Running Style Change Planned for Nyquist

In most of Nyquist’s 10 starts, the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner has led or raced closed to the leaders early, but trainer Doug O’Neill doesn’t believe last year’s champion juvenile male needs to be close early to be successful.

After all, when a rough start forced the issue, Nyquist did rally from eighth to win last year’s Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Keeneland. The Uncle Mo   colt saw his perfect career record come to an end in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) where he was a head behind Uncle Lino through a quarter-mile in :22.38—the fastest opening quarter ever run in the Preakness—and led through a half-mile in :46.56 before fading to third.

O’Neill blames that outcome on a quick two-week turnaround and on himself, noting that he insisted jockey Mario Gutierrez needed to seize the lead early with Nyquist. In late July, Nyquist again found himself in a tussle for the early lead before finishing fourth in the Betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (gr. I) at Monmouth Park.

O’Neill anticipates a more relaxed approach early in the $1.25 million Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) at 1 1/8 miles Sept. 24 at Parx Racing. Twelve 3-year-olds have entered, including Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Exaggerator, with Nyquist drawing post nine.

“I’d definitely like to see him off the pace," the trainer said. "At the Preakness, that’s all me, because coming in we were 8-for-8 and we drew toward the inside of an 11-horse field. I just envisioned some horses potentially trying to cut over in front of us and put us in some traffic trouble. I was adamant with Mario to take it to them. So that was all on me. Then he came out of it a little sick so—whatever that had to do with it.

“Then in the Haskell we drew the rail and you hear about the golden rail there at Monmouth. I thought 'we can’t give up the rail,' and that backfired.”

Although Nyquist drew further outside for this seven-figure purse race, O’Neill said the plan all along was to try to relax early.

“I think whether we drew the one or the nine in the Pennsylvania Derby, all of Team Reddam, all of Team Nyquist, we’ve all been thinking that the only way we’re going to find ourselves on the lead is if they just hand it to us. Looking at this field, it’s a competitive field with some fast horses in there so I envision it being more of a race like you saw in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile,” O’Neill said. “Even though that was full of some unlucky breaks and loss of ground, we’re going to let the race unfold and have a target. That’s the thinking going into it. Once they leave the gate, it’s up to Mario and Nyquist of course, but the angle here is to let the race unfold and go get them late.”