By Brian DiDonato
Many expected a very fast pace in Saturday's GI Xpressbet.com Preakness S., but few expected GI Kentucky Derby hero Nyquist (Uncle Mo) to be the one setting it. The 3-5 choice jumped well from the blocks over a sloppy track, and found himself zipping past the stands for the first time with Uncle Lino (Uncle Mo) to his inside and Awesome Speed (Awesome Again) outside. Derby runner-up and 5-2 second choice Exaggerator (Curlin), meanwhile, was guided right to the rail by Hall of Famer Keith Desormeaux. Nyquist posted an opening split of :22.38–the fastest in Preakness history–while perhaps floated a bit wide by Uncle Lino around the first bend. He was able to slow things down slightly down the backside, putting up a half in :46.56 as Exaggerator crept a bit closer while still saving all the ground. Exaggerator continued to advance as the field began to bunch up hitting the far turn, but idled in that spot as Uncle Lino put a head in front of Nyqust through six panels in 1:11.97. Nyquist clawed back his advantage approaching the quarter pole, but Exaggerator swung out into the clear and the stage was set. Exaggerator quickly catapulted past Nyquist in upper stretch, and shifted away from right-handed encouragement after hitting the front. Mario Gutierrez guided the undefeated Eclipse champ outside of his foe for a last-ditch effort, but Exaggerator was long gone and splashed his way to the line by 3 1/2 lengths. 'TDN Rising Star' Cherry Wine (Paddy O'Prado) rallied from far back to nip Nyquist for second, while fellow 'Rising Star' Stradivari (Medaglia d'Oro) rounded out the superfecta.
“I can't even fathom,” said Kent Desormeaux, who was champion apprentice in 1987 when based in Maryland. “It's going to take a while. I'm in shock right now. I think that Nyquist had company all the way around the course. They stayed really wide. For the [trouble] I've had in his previous starts, I had a dream trip today. I was on the fence and they all stayed wide. These turns, you want to paint the fence. We did, they didn't and, not for nothing, but knowledge is power.”
Desormeaux rode Derby winners Real Quiet and Big Brown to Preakness victories in 1998 and 2008, respectively.
Fifth behind none other than Nyquist in their respective debuts at Santa Anita last June, Exaggerator resurfaced at Del Mar to don cap and gown that July. He extricated himself from some trouble to get up in the GII Saratoga Special S. a month after that, and was second to Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway) when routing for the first time–and trying wet conditions–in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in October. Fourth behind Nyquist, stablemate Swipe (Birdstone) and Brody's Cause in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile later that month, he again displayed his affinity for a wet surface when annexing the lucrative GIII Delta Downs Jackpot Nov. 21.
Exaggerator kicked off his sophomore campaign with another second-best finish behind Nyquist in Santa Anita's seven-panel GII San Felipe S. Mar. 12. Sol Kumin's Head of Plains partners bought into the colt after that, but the dark bay settled for third after uncorking a serious middle move when stretched back out in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 12. Getting more pace, a better-timed ride, and a sloppy track for the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 9, Exaggerator put it all together, powerhousing home to a 6 1/4-length victory, good for a career-best 103 Beyer Speed and stamping Exaggerator as a clear second choice for the Derby.
At that point it was WinStar Farm's turn to invest, and it was announced on the Monday before Derby week that Kenny Troutt's operation would stand Exaggerator at its Kentucky base upon his retirement from the racetrack.
Far back as expected in the Derby as Nyquist pressed a hot pace, Exaggerator was running at the favorite in the Churchill Downs stretch, but came up 1 1/4 lengths short.
“I'm just glad I get to walk across this track and take a picture on that side,” said understandably elated trainer Keith Desormeaux–Kent's older brother. “When you get to take your picture taken on the turf course, you know you've done well.
“It's kind of like the Santa Anita Derby, to know that you have the race won pretty much at the eighth pole, you've got to enjoy it.”
The wet track was cited by many during the week as a reason for Exaggerator to finally turn the tables on Nyquist, but the Louisiana native pointed to other keys to victory.
“I hope it's not only because of the muddy track,” he said. “The horse has been training phenomenally. I think there was a conscious decision on the training approach between the Derby and here. My philosophy was to take it as easy as possible because you're not going to gain any fitness in those two weeks. I did what I could to get him happy and fresh and strong and I've always said he's always had a great ability to recover and he showed it today. [The GI Belmont S.] is three weeks from today, so I'll be there with bells on.”
