A year after American Pharoah thrilled the sports world by winning horse racing’s first Triple Crown in 37 years, here comes Nyquist.
The colt named for Detroit Red Wings hockey player Gustav Nyquist is looking like a worthy successor for a sport eager to retain the new fans it gained during American Pharoah’s sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Nyquist was last year’s American two-year-old champion, capping his season with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Now he is expected to be the favourite for the 142nd Kentucky Derby next Saturday.
The colt brings a 7-0 career record into Churchill Downs.
No less an expert than four-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert thinks Nyquist is the horse to beat in the 1-1/4 mile (2000m) race.
“He hasn’t done anything wrong at all,” Baffert, who trained the now-retired American Pharoah, said.
“You have Nyquist and you have a lot of horses underneath.”
The colt is backed by an experienced team – owner J Paul Reddam, trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Mario Gutierrez.
The Southern California-based trio won the 2012 Derby and Preakness with I’ll Have Another, who was stunningly retired on the eve of the Belmont with a leg injury, dashing Triple Crown hopes.
“It’s a little bit more enjoyable this time because we’ve been there before and we can kind of soak it up a little bit more,” O’Neill said.
Nyquist will need some luck running in an expected full field of 20 horses. The final line-up won’t be known until Wednesday, when entries are drawn and barriers are assigned.
Baffert’s lone entry is Mor Spirit, who has never been worse than second in seven career starts. His jockey is Gary Stevens, a three-time Derby winner whose last victory came in 1997 aboard the Baffert-trained Silver Charm.
Three trainers are expected to saddle two horses each. Steve Asmussen has Gun Runner, who topped the Derby points leaderboard ahead of Nyquist, and Creator in pursuit of his first Derby after recently being elected to racing’s Hall of Fame.
Todd Pletcher has Wood Memorial winner Outwork and Tampa Bay Derby winner Destin while Chad Brown has Shagaf and Blue Grass runner-up My Man Sam.
