Reddam Racing's champion juvenile male and GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist (Uncle Mo) will make his next start in the GI Betfair.com Haskell Invitational S. at Monmouth Park July 31. The Doug O'Neill trainee worked a bullet five furlongs in :59 flat (1/23) at Santa Anita Park with regular pilot Mario Gutierrez aboard Monday morning, pleasing O'Neill, who green-lighted the bay for the 1 1/8-mile Oceanport feature after meeting with owner Paul Reddam.
“He very much impressed us this morning with his work,” O'Neill told Monmouth Park officials Monday afternoon. “Mario was aboard and he looked really solid. We're pumped up and can't wait to get to New Jersey.”
Nyquist was last seen finishing third in the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 17–the bay's only loss in nine career starts. The five-time Grade I winner was forced to miss a potential start in the June 11 GI Belmont S. after he came down with a mild illness.
“He'll ship down to Del Mar and train there,” O'Neill revealed. “We don't have specific shipping plans just yet, but we'll work that out over the next week or so.”
Last year's Haskell marked American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile)'s return to the races after sweeping the Triple Crown.
“We're very grateful to Paul and Ziillah Reddam and Doug O'Neill on their decision to run Nyquist in the Haskell,” said Bob Kulina, president of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth. “The Haskell has always been the race where champions prove their greatness and the addition of Nyquist to the field will ensure that fans see another fantastic renewal of New Jersey's biggest horse race.”
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