Rematch With Nyquist, Exaggerator Saturday

The announced defection of Gun Runner from Saturday's 141st Preakness Stakes put the focus even more on the rematch between Kentucky Derby one-two finishers Nyquist and Exaggerator in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Tuesday morning, the focus also turned to the weather. Light rain that fell at Pimlico in the morning prompted Doug O'Neill, trainer of Nyquist, and Keith Desormeaux, conditioner of Exaggerator, to move up the scheduled training sessions for their horses.

Weather.com is calling for a 100 percent chance of rain Saturday, with as much as an inch possible. Though Exaggerator has won two graded stakes on wet tracks, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Desormeaux was downplaying the perceived advantage his horse may have over Nyquist.

"Running in the mud is kind of like running on the turf," said Desormeaux, who added that he didn't trust the forecast four days out. "It mainly depends on pedigree, and Nyquist has just as much mud pedigree as Exaggerator, so it's not like we're going to be at an advantage, I don't think."

O'Neill certainly doesn't see an off track as a disadvantage to Nyquist, who won the Florida Derby over a wet track labeled good. Also, there was moisture in the Churchill Downs main track from showers that fell 90 minutes before the race.

"I don't think it'll affect him in a negative way," O'Neill said. "You got to be sure-footed to do what he's done at all the different tracks. We got a wet track there at Gulfstream. That didn't seem to affect him in a negative way, so I don't see it as a negative.

"Rain or shine, as long as he's doing well, we've got a real good chance."

Nyquist has given every indication that he continues to do well since his 1-1/4-length victory over Exaggerator in the Kentucky Derby, which kept him unbeaten in eight career starts.

With rain scheduled Tuesday morning, O'Neill moved Nyquist's training session to 6:10 a.m. from 8:30. Nyquist galloped a strong mile over a dry Pimlico track. Daily Racing Form clocked Nyquist a mile in 2:09.37, with a final three-eighths in 43.03 seconds. He appeared very relaxed all the way around.