Exaggerator Beats Nyquist In Preakness

For the first time in five races against his rival, Exaggerator beat Nyquist to win the 141st Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

Seizing the lead at the top of the stretch, Exaggerator splashed past a tiring Nyquist on a sloppy track and went on to a 3½-length victory over Cherry Wine on a rain-drenched Pimlico Race Course.

"I had a dream trip today," jockey Kent Desormeaux said. "It was an amazing race, and Exaggerator is an amazing horse."

It was the first loss in nine races for Nyquist, who finished third in his bid to become the first undefeated horse since Big Brown to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Nyquist had won his first eight races.

Cherry Wine, who went off at 17-1 odds, caught Nyquist at the line and finished second.

Nyquist was sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the 11-horse field, and he dueled with Uncle Lino for the lead through the first mile of the 1 3/16-mile second leg of the Triple Crown. Then it was all Exaggerator, as he became the first Kentucky Derby runner-up to win the Preakness since 1993.

The 3-year-old son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin trailed by 13 lengths at one point but kept gaining ground along the rail. Desormeaux, who won his seventh career Triple Crown race, saw an opening around the final turn and angled outside. Then Exaggerator took over.

In winning his third Preakness, Desormeaux was grateful for a perfect trip that ended Nyquist's perfect record.

"To me, it looked like Nyquist was trying to establish an outward position, maybe in the four path," Desormeaux said. "He was jockeying for position all the way down the back side. And Exaggerator just kind of slid up the fence to the far turn, where I actually got to slow him down and say, 'Whenever I'm ready.'"

Stradivari was fourth, followed by Lani, Laoban, Uncle Lino, Fellowship, Awesome Speed, Collected and Abiding Star.