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LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Detroit Red Wings have enjoyed plenty of National Hockey League success with Gustav Nyquist as a member of the roster. The player's namesake -- 3-year-old thoroughbred Nyquist -- is taking horse racing success to a new level. Nyquist's owner -- Red Wings hockey fan Paul Reddam -- named the horse for Nyquist.
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Undefeated Nyquist was every bit as good as advertised in Saturday's 142nd Kentucky Derby, holding off hard-charging Exaggerator by 1 1/4 lengths to become the first undefeated champion to win the Run for the Roses since Seattle Slew in 1977.
Nyquist, the 2-1 favorite, paid $6.60 to win, $4.80 to place and $3.60 to show. Gun Runner placed third.
The Kentucky Derby winner is the fourth consecutive betting favorite to win this 1 1/4-mile race. Nyquist is now 8 for 8 in career starts, winning in 2 minutes, 1.31 seconds.
A year after American Pharoah won horse racing's first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, Nyquist appears to have a good opportunity to give the sport back-to-back Triple Crown champions for the first time since Seattle Slew in 1977 and then Affirmed a year later.
It is the second Kentucky Derby victory for jockey Mario Gutierrez and trainer Doug O'Neill in the past five years. Gutierrez rode 19-1 long shot I'll Have Another to victory in 2012.
"It is unreal," Gutierrez said of Saturday's impressive victory. "Knowing what this horse is capable of doing, he did it today. He is simply an amazing horse. I believe in this horse 100 percent. Today, Nyquist was going to go as fast as he needed to go."
A brief yet heavy rainstorm hit Churchill Downs at 5:07 p.m., but when horses, trainers and owners made the walk to the paddock at 6:05 p.m., the sun was shining and the track was good for a crowd of 167,227 -- the second largest in Kentucky Derby history. A crowd of more than 170,000 watched the 2015 Derby.
"This is a special horse," O'Neill said. "He shows it each time he takes the track. He is just a top-notch athlete, kind of like Kobe (Bryant). He would be one of those athletes who gets in the gym, does his work and gets his rest. He is amazing.
"I was very optimistic coming over here (from the barns). He just had that look in his eye. There was no way I was going to be nervous with the way he has performed."
In 2012, I'll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness before O'Neill had to scratch the horse the morning before the Belmont. O'Neill would love to have another Triple Crown opportunity.
"We will see," the trainer said. "He has to stay healthy, but he is a great horse."
Reddam, who grew up in Windsor, Canada just across the border from Detroit, was all smiles.
"The run was awesome," Reddam said. "I was a little more nervous this time than in 2012, because Nyquist was the favorite, not a long shot."
Bob Baffert, who trained 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, was trying to win his fifth Kentucky Derby with Mor Spirit, ridden by Gary Stevens, who came in with three Kentucky Derby-winning mounts. Mor Spirit placed 10th in the 20-horse field.
NOTES: Saturday's card at Churchill Downs included two additional Grade I stakes races, including Taris winning the Humana Distaff, and Divisidero crossing the finish line first in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. ... Taris, which now has won eight of 13 career races, paid $8.40 to win, $4.20 to place and $3.20 to show. ... Divisidero paid $15.40, $7.60 and $5.60. ... The Woodford avoided potential tragedy when the No. 9 horse, Triple Threat, and the No. 13, Kasaqui, clipped heels near the final turn and fell, tossing jockeys Paco Lopez and Jose Lezcano to the turf. Fortunately, neither jockey nor either horse appeared to sustain injuries.