Big Chief Racing principal Matt Bryan was quick to thank co-owners Sol Kumin and Ronnie Ortowski, as well as the Desormeaux brothers. “I'll tell you one thing, these boys right here are awesome,” the affable Texan, who is CEO of engine and generator distribution company M.G. Bryan Equipment Co., said of his trainer and rider. “They're raised by a good momma and daddy.”
He added, “Let me tell you, we're sure proud to be a part of this. We're blessed to have Keith Desormeaux picking out these horses… It starts with Keith Desormeaux. The ride is by Kent Desormeaux, but I'm going to tell you right now, Keith Desormeaux, we'll put him in the hall of fame if I have anything to do with it.”
Boston-based hedge fund manager Kumin, who seems to have a piece of a runner in virtually every graded stakes race these days, campaigns in partnership the likes of last year's GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint winner Wavell Avenue (Harlington), Group 1 winner Undrafted (Purim) and unbeaten turf superstar Lady Eli (Divine Park).
Exaggerator's dam, the Ontario-bred Dawn Raid, was a member of the first crop of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Eclipse Award winner Vindication–by Triple Crown hero Seattle Slew–and fetched $70,000 from Bill Farish at the 2006 Keeneland September sale. Winner of her first two starts and placed in the Fanfreluche S. for Woodford Racing in 2007, Dawn Raid returned to Keeneland for the 2008 November Breeding Stock sale and was hammered down to Stoneleigh Farm's Joseph Murphy for $50,000. She was retired after an unplaced effort at Turfway Park in December 2008.
A half-sister to Sovereign Award winner Embur's Sunshine (Unbridled's Song), Dawn Raid was covered by Curlin in her fourth year at stud and produced the colt who would become Exaggerator Feb. 5, 2013. Keith Desormeaux signed the winning ticket on the colt at $110,000 at the 2015 September sale. Dawn Raid is represented by the current 2-year-old filly Rose Garden (Pioneerof the Nile), who was purchased by Twin Creeks Racing for $150,000 from the Warrendale Sales consignment at last year's Keeneland September sale, and was offered in foal to Curlin at last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale, but was led out unsold on a bid of $625,000. She foaled a full-sister to Exaggerator Feb. 29 and was bred back to Medaglia d'Oro in the current breeding season.
Saturday, Pimlico Race Course
XPRESSBET.COM PREAKNESS S.-GI, $1,500,000, PIM, 5-21, 3yo, 1 3/16m, 1:58.31, sy.
1–EXAGGERATOR, 126, c, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: Dawn Raid (SP), by Vindication
2nd Dam: Embur Sunshine, by Bold Ruckus
3rd Dam: Vevila (GB), by The Minstrel
($110,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Big Chief Racing, LLC, Head of
Plains Partners LLC, Rocker O Ranch, LLC et al.; B-Joseph B
Murphy (KY); T-J. Keith Desormeaux; J-Kent J. Desormeaux.
$900,000. Lifetime Record: 11-5-3-1, $2,971,120.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.[bullet ad=”bsw-bloodstock-exaggerator-double”][bullet ad=”warrendale-sold-congratulations-to-all-the-connections”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″][bullet ad=”mayberry-farm-graduate”]2–Cherry Wine, 126, c, 3, Paddy O'Prado–C. S. Royce, by
“TDN Rising Star” Unbridled's Song. O-William Pacella, Frank L. Jones,
Jr. and Frank Shoop; B-Pacella Racing, Frank L. Jones Jr. & Frank
Shoop (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $300,000.
3–Nyquist, 126, c, 3, Uncle Mo–Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry.
($180,000 Wlg '13 KEENOV; $230,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP;
$400,000 2yo '15 FTFMAR). O-Reddam Racing LLC;
B-Summerhill Farm (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $165,000.[bullet ad=”dromoland-salesgrad”][bullet ad=”dromoland-nyquist-new”][bullet ad=”paramount-congratulations”][bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-graduate”][bullet ad=”grovendale-dam-sold-by”]Margins: 3HF, NO, HF. Odds: 2.60, 17.30, 0.70.
Also Ran: Stradivari, Lani, Laoban, Uncle Lino, Fellowship, Awesome Speed, Collected, Abiding Star.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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