Exaggerator wins Preakness Nyquist saw his Triple Crown dreams ended as old rival Exaggerator won the 141st running of the Preakness Stakes at a rain-soaked Pimlico racecourse in Maryland. The previously unbeaten Doug O'Neill-trained Nyquist was the hot favourite to add to his Kentucky Derby laurels and in doing so move one win away from emulating American Pharoah's heroics from 12 months ago. Ridden by Mario Gutierrez and drawn in stall three on a track officially rated as 'sloppy', Nyquist broke swiftly but was taken on at the head of affairs by Uncle Lino. In contrast, Kent Desormeaux was able to take a stalking position on the rail on the Derby second and when push came to shove for Nyquist at the top of the stretch, he soon swept past. Staying on strongly from there, Exaggerator, trained by the winning jockey's brother, Keith, won handily, with Cherry Wine edging Nyquist for second. Kent Desormeaux said: "I can't fathom it (what it means), it's going to take a while. I'm in shock right now. "Nyquist had company the whole way round and I had a dream trip today." In 2012, I'll Have Another won both the Derby and Preakness for O'Neill, Gutierrez and owner Paul Reddam, but hopes of glory in the third and final leg, the Belmont Stakes, were dashed on the eve of the race after injury. American Pharoah's achievement saw him become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, ending a 37-year drought, and 12th in total.
