Jockey Stewart Elliott won his first Southern California riding title, while Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and Doug O'Neill shared training honors at the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos Race Course.
After a poor performance in his first graded stakes try in the Travers Stakes (gr. I), late-developing 3-year-old Connect bounced back with a narrow win over Gun Runner in the $1.25 million Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) Sept. 24 at Parx Racing.
Will we see the same Nyquist we saw last year and this past winter and spring in the Pennsylvania Derby?
In most of Nyquist’s 10 starts, the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner has led or raced closed to the leaders early, but trainer Doug O’Neill doesn’t believe last year’s champion juvenile male needs to be close early.
California Chrome wasn't the only star on the work tab Sept. 10 in Southern California. Champions of 2015 Stellar Wind and Nyquist both put in drills for upcoming starts, as did 2016 Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Arrogate.
After noticing Reddam Racing's Nyquist was getting a little skinny at Del Mar, trainer Doug O'Neill decided to send the Uncle Mo colt north on Interstate 5 to train at the much more relaxed San Luis Rey Training Center.
Six 2-year-old males have been entered for the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 10 at Del Mar, and every one has taken a different path to their first graded stakes try.
Del Mar has never offered an elite race restricted to 3-year-olds and continues to see young stars ship east for lucrative purses.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) victor Exaggerator will renew their rivalry July 31 at Monmouth Park in the $1 million Betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (gr. I).
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist worked a mile in 1:39 2/5 at 1 p.m. PDT July 24 at Del Mar.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist and undefeated 3-year-old filly Songbird both were put through workouts July 17 at Del Mar in preparation for top-level East Coast starts this summer.
Champion Nyquist will seek to get back on the winning track in the $1 million Betfair.com Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park July 31. He has won eight of nine starts and more than $5 million.
Trainer Doug O'Neill continues to put the foundation under Reddam Racing's champion Nyquist for his first start since a third in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), although exactly where that race will be has not yet been revealed.
Champion Nyquist, unraced since his third in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), will work five furlongs prior to the first race at Santa Anita Park June 25, according to trainer Doug O'Neill.
In his first timed move since the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Reddam Racing's Nyquist worked a half-mile in :48 3/5 under the watchful eye of trainer Doug O'Neill June 17 at Santa Anita Park.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist spent his last morning on the main track at Pimlico Race Course with an energetic two-mile jog the morning of June 4.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist, who suffered his first career loss in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), returned to the track June 2 for the first time since his third-place finish in the May 21 Preakness.
Enola Gray, one of the standouts from Santa Anita Park's winter/spring meeting will hope to make an encore performance May 28 at the Southern California racetrack.
Reddam Racing's Nyquist the morning of May 25 was improving after an elevated white blood cell count and fever, while Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Exaggerator jogged two miles on the main track at Pimlico Race Course.
Nyquist, third in the Preakness Stakes after winning the Kentucky Derby, will be heading home to California to recuperate instead of to New York for the Belmont Stakes, said trainer Doug O'Neill May 24.
There may not be a Triple Crown on the line June 11 at Belmont Park, but a budding rivalry between the top two 3-year-old colts in the country is probably the next-best option.
Reddam Racing’s Nyquist went twice around the Pimlico Race Course main track the morning of May 20 in his final preparations for the Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
The weather forecast for Preakness Stakes (gr. I) day not surprisingly generated talk during the May 19 Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico Race Course.
He says all indications are Nyquist is "sitting on go" and he expects a big effort Saturday, as befitting his morning line odds.
The morning of May 19 left trainer Doug O'Neill pleased with Nyquist's strong final pre-race gallop under exercise rider Jonny Garcia leading into the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Reddam Racing's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist drew post 3 and was tabbed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite May 18 for the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico Race Course.
Florida horseman Niall Brennan, along with Mike Ryan, purchased Nyquist as a yearling, then broke, trained, and sold the Derby winner as a 2-year-old.
Trainer Doug O'Neill and Nyquist's connections were happy with what they saw during the colt's two-mile jog May 18 at Pimlico Race Course.
When Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist prepares for the second leg of the Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), his trainer will saddle the Uncle Mo colt in the inside paddock rather than on the turf course.
With the threat of early morning rain looming over Baltimore, trainer Doug O'Neill called an audible the morning of May 17 and sent out Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist to gallop at 6:08 a.m. EDT.
Trainer Doug O'Neill, in his first of two diaries as told to Tom Pedulla for America's Best Racing, said the plan for Nyquist has succeeded so far, and now it comes down to the post-position draw for the Preakness Stakes.
Land Over Sea and Go Maggie Go will make a quick turnaround off positive runs in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) to try another Friday feature May 20 in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (gr. II) at Pimlico Race Course.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist galloped a strong mile May 15 at Pimlico Race Course in preparation for the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I ).
The undefeated Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner, who was ridden by exercise rider Jonny Garcia, backtracked with a pony to the top of the first turn before reversing direction and galloping approximately a mile May 13.
Trainer Doug O'Neill believes Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist will be tough to defeat under normal circumstances in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), though he doesn't underestimate the competition.
The Triple Crown trail didn't work out for much of the Lazaro Barrera (gr. III) field, and all seven entrants will seek their first graded stakes win in the $100,000 seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds May 14 at Santa Anita Park.
Nyquist returned to the track May 11 for the first time since scoring an impressive triumph in the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), acquainting himself with Pimlico Race Course.
The Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner appears to be well-poised, based on his class and pedigree, to capture the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
It took eight races, five grade I victories, and a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Kentucky Derby victory, but Nyquist finally closed the book on the American Pharoah saga and began scripting his own legacy.
Trainer Doug O'Neill caught an early flight back to Southern California the morning of May 8, but Reddam Racing's champion Nyquist is headed to the other coast following his May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) victory.
Relive Nyquist's victory in the 2016 Kentucky Derby (gr. I). See where your favorite horse was at several crucial points of the race with our interactive slideshow. View Sequence
Kentucky Derby 142 post race press conference featuring the connections of winner Nyquist.
Whatever has been thrown at Reddam Racing's Nyquist, he has been able to handle. And May 7 he added the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) to his already impressive résumé.
It was a routine, quiet morning in the stable area of Churchill Downs May 6, with the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) entrants on the track early for their routine exercise.
Trainer Doug O'Neill discusses Kentucky Derby favorite Nyquist on Kentucky Oaks Day.
Trainer Doug O'Neill said he's confident in the training strategy he has employed with Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) favorite Nyquist, who did a little more than jog the morning of May 5 at Churchill Downs.
Post positions were drawn and morning-line odds set on Wednesday evening at Churchill Downs for the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby. Tune in for comments from key Derby connections, including morning-line favorite Nyquist’s trainer, Doug O’Neill.
Champion Nyquist drew post 13 and was tabbed the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) during the May 4 post position draw at Churchill Downs.
Claire Novak reviews the news of the day, including the activities of Nyquist, Land Over Sea, and Mohaymen. Also, it's draw day and Fellowship and Adventist have chosen not to enter.
Nyquist jogged two miles, schooled in the paddock and in the gate, largely without incident.
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