page_title: Nyquist (horse)
section_title: 2016: Three-year-old season
hierarchical_section_title: Nyquist (horse) / 2016: Three-year-old season
caption_attribution_description: Thoroughbred racehorse, Nyquist, in the starting gate before the running of the 2016 Kentucky Derby.
context_page_description: Nyquist is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 2016 Kentucky Derby. He also won the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, becoming only the second horse to complete the Juvenile-Derby double. He became the eighth undefeated winner of the Kentucky Derby, and the first since Big Brown in 2008. He received the 2015 Eclipse Award for Champion Two-Year-Old.
  He is the second Kentucky Derby winner after Morvich to win the race while undefeated after winning Champion Two Year Old the year before, and then never winning again.
context_section_description: Nyquist began his three-year-old season on February 15 in the San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs. Because of the shorter distance, the San Vincente is not part of the official Road to the Kentucky Derby, so is no longer commonly entered by Derby contenders. However, using a sprint to begin Nyquist's preparation was a throwback to the training methods of decades past. Going off as 2–5 favorite, Nyquist dueled for the lead with Sheikh of Sheikhs in a fast opening half mile of 44.49, then pulled away coming around the far turn. Exaggerator challenged him down the stretch, at one point closing to within half a length, before Nyquist again pulled away, eventually winning by ​1 ¹⁄₂ lengths. The winning time of 1:20.71 was the third fastest in the history of the race. Keith Desormeaux, trainer of Exaggerator, said, "Anybody not a believer in Nyquist now—that was an awesome race. To set those kinds of fractions and still finish in close to track record time for a 3-year-old in February? Wow. Hat's off to Nyquist."
  A Fasig-Tipton $1,000,000 bonus was available if he won the Florida Derby, as he went through the Fasig-Tipton ring at two. For that reason, rather than running in the Santa Anita Derby on his home track to earn Kentucky Derby points, the colt ran in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Nyquist challenged previously-undefeated Mohaymen.  For his first race at 1 1/8 miles, Nyquist went off as the 6–5 second choice in a field of 10.  He went straight to the lead and set moderate opening fractions, racing wide a track rated as good. Mohaymen challenged on the far turn but was carried even wider to get around Nyquist. Nyquist drew away, winning by ​3 ¹⁄₄ lengths. Majesto closed on the rail for second, while Mohaymen dropped back to fourth.
caption: Nyquist in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby
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