Nyquist Gives O’Neill Historic Double

Nyquist made easy work of the Del Mar Futurity on Labor Day. (Photo by Benoit and Associates)
Only a few hours after winning the Hopeful Stakes with Ralis at Saratoga, Doug O’Neill and Paul Reddam continued their sweep of the two 2-year-old Grade 1 races carded for today when Nyquist easily won the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity.
Annie’s Candy set the pace in front from the start in the seven furlong race and jockey Mario Gutierrez settled Nyquist about a length behind the pacesetter with Rockin Bayou and Blameitonthelaw sitting next to him. As Annie’s Candy ran a first quarter in 22.44, the others kept pressure on him before joining him on the lead in the turn.
Nyquist easily took over from Annie’s Candy in mid-turn with Rockin Bayou sticking with him. But it turned out that Nyquist had another gear to use and when Gutierrez let the reins out a notch, he put the field away. Winning by 3 ½ lengths, Nyquist ran the seven furlongs in a time of 1:23.28 for the seven furlongs. Swipe, closed from the back of the pack for second with Blameitonthelaw staying on for third.
“Any other track in the country – if I run a :44 half like that – I’m well in front," Gutierrez said. "But here they were all coming at me. I used him early, but then I didn’t have to use him at all. He just coasted home. He’s a nice colt, really nice. Can I compare him to I’ll Have Another [on whom he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2012]? No, not really, different horses. Remember, I rode ‘Another’ as a 3-year-old. This one is only a 2-year-old.”
2015 DEL MAR FUTURITY REPLAY

Video courtesy of TVG
With Nyquist’s 3 ½ length victory and Ralis winning the Hopeful by 5 ¾ lengths, Doug O’Neill became the first trainer to win both the Del Mar Futurity and Hopeful in the same year. The colts also give him a strong hand heading into the Triple Crown trail season, which starts next Saturday.
O’Neill, Reddam and Gutierrez have experience on both the Triple Crown trail and in the Triple Crown races as they are the team that won the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with I’ll Have Another.
Nyquist’s win in the Del Mar Futurity keeps him undefeated in three career starts. The 2-year-old colt by 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and 2-year-old champion Uncle Mo won the Best Pal Stakes earlier in the meet for his first graded stakes victory with this win adding a Grade 1 to his resume. The Grade 1 win is also a first for Uncle Mo, whose first crop hit the track this year. The stallion also had a good finish in the Hopeful with his Uncle Vinny finishing third in that race.
Purchased by Doug O’Neill’s brother for Reddam in March at a 2-year-old sale for $400,000, Nyquist is an experienced sales horse, going through the ring three times (as a weanling, yearling, and 2-year-old) and bringing no less than $180,000 during any of those times. He is the first foal out of the winning mare Seeking Gabrielle, whose half-sister Seeking the Sky produced Grade 1 winner Sahara Sky.
Nyquist paid $3.00 to win as the race favorite, going off at odds of 1-to-2. For an Equibase chart, click here.