Belmont '16 Notebook: Gettysburg to run; Asmussen to train

[Kasept]

Nyquist "collects" company during final Preakness gallop
By Dave Grening

It was not a run-of-the-mill Preakness training session Thursday at Pimlico.

In what was to be his final gallop before Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist was joined for part of the way by Collected, the Bob Baffert-trained winner of the Lexington Stakes who is also running in the Preakness.

Trainer Doug O’Neill alternates days of jogging and galloping with Nyquist. On the days he gallops, he goes at a two-minute clip, meaning fractions around 15 seconds for each eighth. Typically, Nyquist likes to start at the six-furlong pole and gallop a strong mile. As Nyquist, under exercise rider Jonny Garcia, was preparing to do just that, Collected, under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez, came up to Nyquist’s inside.

Collected, who was toward the end of his gallop, got in front of Nyquist and Nyquist got a little eager. Alvarez attempted to ease Collected back and guided Collected to the outside of Nyquist.

When Collected first came up inside Nyquist, Garcia "gave me a dirty look," Alvarez told my colleague Jay Privman."He asked me to back off. I've been in that situation before. We're rivals, but you have to be a gentleman. I helped him out. I backed off, and he went on."

Alvarez told Privman he thought Nyquist got aggressive when Collected was in front of him but that Nyquist got better when he let him go.

Garcia declined comment.

Coming to the top of the stretch, Garcia was seen looking behind him a couple of times to locate Collected, who was basically finishing up his gallop by the time Nyquist came into the stretch. From the quarter pole to wire, Nyquist went in 28.91 seconds and then went another eighth of a mile in 13.80 seconds. So, he went those three-eighths in 42.71 seconds.

O’Neill, who along with owners Paul and Zilla Reddam, watched the training session from the porch on the press-box level. When O’Neill was asked about Alvarez keeping Collected in close proximity, he said. “That’s okay he can gig at him all he wants,” O’Neill said. “We’ll be okay.”

A horse got loose on the track just moments after Nyquist came on following the renovation break. The loose horse never got near Nyquist, who stood at the quarter pole alongside with a stable pony, before being apprehended by the outrider. Nyquist then continued on his way, backing up to the seven-furlong pole.

Also on track following the renovation break was Cherry Wine, who visited the starting gate and then found himself galloping alongside Collected before those two caught up with Nyquist at the end of the clubhouse turn. Cherry Wine had completed his exercise before Nyquist and Collected got into their game.