Nyquist's April 10 Jog 'Fantastic'

After jogging for a second day at Keeneland April 10, Nyquist's training regimen leading up to the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) will intensify this week as the undefeated colt will begin galloping Monday.

"Although he's just jogging, you think what can you see just jogging," said Jack Sisterson, assistant to trainer Doug O'Neill after watching the son of Uncle Mo   exercise on another unseasonably cold morning in the Bluegrass. "But it was fantastic. It was scary good how good he went this morning. It leaves you kind of speechless, just being in a position with a horse like this. He teaches us something every day.

"It's an honor to be around a horse like this," Sisterson said. "He amazes us with how good he is."

Sisterson said Nyquist, whose return to the track at Keeneland was delayed due to a high white blood cell count detected after he arrived following his April 2 victory in the Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (gr. I), would gallop April 11, going to the track at about 7:30 a.m. EDT.

Assessing the April 9 Derby preps—Brody's Cause's victory in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, the Santa Anita Derby victory of Exaggerator at Santa Anita Park, and Outwork's Wood Memorial win at Aqueduct Racetrack, all grade I—Sisterson said some of the results only enhanced Nyquist's position as the Derby favorite at this time.

Exaggerator was fifth in Nyquist's maiden score last June at Santa Anita, finished fourth in the Derby favorite's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) win, and second to Nyquist in this year's San Vicente Stakes (gr. II).  Brody's Cause defeated Exaggerator in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) at Keeneland last fall before finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

"Those two horses (Exaggerator and Brody's Cause) only enhanced Nyquist's form a little bit because he's run (and won) against them both. We're fortunate to be in the position we're in. They both visually looked impressive yesterday. But you never know. On the first Saturday in May anything can happen so we'll just keep our fingers crossed."

Nyquist has won all seven career starts and was the champion 2-year-old male of 2015.

Purchased by trainer O'Neill's brother, Dennis, for $400,000 on behalf of owner Paul Reddam at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Florida sale of selected 2-year-olds in training, Nyquist has earned $3,322,600 (which includes the bonus paid to any horse out of the F-T sale that went on to win this year's Florida Derby). The Fasig-Tipton/Florida Derby bonus has been renewed for this year's juvenile sale and next year's key Kentucky Derby prep race at Gulfstream Park.