Triple Crown dream over for Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist

The American dream is over for Nyquist as Exaggerator finally got the best of the Kentucky Derby winner in the 141st Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Sunday morning.

After finishing a close second in the Kentucky Derby, the Keith Desormeaux-trained colt went one better to upset the Triple Crown bid of Nyquist and end an eight-race winning streak.

Exaggerator settled much closer to the pace on a rain-soaked Pimlico Race Track and the ride from Kent Desormeaux made a huge difference as the runners up front were setting record sections. Desormeaux took his mount along the inside of runners around the final turn and after battling Nyquist in the straight, it eventually got the better of the former unbeaten runner.

Sportsbet.com.au

“I wanted to strangle him when I saw him go to the rail,” Keith Desormeaux said about his little brother. “All these jockeys realise it’s a quagmire by the rail and I’m like, ‘what’s he doing?'”

Kent Desormeaux wasn’t exactly humble in victory, stating that the smarter ride got them over the line.

“I was on the fence and they all stayed wide,” Desormeaux said. “These turns, you want to paint the fence. We did, they didn’t. And, not for nothing, but knowledge is power.”

Exaggerator pulled clear in the straight, but it changed tact to take the running line of Nyquist – a tactic Desormeaux did on purpose.

“Since I’m clear, I might as well throw mud in their face and not let them come back,” he said. “So I let him drift out in front of Nyquist and hopefully finish the job. And he did.”

Trainer of Nyquist, Doug O’Neill, was humble in defeat, stating the better horse won and the idea to sit on the hot pace was his idea.

“It’s a bummer, of course,” O’Neill said. “Our horse, God, he’s such an amazing horse. I can’t wait to see him in a little bit, give him a big kiss and pat him on the head because he’s still a winner in our book. They’re not machines.

“Being eight-for-eight, we kept thinking that this horse is never going to lose. But they all lose at one time or another.”

Many punters which took the $1.67 at Sportsbet.com.au would be annoyed with the ride on Nyquist. Connections initially said that if the pace was hot, they would position Nyquist just in behind them, but that wasn’t the case come race day and O’Neill is taking the blame.

Crownbet.com.au

“We thought we had the best horse and wanted to ride him like the best horse and not try and get cute and get perfect positioning,” he said. “Him going fast early was really my idea, thinking ‘he’s the best horse, take it to them.'”

Kent Desormeaux preferred to have the perfect positioning, as would any runner, and he doesn’t believe the wet track played any part to Exaggerator’s victory.

“Those other horses fought and battled for six-wide when I didn’t have anything but a dream ride,” Desormeaux said. “And if they’re going to give Exaggerator that, I think on any track he would have beat them all.”

Keith Desormeaux guaranteed that Exaggerator would contest the Belmont Stakes on June 12 where it is now the $2.60 favourite over Nyquist at $3.50.

2016 Belmont Stakes odds:

Exaggerator – $2.60 at Sportsbet.com.au
Nyquist – $3.50
Stradiveri – $9
Suddenbreakingnews – $9
Cherry Wine – $11
Lani – $11
Brody’s Cause – $15
Unified – $15
Mor Spirit – $21
Creator – $21

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