Exaggerator shattered the Triple Crown dream of heavy favourite Nyquist on Saturday to claim victory in a rain-sodden 141st Preakness at Pimlico.
Nyquist – unbeaten in his eight-race career – had been targeting the second leg of a Triple Crown following an emphatic victory at the Kentucky Derby earlier this month.
But Exaggerator – beaten four times in four previous races against Nyquist, including at the Derby – produced a masterful display on a sodden course to overhaul the 3/5 favourite on the home straight.
Nyquist, who had led almost from the start, tied up towards the line, eventually finishing third bheind Cherry Wine.
It was a third career Preakness victory for Exaggerator jockey Kent Desormeaux, who admitted he had used his expert knowledge of the track to his advantage.
“I can’t even fathom. It’s going to take a while. I’m in shock right now,” said Desormeaux.”I had a dream trip today.
“I was on the fence and they all stayed wide. With these turns, you want to paint the fence. We did, they didn’t – knowledge is power.”
Desormeaux’s brother Keith, the trainer of Exaggerator, revealed he had deliberately given the horse a light workload in the weeks since finishing second to Nyquist at Churchill Downs.
“The horse has been training phenomenally,” the veteran trainer told NBC television.
“My philosophy was to take the training as easy as possible because you’re not going to gain any fitness in those two weeks.
“I did what I could to get him happy, and freshened and strong. He’s always had a great ability to recover and he showed it today.”
It was a desperately disappointing outing for Nyquist, seen by many as a strong contender to emulate American Pharoah’s Triple Crown victory of last year with wins in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Trainer Doug O’Neill had missed out on a possible Triple Crown four years ago when his horse I’ll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness only to withdraw on the eve of the Belmont Stakes with a tendon injury.
O’Neill congratulated the Desormeaux brothers for masterminding Exaggerator’s win.
“Hats off to Exaggerator and Team Desormeaux – what a great run,” O’Neill said.
“I didn’t think we could get beat to be honest with you. Nyquist is such an amazing horse. He still ran a great race.”
O’Neill would not confirm if Nyquist would run in the Belmont Stakes next month.
“We’ll kind of figure it out,” O’Neill said.”We’ll watch the replays and we’ll see how he comes out of it.”
Exaggerator’s victory was an uplifting end to a grim day at Baltimore, Maryland, that had been marred by the deaths of two other horses in earlier races.
Homeboykris, a nine-year-old who had competed in the Kentucky Derby in 2010, collapsed and died after winning the opening race of the card by a half-length.
The horse collapsed while walking back to the stables after parading around the winner’s circle following his triumph.
In the day’s fourth race, four-year-old filly Pramedya collapsed on the turf and suffered a broken leg. She was euthanised on the track.