He'll have another.
Happy, healthy and hangin' in his new home, Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is gearing up for another big race, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday in Baltimore.
With a victory, Nyquist would head to the Belmont Stakes in New York three weeks later with a shot at winning the Triple Crown. What a turn of events that would be for horse racing - a record 37-year drought between Triple Crowns followed by back-to-back Triples for only the second time in history.
"He's full of energy, and looks fantastic," Nyquist trainer Doug O'Neill said this week as his unbeaten Derby winner settles into his fourth new stall in the past seven weeks. "He should be ready."
O'Neill likes to say one race at a time, but it's difficult not to think of the glory that awaits if his brilliant 3-year-old bay colt wins his next two races. Especially since O'Neill, along with owner J. Paul Reddam and jockey Mario Gutierrez - has been on the cusp of history before.
In 2012, O'Neill won the Derby and Preakness with I'll Have Another, but the horse was retired the day before the Belmont with a tendon injury. A year ago, American Pharoah swept the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, a feat many consider the toughest in sports.
Like almost everyone else in racing, O'Neill saw how American Pharoah became the people's horse, a calm, friendly and gentle colt that thrived on the attention. He's hoping it can happen again with Nyquist.
"I thought the American Pharoah camp did a wonderful job, and having a horse that thrived on it (the attention) helped," O'Neill said this week. "And I think Nyquist - they are big shoes to fill - has the ability to fill them if we were to get so fortunate and do what American Pharoah did last year."
For his part, Pharoah's owner Ahmed Zayat is all in.
"Let's have another Triple Crown, back to back," he said hours after Nyquist's 11/4-length Derby win in a time nearly 2 seconds faster than American Pharoah ran.
But on to the Preakness, where a whole new set of challengers await. Unlike a huge 20-horse field in the longer 11/4-mile Derby, the second leg of the Triple Crown has a 14-horse limit, and is run at a shorter distance of 13/16 miles.
Back to take on Nyquist is Derby runner-up Exaggerator, a fast-closing second but an exasperating 0-for-4 against Nyquist. In the career debut for both, Exaggerator was fifth behind Nyquist, then fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and second in the San Vicente prior to the Derby.
Kent Desormeaux, the brother of Exaggerator trainer Keith Desormeaux, said "a clear trip" is what it'll take to turn the tables. The Hall of Fame rider was aboard for three of those losses, and claims he had a troubled trip every time. Which is why, he figures, "I still have a chance."
Lani, who ran ninth in the Derby, is a definite for the Preakness, with third-place finisher Gun Runner still possible. Lani would become the first Japan-based horse to run in the Preakness.
The list of newcomers is long in a field that could total 12.
It includes Laoban and Cherry Wine, a pair of colts who were on the Derby also-eligible list but did not get to run because no horses were late scratches.
For now, there seems to be no horse in a class with Nyquist, a perfect 8-for-8 and a presumed heavy favorite when the post-position draw takes place Wednesday.