Getting to Know – Nyquist

May 08, 2016 Churchill Downs Communications

·         Bay colt by Uncle Mo, out of the Forestry mare Seeking Gabrielle. Foaled on March 10, 2013 in Kentucky.

·         A win would make sire Uncle Mo the youngest Derby-winning sire at age 8, joining Gallant Fox (Omaha in 1935), Pensive (Ponder in 1949), Royal Courage (Venetian Way in 1960), Raise a Native (Majestic Prince in 1969) and Maria’s Mon (Monarchos in 2001)

·         Purchased for $400,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton March sale by trainer Doug O’Neill’s brother, Dennis.

·         Named after Swedish ice hockey player Gustav Nyquist, a starting right wing for the Detroit Red Wings

·         Won the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland defeating Swipe by a half-length

·         Won Eclipse Award for Champion 2-Year-Old in 2015

·         Will attempt to become 21^st champion 2-Year-Old to win the Kentucky Derby; last was American Pharoah (2015); he would become the 75^th 2-year old champ to compete in the race; 2-year-old champion Derby record: 74-20-14-5

·         Undefeated in seven career starts, four of which are Grade 1 races

·         Will be the 27^th undefeated horse to start in the Kentucky Derby since 1912 (record: 26-7-3-4); seven exited the Kentucky Derby unbeaten: Regret (1915), Morvich (1922), Majestic Prince (1969), Seattle Slew (1977), Smarty Jones (2004), Barbaro (2006), Big Brown (2008)

·         Will enter the Kentucky Derby with a record $3,322,600, eclipsing Snow Chief’s prior mark of $1,719,040 in 1986

·         Record of millionaires in the Kentucky Derby: 40-3-4-5; the winners: Street Sense (2007), California Chrome (2014) and American Pharoah (2015)

·         Won his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Vicente defeating Santa Anita Derby winner Exaggerator by 1 ½ lengths

·         Earned a $1 million bonus for winning his most recent start, the Grade 1 Florida Derby, offered to any graduate of the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale to win the race

·         Broke maiden June 5; would be the earliest maiden winner to win the Kentucky Derby since 1983 winner Sunny’s Halo broke his maiden onMay 9 during his 2-year-old season

·         No. 2 on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 130 points

 

Owned by Reddam Racing LLC (J. Paul Reddam)

·         J. Paul Reddam was born on July 28, 1955 in Windsor, Ontario.

·         Founded Dietech.com, a mortgage loan company that was the first to use television and billboard advertising for current rates.

·         Sold Dietech.com to General Motors in 1999.

·         Owner of CashCall, a firm specializing in small loans at high interest rates.

·         Was introduced to racing by a high school friend, Carlo Fisco, who worked as a groom at Windsor Raceway.

·         Claimed first Thoroughbred, Ocean Warrior, in 1988

·         Owned his first Kentucky Derby starter in 2003 with Ten Most Wanted, who finished ninth and was owned in partnership with James Chisholm, Horizon Stable and Michael Jarvis

·         Owned 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another

·         Owned 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Red Rocks and 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Wilko

·         Campaigned Grade 1 winners Swept Overboard, Elloluv and Pt’s Grey Eagle

 

Trained by Doug O’Neill

·         Born on May 24, 1968 in Dearborn, MI

·         Introduced to horse racing as a young man by his father, when he and his two brothers would go to Santa Anita.

·         Began working at the track in 1986, right out of high school, and learned under Jude Feld, Hector Palma and Doug Peterson before taking out his license in 1994.

·         Scored his first graded stakes victory with Classy Cara in the 2000 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park

·         Achieved international success in 2003 when Fleetsreet Dancer won the Japan Cup Dirt

·         Scored his first Grade 1 victory with Sky Jack in the Hollywood Gold Cup

·         Trained 2005 Champion 2-Year-Old Stevie Wonderboy

·         Trained two-time California-bred Horse of the Year Lava Man, who he claimed for $50,000 won three consecutive Hollywood Gold Cups (2005-07); retired in 2009 with $5.2 million in career earnings

·         Named California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Trainer of the Year in 2002 and 2006

·         Won the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness with I’ll Have Another, who also was owned by Paul Reddam

·         Winner of five Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships

·         Kentucky Derby Record: 4-1-0-0

 

Ridden by Mario Gutierrez

·         Born on Sept. 19, 1986 in Veracruz, Mexico

·         Rode Quarter Horses in his native Veracruz and in Mexico City at age 14

·         Moved to Canada in 2006 to ride at Hastings Race Course in Vancouver, where he won riding titles in 2007 and 2008

·         Scored his first graded stakes victory aboard Sir Gallovic in the 2007 British Columbia Premiers Handicap at Hastings.

·         His lone Derby mount, I’ll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby in 2012 and went on to win the Preakness Stakes

·         Nyquist will be Gutierrez’s second Derby mount

·         Kentucky Derby Record: (1-1-0-0)