Mutual Respect in McLaughlin, O'Neill Camps

Kiaran McLaughlin has nothing but respect for the undefeated Nyquist, and the same goes for Doug O'Neill in his assessment of Mohaymen.

Mohaymen, trained by McLaughlin, is five-for-five. Nyquist, the 2-year-old champion male of 2015 trained by O'Neill, is six-for-six. They will face off for the first time April 2 in the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park.

"He's very game and determined," McLaughlin said of Reddam Racing's Nyquist, a three-time grade I winner who won the grade II San Vicente Stakes Feb. 15 in his first start of the year. "He's hard to get by, and he's in good hands with Doug O'Neill, who has won the Kentucky Derby before. The horse just knows where the finish line is."

When O'Neill was asked what impresses him about Mohaymen, he said: "His determination and his will to win. He just gets it done, and his pedigree is second to none. Kiaran McLaughlin and his whole crew are grade I—he has a lot of strengths behind him. But we hope to compete with him and hopefully beat him."

The two trainers offered their assessments—and they were similar—during a March 29 media teleconference. The matchup of the undefeated 3-year-olds has generated an unusual amount of hype for the first Saturday in April; it's usually reserved for the first Saturday in May.

"He has done everything right," McLaughlin said of Shadwell Stable's Mohaymen, a Tapit   colt. "He has stayed on course. I'd rather face (Nyquist) later in the Kentucky Derby than face him now, but the Florida Derby is a grade I and a very important race for us. Mohaymen isn't a grade I winner.

"We don't mind a stern test. We're five weeks out from the Kentucky Derby. The Florida Derby will be tough on both of us, but we have five weeks to recover."

Mohaymen has a sort of home-field advantage in that he has been based in South Florida this winter and won a pair of grade II stakes—the Lambholm South Holy Bull and Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth—at Gulfstream. McLaughlin wanted the colt to have three races before the Kentucky Derby and then train up to the May 7 classic.

Nyquist, by Uncle Mo  , will make his Gulfstream debut in the Florida Derby, but he, too, has remained on schedule. O'Neill noted Nyquist has the foundation with five races as a 2-year-old, and he traveled very well last year from California to Kentucky for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Keeneland.

"After we got lucky in the Juvenile the decision was made to return in the San Vicente and then go to the Florida Derby," O'Neill said. "When you make plans you usually have to call audibles, but that hasn't happened. He handled the Keeneland journey so well it gave us confidence. I think building a good foundation on a daily basis with gallops has helped him."

O'Neill said Nyquist, rather than returning to California, will ship to Keeneland after the Florida Derby to prepare for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). The trainer said he likes the fact Keeneland has a synthetic training track that could come in handy should the main track not be fast.

McLaughlin noted Mohaymen is a May 2 foal who continues to fill out and will do so through the middle of the summer, and that he won the 1 1/8-mile Remsen Stakes (gr. II) at the Florida Derby distance last year as a juvenile.

"It's not a bad thing to have your toughest challenge to date five weeks before the Derby," McLaughlin said. "We haven't gotten to the bottom of him yet. This is a very special colt. He's the best 3-year-old I've ever had."

Saturday's race offers a $1 million bonus to the owner of any horse that was sold at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale and wins the Florida Derby. Nyquist was purchased by his owners last year for $400,000 at the sale.

O'Neill said the bonus "wasn't a deciding factor in going to the Florida Derby" given the decision made after last year's Breeders' Cup win.

"Any bonus is great any time," McLaughlin said. "I wish I was up for a bonus, too."