Undefeated Nyquist 3-1 Morning-Line Favorite for 142nd Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Wednesday, May 4, 2016) – Reddam Racing’s champion 2-year-old of 2015, Nyquist, has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s 142^nd running of the $2,391,600 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) at Churchill Downs.

Post time for the Derby, the 12^th of 14 races Saturday, is 6:34 p.m. (all times Eastern). Gates open Saturday at 8 a.m. with the first race scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Temperatures are forecast to be in the low 80s with sunny skies.

The Kentucky Derby will be carried by NBC with a 3 ½-hour telecast from 4-7:30 p.m. The winner of the 1 ¼-mile first leg of the Triple Crown with 20 starters will receive $1,631,600.

Trained by Doug O’Neill, Nyquist is undefeated in seven starts with four victories coming in Grade I races and two others in Grade II events.

Ridden by Mario Gutierrez who has handled the colt in all of his starts, Nyquist enters the Derby off a 3 ¼-length victory in the Florida Derby (GI). Nyquist capped off his 2015 campaign with a triumph in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Keeneland.

A victory by Nyquist would give the human combination of Paul Reddam, O’Neill and Gutierrez a second Derby trophy to go with the one earned by I’ll Have Another in 2012.

Nyquist will break from post position 13.

Five other Grade I winners are in the field that also features five more Grade II winners and four Grade III winners.

Big Chief Racing, Head of Plains Partners and Rocker O Ranch’s Exaggerator, winner of the Santa Anita Derby (GI), is the second choice on linemaker Mike Battaglia’s morning line at 8-1 and will be ridden by three-time Derby-winning jockey Kent Desormeaux.

Trained by first-time Derby trainer Keith Desormeaux (Kent’s older brother), Exaggerator will break from post position 11.

Kent Desormeaux’s Derby victories came on Real Quiet in 1998, Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000 and Big Brown in 2008.

WinStar Farm’s Creator, winner of the Arkansas Derby (GI) in his most recent start, and Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm’s Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Gun Runner, both.trained by Hall of Fame electee Steve Asmussen, are co-third choices at 10-1 on the line.

Creator will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from post position three and Gun Runner, a winner of four of five starts, will be ridden by Florent Geroux and will exit post position five.

Other Grade I winners in the field are Albaugh Family Stable’s Brody’s Cause, Michael Petersen’s Mor Spirit and Repole Stable’s Outwork.

Brody’s Cause won the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) in his most recent start. Trained by Dale Romans, Brody’s Cause won the Breeders’ Futurity (GI) last fall at Keeneland and finished third behind Nyquist in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Luis Saez has the mount on Brody’s Cause, 12-1 on the line, and will break from post position 19.

Other Grade I winners in the field are Michael Petersen’s Mor Spirit and Repole Stable’s Outwork.

Mor Spirit, winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity (GI) in December and most recently the runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby, is trained by four-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert and will be ridden by three-time Kentucky Derby winner Gary Stevens.

Baffert will be trying to match his 1997-98 feat of saddling back-to-back Derby winners, having scored last year with eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Baffert’s other Derby winners are War Emblem in 2002, Real Quiet in 1998 and Silver Charm in 1997.

Stevens partnered Silver Charm and also won the Derby on Winning Colors in 1988 and Thunder Gulch in 1995.

Mor Spirit, 12-1 on the line, will break from post position 17.

Outwork will be one of two starters for trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the 2010 Derby with Super Saver.

Outwork has won three of four starts, highlighted by a victory in the Wood Memorial (GI) in his most recent start. His lone defeat came in the Tampa Bay Derby (GII) with a runner-up finish to stablemate Destin.

John Velazquez, who won the 2011 Derby on Animal Kingdom, has the mount on Outwork and will break from post position 15.

Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ Destin took the Sam F. Davis (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs as well as the Tampa Bay Derby. Javier Castellano has the mount and will break from post position nine.

Both Pletcher entrants are 15-1 on the line.

Adding international flavor to this year’s Derby is Koji Maeda’s Lani.

Winner of the UAE Derby (Group II) in his most recent start, Lani will become the first Japanese-based horse to run in the Kentucky Derby since 1995 when Ski Captain finished 14^th behind Thunder Gulch.

Trained by Mikio Matsunaga, Lani will be ridden by Yutaka Take and break from post position eight. Lani is 30-1 on the line.

Other Grade II winners in the field are Shadwell Stable’s Mohaymen and Halo Farms and Jim and Dianne Bashor’s Danzing Candy.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Mohaymen had his five-race undefeated streak snapped in a fourth-place finish in the Florida Derby. Four of those victories came in Grade II races, the Nashua and Remsen last November at Aqueduct and the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth this winter at Gulfstream Park.

Junior Alvarado will ride Mohaymen, at 10-1 on the line, and break from post position 14.

Danzing Candy, winner of the San Felipe (GII) and most recently fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, is trained by Cliff Sise Jr. Mike Smith, who won the 2005 Derby on Giacomo, has the mount on the 15-1 shot and will break from post position 20.

Grade III winners in the race are Samuel Henderson’s Suddenbreakingnews, Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Oscar Nominated and Shadwell Stable’s Shagaf.

Trained by Donnie Von Hemel, Suddenbreakingnews enters the Derby off a runner-up finish in the Arkansas Derby. He began 2016 with a victory in the Southwest (GIII) at Oaklawn Park. Luis Quinones, who has ridden the Mineshaft gelding in all eight of his starts, has the mount Saturday and will break from post position two. Suddenbreakingnews is 20-1 on the line.

Oscar Nominated, who will be making his dirt racing debut Saturday, won the Spiral (GIII) at Turfway Park last month. Trained by Mike Maker, Oscar Nominated (50-1) will be ridden by Julien Leparoux and break from post position seven.

