The sky was clear, the temp perfectly tepid and all eyes were fixed on Nyquist as the 3-year-old colt hit the track for a 5 furlong breeze at Keeneland early Friday morning. It was the undefeated colt’s first serious work since his eye-catching win in the Florida Derby on April 2, and the prohibitive Kentucky Derby favorite was eager to go.

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Under the hold of exercise rider Jonny Garcia Nyquist breezed the 5 furlongs in an easy 1:02.03, galloping out an extra panel in 1:17.01. Trainer Doug O’Neill was on hand and pleased with what he saw.

“It was really what we were looking for him to do,” said O’Neill, who won the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness with I’ll Have Another. “A good leg stretch, finish up stronger than he started. He went great and he’s cooling out super, so we’re really happy.”

Nyquist’s work tab was briefly interrupted last week when tests showed a slightly elevated white blood cell count, which O’Neill described as a mild “shipping bug.”

“He’s a special horse, and we’re just trying to keep him happy and mentally sound and physically sound and just keep him moving the right way,” O’Neill said, adding that he expects to work his colt twice more at Keeneland before shipping to Churchill around May 1.

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