|
 Nyquist, who had won a record $3.3 million heading into the Derby,
extended his unbeaten record to 8-0 with a smooth trip under jockey
Mario Gutierrez.
Nyquist pulled away from Gun Runner down the stretch and then held
off a closing charge by Exaggerator to win the first leg of U.S.
thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown series for 3-year-olds.
Exaggerator, the second choice, finished second by 1-1/4 lengths
followed by Gun Runner, who was 4-1/2 lengths off the pace. Mohaymen
took fourth.
"He's amazing," said Gutierrez. "You get this 2-year-old baby with
thoughts of getting into the Kentucky Derby," he said. "Everything
has translated into reality. There are no words for it."
 Nyquist paid $6.60, $4.80, $3.60 for a $2 bet in becoming the eighth
unbeaten horse ever to triumph in the Run for the Roses.
Nyquist broke out of the 13th gate cleanly and Gutierrez eased him
back to allow speed runner Danzing Candy, starting out of the 20th
gate in the 20-horse field, to clear him from the outside.
After Danzing Candy dropped back in the later stages, Gun Runner
took over the lead but at the top of the stretch, Nyquist blew past
the colt and opened up a wide lead heading for the finish.
Exaggerator, who ran along the rail in the middle of the pack
through the first half of the 1-1/4 mile race, made a gallant charge
down the stretch and closed within a length but could not overhaul
the favorite.
[to top of second column] |
"He's such a special horse, you can see it in his eye on a daily
basis," said winning trainer Doug O'Neill, who along with Gutierrez
teamed up to win the Derby four years ago with I'll Have Another.
"He's such a professional. At any human sport he'd be the top notch
athlete. He's just first class. Just the way he carries himself,
he's the type of horse would be in the gym all day, go to bed early,
he knows when to rest, he knows when to bring his A game.
"There is no way you could be nervous. You felt like you were going
to the gym with Kobe Bryant. You just knew he was going to figure
out a way to pull it out at the end and he did."
The next leg of the Triple Crown, swept for the first time in 37
years last season by American Pharoah, is the Preakness Stakes at
Pimlico in Baltimore on May 21.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Steve Keating)
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