Here’s Lookin’ At You, Nyquist

A camera mounted on the inside of the starting gate gives us a cool new look at Nyquist, winner of the 2016 Kentucky Derby.

Nyquist won the 2016 Kentucky Derby last weekend as the heavy favorite, and there’s little doubt he’ll go into the Preakness Stakes with the same short odds. Trainer Doug O’Neill constantly describes Nyquist as a professional who hits the track for workouts or races with a professional attitude — but it didn’t really hit home what “professionalism” looks like in a racehorse until I saw this video.

This unique camera angle offers us a view that few have ever seen as we watch Nyquist load into the starting gate at Churchill Downs:

Nyquist is clearly on a hair trigger, ready to launch out of that starting gate and thunder his way to victory, and yet he walks politely into the gate and waits, well, as patiently as we can expect. Respect for the assistant starters, who have an often-overlooked but incredibly dangerous job in loading and then standing each horse in close quarters in the starting gates!

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Go riding!