Nyquist Out of Belmont With High Blood Count

GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist (Uncle Mo) will not start in the June 11 GI Belmont S. due to an elevated white blood count, Reddam Racing's bloodstock advisor Dennis O'Neill confirmed Tuesday. The Eclipse winner, who was third in Saturday's GI Preakness S., had been expected to ship to New York Monday, but that plan was scrapped when he spiked a fever.

“The Belmont is definitely out,” O'Neill said. “His white blood count was a little high this morning. I went by the barn this morning and he looks great. He had his head in the feed tub and was eating and he looked bright-eyed, but the blood work did come back that he is fighting something so we have to get him fixed. He'll probably be here [Pimlico] a week or so until we get him right. Once we get him right, we'll send him home to California. ”