When Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist was scratched from the Pacific Classic at Del Mar it raised a bit of concern among horse racing enthusiasts. He’d recently been seen looking very thin and there were questions about his health and future plans.

On Monday, trainer Doug O’Neill brought the racing world ‘up to speed’ about Nyquist. The son of Uncle Mo will remain at the San Luis Rey Training Center which is about 30 miles up the road from Del Mar. It’s right in the middle of the racing meet at Del Mar and it’s a very active and hectic place right now. O’Neill said he preferred that Nyquist be in the more tranquil environment of San Luis Rey, about 30 miles North of Del Mar and 100 miles South of Santa Anita: “We’re just getting him away from the racing. We love Del Mar, but with the five days of racing each week, the hustle is on. There’s a lot of action. Here, it’s much more relaxed.”

Nyquist is also back in training, putting in his first workout since his fourth place finish in the Haskell Stakes. This past weekend, he galloped a mile under regular exercise rider Jonny Garcia. O’Neill was pleased with the effort: “He was strong out there, and came back and cooled out great. He had a good, accelerated gallop going a mile, with the thinking that if he got tired, we wouldn’t overdo it.” The next race for Nyquist will be the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing on September 25.
O’Neill says he’ll get three more workouts before heading to Pennsylvania.

O’Neill dispelled any concern about Nyquist’s health, indicating that he’d gone through a ‘growth spurt’: “He was going through a growth spurt—getting a little taller. He was eating well and his energy level was good, but he was getting a little thin. We tried out San Luis Rey and couldn’t be happier. He’s had a pretty long campaign, so he deserves some time away to relax a little.” In addition to his ‘R&R’ he had some swimming added to his regimen which allowed him to ‘fill out’ while not gaining weight on his back.