Nyquist, Exaggerator Renew Rivalry in Haskell

Both making their returns from the Triple Crown races, Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Nyquist and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) victor Exaggerator will renew their rivalry July 31 at Monmouth Park in the $1 million Betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (gr. I).

Nyquist and Exaggerator are scheduled to meet Sunday for the fifth time in nine months—and sixth time overall—when they hook up as the top two morning-line choices in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell. In their first three meetings, Nyquist won last year's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), and this year's San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) and Derby, while Exaggerator finished fourth in the Juvenile, and second in both the San Vicente, and Derby.

BALAN: Nyquist Unrelenting in Kentucky Derby Victory

In the Preakness Exaggerator turned the tables on Nyquist, ending the champion 2-year-old male's undefeated run at eight when he rallied from eighth to score a clear victory. Nyquist yielded the lead and finished third.

LAMARRA: Exaggerator Turns the Tables, Wins Preakness

Removed from Belmont consideration because of a high white blood cell count after the Preakness, Reddam Racing's Nyquist will be making his first start since that third-place finish on a sloppy Pimlico Race Course track. Trainer Doug O'Neill said the Uncle Mo   colt was given time to get back to 100%, "and then a little more time."

Going into the Haskell, Nyquist has worked five times since June 17 at Santa Anita Park and Del Mar, including a one-mile move in a handy 1:39 2/5 July 24 at the seaside racetrack. Nyquist is the 6-5 morning-line favorite for the Haskell.

"His last two works have been exceptional," O'Neill said. "That last one was one of the best I've seen from him in a long time."

Big Chief Racing, Head of Plains Partners, and Rocker O Ranch's Exaggerator will be looking to bounce back from an 11th-place Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (gr. I) finish, when he failed to deliver his usual closing kick. The Curlin   colt has worked four times since June 7, earning the bullet for a five-furlong breeze July 16 in 1:00.76 at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Keith Desormeaux, Exaggerator is listed at 5-2 on the morning line.

The talent in Sunday's field of six 3-year-olds doesn't end with the two classic winners, as TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (gr. II) winner Gun Runner (4-1) enters off an easy win in the Matt Winn Stakes (gr. III) June 18 at Churchill Downs. Winchell Thoroughbreds, Three Chimneys Farm, and Besilu Stables' Gun Runner finished third in the Derby, giving the Haskell field the top three placers from the Louisville classic.

LAMARRA: Gun Runner Dominant in Matt Winn Stakes

Scott Blasi, assistant to Gun Runner's trainer Steve Asmussen, said the Candy Ride   colt should be able to adjust to any pace scenario in the Haskell.

"He's a very manageable horse. He doesn't have to have the lead. I think he'll do whatever (jockey) Florent (Geroux) wants him to do," Blasi said. "He's very tactical. They won't get too far away from him, either. He's ready. His energy level is good."

Trainer Bob Baffert, who has won five of the last six editions of the Haskell and eight overall, will send out Gary and Mary West's late-developing American Freedom (3-1). Since a sixth-place finish in the Pat Day Mile (gr. III) May 7 at Churchill, the Pulpit colt has registered clear victories in the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard and the Iowa Derby (gr. III) July 1 at Prairie Meadows. 

BALAN: American Freedom Clear Winner in Iowa Derby

"We have a nice colt here in American Freedom. He's lightly raced, but we've been quite high on him from the moment he arrived in the barn," said Baffert assistant Jimmy Barnes. "We got a little late start with him, but he won his first out. I'm not sure what went wrong in the Pat Day Mile, but you draw a line through that race and we're right back on track with him.

"He's finally maturing; he's grown. He looks beautiful. ... I think we have him right where we want to be right now."

The Haskell is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win & You're In" race to the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), earning the winning connections free entry to the $6 million event. The past two Haskell winners, Bayern   in 2014 and American Pharoah   last year—both trained by Baffert, went on to win the Classic. The Haskell will be featured in a 5 p.m. EDT Breeders' Cup Challenge Series broadcast on NBC.

Locally based horses round out the field in Live Oak Plantation's Awesome Slew (15-1), who enters off a third in the Pegasus Stakes (gr. III) June 19 at Monmouth for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., and grade III winner Sunny Ridge, who will be making his first start since finishing fourth in the Gotham Stakes (gr. III) March 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Bred in New Jersey, Sunny Ridge (20-1) is a homebred for Dennis Drazin, advisor to Darby Development, which operates Monmouth.

"For a six-horse field, it's really very deep," O'Neill said. "(Nyquist) is going to need to bring one of his better races to win."

Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Brody's Cause, whose connections had been considering the Haskell, will instead opt for the West Virginia Derby (gr. II) Aug. 6 at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort.