BALTIMORE – Nyquist, the undefeated Kentucky Derby winner, had a very easy morning at Pimlico on Saturday, jogging two miles the wrong way around the track while being led by a pony.
Trainer Doug O'Neill, who watched Nyquist's exercise from the press-box balcony, said Nyquist on Sunday would jog a mile and then gallop a mile.
O'Neill has followed an alternating system of jogs and gallops with Nyquist since he was a 2-year-old.
At Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Preakness hopeful Cherry Wine breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 on a windy and unseasonably chilly Saturday morning.
Churchill clocker John Nichols caught Cherry Wine and exercise rider Faustino Aguilar in splits of 24.80 and 49.20 seconds, then out six furlongs in 1:14 over a fast track.
Trainer Dale Romans said afterward he is very happy with how Cherry Wine has trained since the colt finished third in his last race, the April 9 Blue Grass Stakes.
Trainer Charlene Miller was pleased with how Stanz in Command came out of his win in the $50,000 Jim Coleman Province last Sunday at Hastings. It was his first start since he finished fourth in the $75,000 Ascot Graduation last October, when he stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time.
He won two of his four starts as a 2-year-old last year and is undefeated on fast tracks. He also finished second in the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity.
Justin Evans, who is winning races at a 52 percent clip at SunRay Park in Farmington, N.M., has a handful of runners targeting stakes at Churchill Downs, Mountaineer Racetrack, and Arapahoe Park.
Dirt Monster shipped Thursday from New Mexico to Churchill. Evans said the multiple sprint-stakes winner is being pointed for the Grade 3, $100,000 Aristides. The six-furlong race will be run June 4.
Dirt Monster has won two stakes in his last three starts and worked a bullet five furlongs in 59.80 seconds on May 7 at SunRay.
Haveyougoneaway has left the Mid-South region. The New York-bred mare, who accounted for two-thirds of the female sprint stakes series this winter at Oaklawn, is now based at Belmont Park with trainer Tom Morley. She was sold privately in April.
“We sold her after the last race,” said Rick Cundiff of Champion Racing Stable. “She was sold to Becky Thomas. It was a good deal for everybody involved. We had a lot of fun with the mare, a lot of excitement, and wish them all the best as well.”
Upstart, fifth in the Oaklawn Handicap last month, is under serious consideration for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 11, trainer Rick Violette said.
On Tuesday, Upstart worked a half-mile in 49.60 seconds over Belmont’s main track. It was his first work since the Oaklawn race and his first since arriving at Belmont Park two weeks ago. The Aqueduct backstretch was closed for the summer May 1, and all horses previously based at that track have been moved to either Belmont or Saratoga.
Destin, the Tampa Bay Derby winner who finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby, will be pointed to the Belmont Stakes on June 11, trainer Todd Pletcher said Friday.
Pletcher said Destin appeared to have come out of the Derby in good order and has already resumed galloping at Belmont.
Meanwhile, Outwork, the Wood Memorial winner who finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby, will be pointed to the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth on July 31.
Haveyougoneaway has left the Mid-South region. The New York-bred mare, who accounted for two-thirds of the female sprint stakes series this winter at Oaklawn, is now based at Belmont Park with trainer Tom Morley. She was sold privately in April.
“We sold her after the last race,” said Rick Cundiff of Champion Racing Stable. “She was sold to Becky Thomas. It was a good deal for everybody involved. We had a lot of fun with the mare, a lot of excitement, and wish them all the best as well.”
