Exaggerator galloped through Pimlico puddles to capture the 141st Preakness Stakes.
The mudder broke a four-race losing streak against Nyquist to deny him his quest for a Triple Crown.
Nyquist battled with Uncle Lino throughout the first three quarters of the messy course. But Exaggerator, quietly riding on the inside and at steady pace throughout most of the rainy race, came on strong wide around the final turn to close on the fence and take the lead down the home stretch. Nyquist shifted from inside to outside in a last-ditch effort to reclaim his lead. But Exaggerator looked too strong, and Nyquist too gassed, for another lead change to take place.
Exaggerator won by more than three lengths with a time of 158.31. Cherry Wine placed and Nyquist showed.
Curlin, victor at Pimlico in 2007, became the 10th Preakness victor to sire a winner.
Exaggerator brought a joint victory to the trainer-jockey Desormeaux brothers.
“I’m in shock right now,” jockey Kent Desormeaux conceded to the NBC interviewer.
“I was on the fence, and they all stayed wide,” he explained. “These turns, you want to paint the fence.”
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