Ky Derby winner Nyquist set to return to worktab this weekend, per trainer Doug O'Neill
He may run against older in the San Diego Hcp. Personally, I think the Haskell is a better spot.
Kentucky Derby king Nyquist treated his fans to a public workout Saturday, recording his second breeze since finishing third in the Preakness Stakes on May 21, going five furlongs in 1:02.07 before the first race at Santa Anita.
Regular rider Mario Gutierrez was aboard for the drill, which took place on a pristine track some 45 minutes before the first race of the day that went off at 1:32 p.m.
Nyquist went the first quarter mile in a leisurely 26.08, then picked up the pace considerably to reach the half-mile marker in 49.20 before achieving a final time of 1:02.07.
"It wasn't super-fast, but it was exactly what we wanted," trainer Doug O'Neill said after the work. "It was only his second breeze since the Preakness and I like the way he finished.
"Our ultimate goal is the Breeders' Cup Classic (at Santa Anita Nov. 5), so we'll huddle up with the Reddams (Paul and Zillah) and the rest of the team and work backwards from that race. We'll know more as we go along before coming up with a target race. He looked fantastic Sunday morning."
A decision on the next race for Nyquist may not surface for at least a week, because O'Neill is going on a rare and welcome vacation next week to Montana.