Nyquist a 'fresh horse' for Triple Crown try

Mario Gutierrez glanced over his left shoulder, then twice under his right arm in the stretch of Saturday's Kentucky Derby before "I finally," the jockey said, "if you see the replay, finally eased up on him.”

Exaggerator closed to within 1 1/4 lengths of the unbeaten champion, but winning by a large margin at Churchill Downs wasn't the goal. While ambitions aren't often met in horse racing, trainer Doug O'Neill's plan to have a horse ready for both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes has so far been executed.

“He’s really been conscious of wanting to have a fresh horse for the Triple Crown series," Nyquist owner Paul Reddam said Sunday morning at Barn 41, where the colt will remain until he ships to Baltimore on Monday.

O'Neill had already left Louisville by the time most reporters arrived to see the 142nd Derby winner, a son of Uncle Mo who made multiple trips out of his stall. He munched on grass, posed for pictures and kept a calm demeanor.

Video | Replay Nyquist's Kentucky Derby win

Now 8-for-8, the former 2-year-old champion handled new-found fame in stride.

“We have more wood to chop, and we all realize that," said Reddam, who also teamed with O'Neill and Gutierrez to campaign dual-classic winner I'll Have Another. "Obviously, everyone’s ecstatic about winning the Derby, but our minds immediately went to, ‘We’ve got to go to the Preakness.’"

“... Everybody is happy, but I think it’s a more mature happy, meaning we all understand this is part one of what we need to do,” he said.

O'Neill conditions this one differently, often rotating more strenuous gallop days with lighter jogs. His weekly workouts are long, designed for endurance rather than speed. Nyquist took a similar route to the Triple Crown series as I'll Have Another, running just twice this year before the Derby. But going back to his juvenile season, the colt also has five Grade I victories, including a come-from-behind score in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Preakness Watch | Who's in to face Nyquist?

“That’s not a very rigorous training schedule," said Reddam, who did worry a bit about O'Neill. "Is he putting enough air into the horse for the Derby? He obviously knew what he was doing and definitely did. I think he set the horse up well for the Preakness from a fatigue perspective.”

I'll Have Another retired on the eve of the Belmont Stakes – his own try at a Triple Crown sweep – due to a tendon injury.That's compared to I'll Have Another in 2012, a horse O'Neill "zinged" around the track often "and almost got away with," Reddam added.

Nyquist will attempt to become only the second Triple Crown winner with a perfect record along with Seattle Slew.

Steve Rothblum, a racing manager for many of O'Neill's horses, said the trainer and his family celebrated the Derby victory Saturday night at the Galt House Hotel. Hands were shaken and backs patted.

“It was pretty subdued, but everybody just smiled," Rothblum said. "It was a nice relief – good to see the horse run that well and come back well.”

Nyquist's Triple Crown, Preakness odds set

In the Preakness, Nyquist is likely to see Exaggerator again and potentially third-place Derby finisher Gun Runner, although Gun Runner trainer Steve Asmussen said connections haven't yet made that decision. Lexington Stakes winner Collected – a new shooter trained by Bob Baffert – is considered probable, as are Laoban and Cherry Wine, two horses that fell short of earning their way into the Derby. The Maryland Jockey Club also termed recent West Coast stakes winner Uncle Lino and Awesome Speed as contenders.

“Except for his maiden race, where he really did get tested, he has won every one of his races with a little something left in the tank," the owner said. "People think it’s the horse, and he only does what he needs to do to win. It’s actually the horse and the rider.”Reddam said he doesn't think he has seen Nyquist reach his full potential.

Take Gutierrez's glances back at the competition for example.

“That means they have a lot of horse left, right?" Reddam asked. "He let the gap close, but it’s never going to close to where the other horse will go by.”