Reddam Racing's Nyquist (Uncle Mo), named Eclipse champion juvenile after an unbeaten 2-year-old campaign last season, picked up just where he left off with a stylish 1 1/2-length victory in the GII San Vicente S. Monday at Santa Anita. Off since capping his championship campaign with a win in the Oct. 31 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Nyquist was sent off the 2-5 favorite while facing just four rivals. The bay colt broke sharply from the rail and battled Sheikh of Sheikhs (Discreetly Mine) through fractions of :22.50 and :44.49. He took control nearing the stretch just as GIII Delta Jackpot S. winner Exaggerator (Curlin) was ranging up three wide, while stablemate Denman's Call (Northern Afleet) was sneaking through an opening along the rail. Denman's Call was first to fold and Nyquist repulsed a game Exaggerator and was well in control while cruising under the wire in a sparkling 1:20.71–third fastest in the seven-furlong race's history.
“Exaggerator is a nice horse, and for him to hold him off the way he did showed you how talented he is,” said winning trainer Doug O'Neill. “There were some anxious moments when I saw the fractions, and you're better off on the outside tracking than on the inside being tracked. The post [one] wasn't an advantage at all and I think we got pushed by the bottom horse [Sheikh of Sheikhs] a little bit early. But Mario [Gutierrez] is smart. He knew what he had. I really was impressed with the gallop out. He galloped out great.”
“It was scary, because I saw that horse pressing him, and :44 and change was a little spooky, and then eight and change, and you keep waiting for them to slow down off a layoff like that,” admitted Dennis O'Neill, Reddam's bloodstock consultant. “To see him kick on and gallop out like that was really, really exciting. I don't know how good this horse is now. I knew he was a good horse, but I thought today's performance was amazing. We're really excited moving forward. It's a perfect prep.”
As for what is next for the champion, Doug O'Neill said, “I haven't talked to Paul [Reddam]. The original plan was the [Apr. 2 GI] Florida Derby and there's a bonus involved, of course, so we'll huddle up and play it by ear and do whatever is in the best interest of Nyquist for sure.”
Reddam added, “When we talked about it at the beginning of the year, we said we'd go to the San Vicente and the Florida Derby because we liked the timing. I think Doug will change his mind a couple times between now and then, because there's the temptation to stay home. We love Santa Anita. But we'll see. We just want to take it in stride. It was a good first step.”
Nyquist's performance drew praise from connections of runner-up Exaggerator.
“Anybody not a believer in Nyquist now, that was an awesome race, to set those kinds of fractions and still finish in close to track record time for a 3-year-old in February,” said trainer Keith Desormeaux. “Hat's off to Nyquist.”
Jockey Kent Desormeaux added, “You'd have to break the track record to win the race, so that's telling for both horses. They're both very talented. I had a dream trip. The winner was too good.”
As a graduate of Fasig-Tipton's Florida sale last year, Nyquist is in line for a $1-million bonus should he win the Florida Derby.
A debut winner going five furlongs at Santa Anita last June, Nyquist bounded home 5 1/4 lengths in front in the Aug. 8 GII Best Pal S. He was 3 3/4 lengths in front in the Sept. 7 GI Del Mar Futurity and stretched out to 1 1/16 miles to win the Sept. 26 GI FrontRunner S. Let go at 4-1, Nyquist overcame a bump at the break and a wide trip to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by a half-length.
Monday, Santa Anita
SAN VICENTE S.-GII, $200,000, SA, 2-15, 3yo, 7f, 1:20.71, ft.
1–NYQUIST, 124, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry
2nd Dam: Seeking Regina, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Fulbright Scholar, by Cox's Ridge
($180,000 Wlg '13 KEENOV; $230,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP;
$400,000 2yo '15 FTFMAR). O-Reddam Racing LLC;
B-Summerhill Farm (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Mario Gutierrez.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt & MGISW, 6-6-0-0,
$1,733,600. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A.
[bullet ad=”dromoland-salesgrad”][bullet ad=”dromoland-nyquist-new”][bullet ad=”paramount-congratulations”][bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-graduate”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”grovendale-dam-sold-by”]
2–Exaggerator, 124, c, 3, Curlin">Curlin–Dawn Raid, by Vindication.
($110,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Big Chief Racing, LLC, Rocker O
Ranch LLC & Keith Desormeaux; B-Joseph B Murphy (KY); T-J.
Keith Desormeaux. $40,000.
3–Denman's Call, 120, g, 3, Northern Afleet–Maggie McGowan,
by Salt Lake. O-Gilman Racing, Westside Rentals.com & W. C.
Racing Inc.; B-W C Racing, Milt Gilman & Mark Verge (KY);
T-Doug F. O'Neill. $24,000.
[bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”]
Margins: 1HF, 2HF, 7 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 2.70, 12.70.
Also Ran: Sheikh of Sheikhs, El Charro. Scratched: Electrifying.
Click for Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree, Equibase.com chart or TJCIS PPs. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
