Nyquist Straightforward in Morning Gallop

As the days count down to the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), champion Nyquist couldn't be more straightforward in his preparations.

Aside from a slight delay in training upon his arrival at Keeneland April 3-8 due to an elevated white blood cell count detected during routine testing, Reddam Racing's undefeated son of Uncle Mo   has gone about his work every morning since April 9 with good energy and focus under regular exercise rider Jonny Garcia.

With his second pre-Derby breeze coming up for trainer Doug O'Neill April 22, Nyquist calmly went to the track accompanied by assistant trainer Jack Sisterson on the pony April 20. He galloped a circuit on the Keeneland main track after warming up with the pony backtracking the wrong way, then returned to the barn.

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"Jonny said he went really good, so we're happy. That's the main thing," Sisterson said. "Jonny continues to say he feels good; that's all we could ask for. He knows him better than anyone. The report to Doug will be, 'Everything's good.' Jogging him with the pony, he's just full of energy.

"That's something we want to see as he's warming up. Relaxed in a good, energetic way, and then let Jonny loose to go and have fun out there."

Sisterson said O'Neill returns to Lexington Wednesday evening and is expected to supervise Nyquist's morning jog April 21. There is a 60% chance of rain forecast for Thursday with thunderstorms after 10 a.m. EDT, a 50% chance of thunderstorms that night, and a 40% chance of rain Friday until 3 p.m.

"The plan is still to work Friday, but with the weather I don't know what will happen," Sisterson said. "Doug flies in tonight and he'll be here tomorrow morning."

With a seven-for-seven record, Nyquist comes into the Kentucky Derby off a strong April 2 Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (gr. I) win.