AS O’NEILL PREPS CHAMP FOR FIRST START SINCE THIRD PLACE FINISH IN PREAKNESS
(Zoe Metz Photo)
ARCADIA, Calif. (June 25, 2016)—With regular rider Mario Gutierrez aloft, Paul and Zillah Reddam’s Kentucky Derby winning Nyquist worked five furlongs in 1:02.07 at 12:48 p.m. today over Santa Anita’s pristine main track.
In his second recorded workout since tasting defeat for the first time in the Preakness Stakes May 21, the Doug O’Neill conditioned son of Uncle Mo came on the track via the quarter mile chute and backtracked to the half mile pole. At that point, he turned around and galloped through the stretch while well off the rail.
Approaching the half mile pole, Gutierrez angled Nyquist to the rail and guided him through splits of 26.08 and 49.20. Santa Anita Timer Dane Nelson had Nyquist galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.85.
“I though it went really good,” said O’Neill in an interview with Millie Ball on XBTV. “It is just his second work since the Preakness and I just really liked the way he finished up. He went sub-twelve the last eighth of a mile down the lane there. Mario was really happy with him so it was just getting him back into routine. We’re really happy.”
Last year’s Eclipse Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, Nyquist was perfect through eight starts leading into the Preakness and his victories included five Grade I wins, with the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on April 2 serving as his final prep to winning the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs May 7.
Out of the Forestry mare Seeking Gabrielle, he has amassed earnings of $5,119,200. O’Neill has said that several races are under consideration for Nyquist’s next start, with the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 5 his ultimate objective this year.