Return to Track Delayed for Nyquist

Kentuckians will have to wait a little longer to see the current favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) hit the track at Keeneland.

Nyquist, who was to have trained this morning in the bluegrass for the first time since winning the April 2 Florida Derby (gr. I) impressively over fourth-place Mohaymen, has a "slightly elevated white (blood cell) count," his connections shared via Facebook.

An update was posted at 6:30 p.m. PT April 6 on the Doug O'Neill Racing Stable page, managed by the trainer's team. It included a video of the Uncle Mo   colt acting fiesty in his stall, but said his return to the track will be delayed until April 8 or April 9.

"Just a quick update on Nyquist," the post read. "He will more than likely go back to the racetrack on Friday or Saturday. 

"Nyquist is happy, has a great appetite... his temperature is normal, but through bloodwork we found he has a slightly elevated white count. So we will walk Nyquist over the next couple days, until his bloodwork returns to normal." 

At the track Thursday morning, assistant Jack Sisterson said Nyquist is "doing great," but with a five-week window between the Florida Derby start and a Kentucky Derby run, "Why rush him back? Especially when they've forecast rain coming in, why take the risk of him getting sick? So we'll give him a few extra days, and he's happy as can be this morning.

"He's making us all work a little harder, he's dragging us around the shedrow. The way his energy is, I'd probably say he'll go out Friday."

PEDULLA: Nyquist Trounces Mohaymen in Florida Derby

Nyquist, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Keeneland to secure his 2-year-old championship honors last year for Reddam Racing, arrived back at the Lexington track April 3 to prepare for his upcoming Kentucky Derby engagement after traveling from California to Florida to run. Elevated white blood cell count may be caused by stresses such as cross-country shipping, but may also indicate a potential illness.

"The shipping can affect (the white blood cell count)," Sisterson said. "We obviously have a standard routine of taking the blood, just to see how they are. If it wasn't the standard routine, we wouldn't have taken the blood, just physically and mentally how he was acting there was no reason to do it, but that's Doug's method of staying on top of things... he hasn't missed a beat, he has no temperature, his energy level is high, and we're just kind of doing what's right for him and letting him have a couple more easy days. He wants to do more."