Nyquist Determined in FrontRunner Score

Reddam Racing's Nyquist preserved his perfect record Sept. 26 at Santa Anita Park, determinedly turning back the valiant inside run of his old rival Swipe to claim the $300,000 FrontRunner Stakes (gr. I) and a place as the early favorite for the Oct. 31 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Keeneland.

The 2-year-old son of first-crop sire Uncle Mo   pressed the pace all the way to hold off Swipe by three-quarters of a length, and also survived a stewards' inquiry into the stretch run of the 1 1/16-mile test, his first try around two turns for trainer Doug O'Neill. Stewards checked for interference between Nyquist, on the outside, and Swipe, who attempted to close through a tight inside spot under Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, but ultimately ruled no change. 

Jockey Mario Gutierrez worked to settle Nyquist early, as he ran into the first turn three across the track with Go Long and Mt Veeder. Go Long emerged in the scramble for the early lead and showed the way through a quarter in :23.04 and a half in :47.01, while Nyquist tracked him by half a length.

"He's been on the lead in the past but he was tougher than I expected today," Gutierrez remarked. "I was expecting him to be easier but he was tough, he was in the bridle. I adjusted though and it worked out in the end."

The 1-2 favorite in a field of eight, Nyquist loomed outside Go Long as the field turned for home through three-quarters in 1:12.47, and straightened away with the race his to lose. Swipe emerged from fifth to make his inside bid through a 1:38.36 mile, but Nyquist turned him back to run the distance in a final time of 1:44.89 on a fast track. 

"It was good to have an exciting finish to make the race exciting," Gutierrez said. "Nyquist, he likes to fight. In his first race, we went head-to-head with a horse of Peter Miller's. Nyquist doesn't like anybody to pass him and that's a good thing. He has a good mentality and I think that's why he stays undefeated."

It was the second straight grade I victory for the bay colt, who turned back quickly off a Sept. 7 Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) win, and his third graded score in a row after taking the Aug. 8 Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) at the seaside oval. He broke his maiden June 5 at Santa Anita before stepping up to stakes company at Del Mar over the summer.

"We learned he can come back fairly quick, and there's some big stuff next year that sometimes you've got to come back quick, so that's exciting," said O'Neill, alluding to the Triple Crown trail. The FrontRunner was won in 2014 by eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Nyquist returned $3, $2.40, and $2.10. Swipe paid $4.80 and $3 at odds of 8-1, finishing second to Nyquist in his third straight stakes this year.

"I think he's a really, really good horse," Desormeaux said of his mount. "You know the hype around Nyquist, and he beat me by a lip, so I think if I went around, I would have won. I've always been very high on him."

Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes winner Hollywood Don paid $3.20 when rallying 5 3/4 lengths back for third at odds of 7-1, while Rare Candy, Blameitonthelaw, Mt Veder, Go Long, and On Fire completed the order of finish.

The FrontRunner is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event for the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile, granting Nyquist an automatic spot in the starting gate for a race won by his sire in 2010 en route to Eclipse Award honors as that year's outstanding 2-year-old male.

"We'll have to huddle up with Team Reddam and figure out a game plan," O'Neill said of pre-Breeders' Cup training for Nyquist. "This wasn't exactly like the way we planned it. We were a little bit cocky before the race, but at the end of the day, this is what we wanted to do. We wanted to win and we wanted to see if he'd two-turn in his own back yard. It's so much easier to do that instead of shipping."

Nyquist was bred in Kentucky by Summerhill Farm and is the first foal out of the Forestry mare Seeking Gabrielle, who has a yearling filly by Blame   and was bred to Flatter   for 2016. Seeking Gabrielle is out of Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) winner Seeking Regina and is a half sister to grade III winner Seeking the Sky, the dam of Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) winner Sahara Sky.

Dennis O'Neill, Doug's brother, purchased Nyquist for $400,000 as a 2-year-old earlier this year from Niall Brennan Stables, agent, at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale. Nyquist had sold twice previously: for $180,000 as weanling at Keeneland in November 2013 to Madison Farm from Paramount Sales, agent, and Sutton Place Stables purchased him as a yearling from Gerry Dilger's Dromoland Farm,agent, for $230,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

"Now with a two-turn win under his belt against the best two-year-olds the West Coast has to offer, I think the plan will be for him to come out of it good and head back east in a few weeks, probably," Doug O'Neill said.

Trainer Keith Desormeaux said Swipe would also target the Breeders' Cup, giving him yet another chance to make a run at his unbeaten foe.

"He's danced every dance. We'll take a good look at him and make sure he's all right and we'll look at the Breeders' Cup (Juvenile)," Swipe's conditioner said. "Why not? This is what we all live for, right?"

Even Hollywood Don will likely get his Breeders' Cup chance, trainer Peter Miller said.

"First time on dirt and I thought he had a good trip. I thought the horse ran very well," Miller remarked. "Just the pace wasn't as fast as I thought; I thought the pace would be faster and hotter, but the horse kicked home good. I thought he ran very well... We'll consider all of our options, including the Breeders' (Cup) Juvenile and the (Breeders' Cup Juvenile) Turf (gr. IT)."