O'Neill a 'broken record' on Nyquist's talent

BALTIMORE -- Nyquist looks great. He has tons of energy. Vibes are good. The champ is primed to race again.

“I know I sound like a broken record here,” Doug O’Neill said Wednesday.

That’s the life of a Kentucky Derby-winning trainer three days out from the next leg of the Triple Crown. O’Neill has used humor to pass the time – as well as get through his daily media obligations – leading up to the Preakness Stakes.

After Nyquist jogged two miles on a dry morning at Pimlico, O’Neill stepped up to an interview booth and with a live mic.

“Two-drink minimum,” he quipped.

When the questions stopped, he added, “Tip your waiters on the way out.”

The vibe around the barn holding the Kentucky Derby winner remains tranquil, as well as optimistic – at least for the Nyquist camp. The son of Uncle Mo is 8-for-8 and sets up as an odds-on favorite for Saturday’s Preakness.

“He’s really fast,” said Bob Baffert, who trained 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and will saddle Collected this weekend. “He stays out of trouble. He has a winning attitude. Horses like that, they’re tough to – it’s like, ‘Pass me to win.’ I’ve always thought he reminded me of Smarty Jones.”

Speed-favoring Smarty Jones nearly completed his own sweep of the Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 2004, beaten a length by Birdstone in the last of the three races.

Owned by Paul Reddam, Nyquist will gallop Thursday and jog Friday at Pimlico. The colt’s record perfect, O’Neill will also buck a bit of tradition by saddling his horse indoors rather than on the Baltimore track’s turf course.

“We’re going to saddle inside, just with the theory that we saddle the horses in the stall every day,” O’Neill said. “Sometimes saddling them in the wide open, they can get to looking around and not paying attention.”