SoCal-Based Horse Likely Favorite for Kentucky Derby

LOS ANGELES, CA - For the third year in a row, a Southern California- based horse is likely to be the favorite in next week's Kentucky Derby.

The undefeated Nyquist is set to take on as many as 19 challengers in one of the world's most prestigious thoroughbred races.

The owner and trainer of Nyquist -- a 3-year-colt based at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia -- are hoping to duplicate what California Chrome did in 2014 and American Pharoah accomplished last year, with the latter going on to a Triple Crown victory and Breeders' Cup Classic win before retiring to stallion duty.

"I think it's a great opportunity for all of us in the horse racing world to take advantage of what American Pharoah and his connections did," Nyquist's trainer, Doug O'Neill, said Tuesday in a teleconference hosted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

"I mean, they took horse racing from the back pages of the sports section, sometimes not even covered in the sports section, to the front page of the sports section," he said. "I look forward to having Nyquist be on the front of the sports section. I look forward to it being a real positive, good story for a great business that there's a lot of great people in. I'm excited about us following up the great year American Pharoah had ... Hopefully Nyquist can carry the torch farther."

Nyquist, who won an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-colt after his win in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, has won all seven races in his career, including three at Santa Anita and two at Del Mar.

Most recently, Nyquist defeated the previously unbeaten Mohaymen in the Florida Derby on April 2, netting nearly $1.6 million for his team in that race alone.

Four years ago, the same team -- O'Neill, owner Reddam Racing LLC and jockey Mario Gutierrez -- won the Kentucky Derby with another Southern California horse, I'll Have Another, at odds of over 15-1 and then went on to win the Preakness. I'll Have Another missed the Belmont Stakes due to an injury that resulted in him being retired that year.

"Now with Nyquist trying to fill those shoes, it does get to a point where in an ideal world, you've love to slow things down to soak up every bit of brilliance of him because you know how unique it is to get," O'Neill said. "I think it's a little more enjoyable this time because we've been there before and we can soak it up a little more.

"Of course, as much as you might say you don't feel pressure, it's a good pressure, though," he said of his Derby contender, which has been ranked either first or second every week in the NTRA's Top 3-year-old poll since early March.

"I'd rather be the Derby favorite than a horse that just barely snuck into the Derby," O'Neill said.

The trainer said he loves Nyquist's versatility, noting that the colt has won with various post positions and with varying racing styles, including wire-to-wire wins and from just off the pace.

"I think Nyquist is just a very special horse and, you know, we're doing one thing with him, but you could probably do about 10 things and you've still got an amazing horse," O'Neill said. "We're very optimistic with Nyquist that we're heading the right way."

He said he has optimism that he'll be "leading the best horse over" to the Derby May 7 at Churchill Downs.

"Whenever you line up 20 of the best 3-year-olds from around the world, you really don't necessarily have to be the best horse. But you've got to be the luckiest horse because a lot of these horses, you're splitting hairs on the talent level. There are so many talented horses. Nyquist has been fortunate enough to hit the wire first in all seven of his starts, and we're optimistic we can keep it going," O'Neill said.

He called the field of likely Derby contenders a "quality field" and a "very well-matched field."

Nyquist's rivals for the Kentucky Derby are expected to include Louisiana Derby winner Gun Runner, Arkansas Derby winner Creator, Wood Memorial Stakes winner Outwork, Blue Grass victor Brody's Cause and Santa Anita Derby winner Exaggerator, who was beaten by Nyquist Feb. 15 in the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita.

Others that could vie against him include the Japanese-based Lani and the Santa Anita-based Danzing Candy, who won the San Felipe at Santa Anita, along with Mor Spirit, who was the runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby and San Felipe for American Pharoah's trainer, Bob Baffert.

"We're going to need a lot of things to go our way to get it done, but I'm optimistic," O'Neill said, noting that there's "a really good vibe" in his stable.

He said he believes the success of Southern California horses in the Kentucky Derby in recent years is due to a "big edge" from the weather, which allows horses to train every day when others around the country may be temporarily sidelined by bad weather.

"I think it's got everything to do with how we're able to train every day," O'Neill said.

But he said he's not worried about the threat of rain come Derby day.

He noted that his son and the colt's owner, J. Paul Reddam, were "goofing around" before the Florida Derby, and that the track at Gulfstream Park seemed better when it rained.

"He (Reddam) had my son do a little rain dance and it was pretty comical because within minutes, it was raining and it didn't look like it was going to," O'Neill quipped.

The colt is named in honor of Detroit Red Wings right wing Gustav Nyquist, with O'Neill telling reporters that Reddam has "really admired Gus' class and perseverance and hard work on the ice."

"It'd be great to have him there, that's for sure," O'Neill said, while noting that the hockey player "doesn't know much about horse races" and has asked how the colt has done in a "tournament."

He said he's hoping that Nyquist and his fellow Derby contenders draw more interest from casual fans who don't typically pay much attention to horses other than on the first Saturday in May.

"Hopefully, you know, horses like Nyquist and these other great horses that are in the Derby can bring some new fans to the table and we can show people how amazing these horses are," O'Neill said.

--City News Service, photo courtesy of Gloria Ubardelli