Louisville, KY
Nyquist continued his dominance over the competition and his unblemished record after defeating 19 rivals en route to a powerful victory in the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby Saturday in Louisville.
The undefeated champion had the perfect trip under jockey Mario Gutierrez, sitting just off a hot early pace set by Danzing Candy, and took command around the turn, before kicking clear to a 1 1/4 length victory in the $2 million Run for the Roses.
Nyquist, the Derby favorite, was never really threatened until the final 1/8 when Exaggerator was cutting into his lead, but the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner had already done the heavy lifting and was getting ready for another trip to the winner's circle.
The champ returned $6.60 to win and finished the 1 1/4 mile race in a solid final time of 2:01.
Exaggerator knifed through traffic at the 1/4 pole and showed his powerful late kick finishing in second place, while Gun Runner grudgingly tired to third after having a share of the lead turning for home.
This was trainer Doug O'Neill's second Kentucky Derby victory, along with Gutierrez. The California connections brought the roses back home in 2012 with I'll Have Another.
This marked the third straight Derby victory for horses based in California, following California Chrome and American Pharoah.
Nyquist will look to extend his unbeaten streak to nine next time out in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico May 21.