For Mohaymen, a bumpy ride from favorite to afterthought

For Mohaymen, a bumpy ride from favorite to afterthought

Under a cold, pale gray sky, TV cameras were set up on tripods and tape recorders were at the ready.

Any move or sound bite from Doug O’Neill, the trainer of Kentucky Derby favorite Nyquist, would be swallowed by the ever-growing throng of media here for the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby.

The race Mohaymen lost was a big one, and it came on the biggest stage of the Derby prep season.

Nyquist will be the favorite when the Derby field is drawn Wednesday.

McLaughlin isn’t going to let one race destroy all the confidence he has in the colt, who was a $2.2 million purchase by Shadwell Stable, which is owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai.

The colt did not care for the wet track.

Even though it was listed as “good,” McLaughlin said there was standing water on the Gulfstream Park oval.

[...] to get to the race, Mohaymen had to make an hour van ride from the Palm Meadows Training Center just outside of Boynton Beach.

O’Neill, who is busy enough with Nyquist, still sneaked a peek at Mohaymen, who galloped on the Churchill track with the other Derby horses at 8:30 Tuesday morning.

Mohaymen, who has been ridden by New York-based Junior Alvarado in all six of his starts, won four straight Grade II races before the Florida Derby loss.

McLaughlin said he will try to get a stalking position in the Derby.