start stepping up as we go forward.”

O’Neill said he was encouraged by Nyquist’s time through the stretch.

“He ran from the eighth pole to the wire in 11 and change,” he said.

Owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Nyquist has not raced since finishing third in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21, his only loss in nine starts. He breezed a half-mile in 48.60 seconds on June 17, his first workout since resuming training earlier this month.

Nyquist was diagnosed with an illness after the Preakness Stakes, which kept him out of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 11. Nyquist returned to California earlier this month.

The Reddams and O’Neill are expected to discuss race plans for Nyquist in coming weeks. Options include races such as the $200,000 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles against older horses at Del Mar on July 23, or two stakes at 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds – the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 30 or the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 31.

The long-term goal is the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.