Kentucky Derby Winner Nyquist Out at Belmont Stakes

You can go all in that Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist won’t be rebounding from his loss to Exaggerator at the Preakness.

The three-year-old colt has been officially removed from the Belmont Stakes due to a high white blood cell count, David Grening of Daily Racing Form reported.

BREAKING NEWS: Nyquist out of Belmont Stakes. Has high elevated white blood cell count. Story soon on https://t.co/vF7GYJCXge

— David Grening (@DRFGrening) May 24, 2016

Nyquist lost for his first time ever at the Preakness on Sunday, putting an end to his chance of being only the 13th horse to win the Triple Crown.

Last year American Pharoah galloped its way to becoming the 12th horse to achieve the rare feat. To find the horse before that, you need to go back 38 years to 1978, when Affirmed triumphed, winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes in the same year.

CBS Sports reported that Nyquist had been running a fever after the Preakness, but that it went away. The fever developed again on Tuesday.

Nyquist trainer Doug O’Neill told Daily Racing Form Tuesday morning. “We’re going to put him on stronger antibiotics, get him right, get him back to California and let him relax and recover from the trip.”

The 148th running of the Belmont Stakes will be held June 11th rendering a $1.5 million purse, including a hefty $800,000 to the winner.