Shagaf, winner of the Gotham (GIII), is trained by Chad Brown. Joel Rosario, who rode Orb to victory in 2013, has the call on Shadwell Stable’s Shagaf. Listed at 20-1 on the line, Shagaf will break from post 16.

Brown also will send out Blue Grass runner-up My Man Sam for the ownership of Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables and Jay Bligh. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride My Man Sam (15-1) and break from post position six.

In addition to Gutierrez, Desormeaux, Stevens, Smith, Rosario and Velazquez, one other rider will attempt to add to his Kentucky Derby victory total.

Victor Espinoza will try to become the first jockey in Derby history to win the races three consecutive years when he rides Robert LaPenta, Harry Rosenblum and Southern Springs Stable’s Whitmore. Espinoza, who won with War Emblem in 2002, piloted California Chrome and American Pharoah to victory the past two years. Whitmore (20-1) will break from post position 10.

The field for the Kentucky Derby, with riders, trainers and morning line odds:

 
Also-eligibles: Laoban (Cornelio Velasquez, 50-1) and Cherry Wine (Robby Albarado, 30-1). All starters will carry 126 pounds.

Free Kentucky Derby Past Performances

KENTUCKY DERBY 142 POST POSITION DRAW QUOTES

Trojan Nation (Post position 1, morning line 50-1) – Paddy Gallagher (trainer) – “We’re in! He’s got no (early) speed. We’re fine there.”

Suddenbreakingnews (Post position 2, morning line 20-1) – Donnie Von Hemel (trainer) – “It’s good with us. He’s surrounded by horses with similar running styles and shouldn’t get shuffled back. He should be able to get comfortable from there.”

Creator (Post position 3, morning line 10-1)/Gun Runner (Post position 5, morning line 10-1) – Steve Asmussen (trainer) – “Creator, he’s kind of out the back early. He won’t have a long ways to go left to find the fence early. (Gun Runner) “It’s looks like all the pace is to the outside. Hopefully, prerace, everything goes smoothly. Hopefully, he stands up in the gates. Hopefully, he’s away from there really good. But, we’re very anxious right now with a very good horse going into the Derby. He’s a tremendous horse. You want a good trip to show who he is.”

Mo Tom (Post position 4, morning line 20-1) – Tom Amoss (trainer) – “I think the two most significant things about the draw are we drew toward the rail but not so close that it’s a problem, and that there’s a lot of speed way on the outside in this post-position draw. Those horses are going to have to be used out of the starting gate, and that I think will ensure a good pace, which is what we need.” 

My Man Sam (Post position 6, morning line 20-1)/Shagaf (Post position 16, morning line 20-1) – Chad Brown (trainer) – “I’m fine with both posts. I was looking for an inside post with My Man Sam so six will work just fine and we were looking for something on the outside with Shagaf with as big as he is so he’ll stay out of trouble. Sixteen will work just fine. So now it’s just up to the horses and the jockeys.”

Oscar Nominated (Post position 7, morning line 50-1) – Mike Maker (trainer) – “I’m pleased, obviously. It’s better than the one-hole that we drew a couple of years ago. No complaints.” 

Lani (Post position 8, morning line 30-1) – Mikio Matsunaga (trainer) – “It was a good draw, ideal. The middle was ideal so I have no complaints about drawing number eight.”

Destin (Post position 9, morning line 15-1)/Outwork (Post position 15, morning line 15-1) – Todd Pletcher (trainer) – “I’m good with them. We like the 15 for Outwork. It gives us some room inside between the gates. And I’m OK with the nine for Destin. The only thing that concerns me is the horse inside Destin (Lani, the Japanese representative).  I have some concern about that horse acting up. But the posts themselves are fine.”

Whitmore (Post position 10, morning line 20-1) – Ron Moquett (trainer) – “We’re tickled with it. All we’ve been wanting is a good post and a good trip. Last year, we didn’t get a good post and I don’t know if it would have changed anything, but this year we have a better post and a better horse.” 

Exaggerator (Post position 11, morning line 8-1) – Keith Desormeaux (trainer) – “I’m fine with it. Kent (Desormeaux, his brother and his rider) seems a bit concerned because he’ll have to wait some after they load. But I don’t see a problem. The horse is as cool as a cucumber. It’ll be fine.”

Tom’s Ready (Post position 12, morning line 30-1) – Dallas Stewart (trainer) – “Great draw. Great field. We’re ready to go. The Bensons are ready to go. We’re ready to roll.”

Nyquist (Post position 13, morning line 3-1) – Doug O’Neill (trainer) – “We like it. We see a good sign. We were post No. 13 when we won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.”

Mohaymen (Post position 14, morning line 10-1) – Kiaran McLaughlin (trainer) – “We’re happy. He’ll be the last one in the main gate, so it’s great. There’s a little space between the two gates. There are a lot worse posts, so we’re happy.”

Mor Spirit (Post position 17, morning line 12-1) – Gary Stevens (jockey) – “I’m happy with it.”

Majesto (Post position 18, morning line 30-1) – Gustavo Delgado (trainer) – “I’d prefer a little more inside, but I cannot change it. But remember he’s a strong horse.”

Brody’s Cause (Post position 19, morning line 12-1) – Dale Romans (trainer) – “At first, I was a little bit disappointed, but after looking at the draw with the speed (Danzing Candy) outside of us, we’ll let him clear. I think it’s going to be all right.”

Danzing Candy (Post position 20, morning line 15-1) – Cliff Sise (trainer) – “At first you’re kind of stunned when they say 20, but when you start thinking about it, it’s not that bad. It’s better than the one-hole, especially for a speed horse — he can come over very gradually and he won’t sit in the gate long. Actually, it might be in our favor. We’re outside of any other speed horse, so we’ll take it.”

Churchill Downs