Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist won’t run in Belmont

Doug O’Neill said Tuesday that Nyquist is “out because of sickness”.

So much for a rematch in the Belmont Stakes.

Some of you may have heard that Nyquist spiked a fever this morning and we did not ship him to Belmont, as planned.

“It is a bummer”, O’Neill said.

A rematch in the Belmont on June 11 would have been the next best thing to a Triple Crown attempt.

Nyquist’s assistant trainer Jack Sisterson says the colt has an elevated white blood count, indicating a possible infection. “We’re going to put him on stronger antibiotics, get him right, get him back to California and let him relax and recover from the trip”.

Exaggerator’s 3½-length win in Saturday’s Preakness was his first victory in five starts against Nyquist, who entered the race 8-for-8. He will remain at Pimlico in Baltimore, where he finished third in the Preakness Stakes Saturday.

“He looked bright-eyed, but the blood work did come back that he is fighting something”, O’Neill’s brother Dennis told the TDN’s Jessica Martini during Tuesday’s session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale in Timonium. “Unfortunately, there’ll be no Belmont”.

Nineteen horses have won the Preakness and the Belmont without winning the Kentucky Derby, but it hasn’t happened since 2005. His return to training was delayed by an elevated white blood cell count. “When he will go to Belmont and the next step, will be dependent upon the blood work report”.