Derby winner Nyquist ready for Preakness, even a rainy one
Derby winner Nyquist ready for Preakness, even a rainy one
A driving rainstorm didn't faze American Pharoah as he splashed his way to victory in the second leg of the Triple Crown last year, and it sure appears like Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist will have to do the same thing in a bid to set up another Triple try in the Belmont Stakes.
"With a horse like Nyquist, I'm not overly concerned about the weather," trainer Doug O'Neill said on a bright, sunny Friday morning.
Rain could be a good thing for several of his top rivals, though, especially Derby runner-up Exaggerator, or long shot Cherry Wine.
Both have run well in the mud, with Exaggerator taking the Santa Anita Derby on a sloppy track and Cherry Wine breaking his maiden by 9 ½ lengths under similar conditions.
Horses usually are fitted with shoes made of lightweight aluminum.
When a track surface becomes muddy or sloppy, trainers could opt for mud caulks — small cleats inserted on the back end of the shoe for better traction.
Other than his maiden race, which doesn't really count at five furlongs, he has not been in an all-out drive.