Despite a rainy forecast, Mario Gutierrez, Nyquist's jockey, isn't concerned about the weather affecting the race.
"He knows it, he'll be comfortable with it. Kentucky Derby Day, 40 minutes before the race, it started pouring so I think he got the experience and I think that will give him a little bit of an edge probably," Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez rode "I'll Have Another" when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2012 but due to an injury was unable to compete in the third leg of the Triple Crown Race. He's now hoping for another chance at that title with Nyquist, this year's Kentucky Derby winner.
Nyquist, a three-year-old thoroughbred race horse, has won eight races in a row. The horse's team is confident he'll be able to continue his winning streak Saturday.
"I do believe he is the type of horse that presents the quality and the talent to go all the way but we have to focus on tomorrow and then hopefully everything goes the right way and we can come with a victory and then we can focus on whatever's next," Gutierrez said.
Forecasters call for rain has also made some Preakness-goers worried about a wash-out
"We're the only ones that care, the horses don't, they're going to run anyways. And we know it's an amazing party. It's just one of those days where you feel the magic and the history and the tradition. Sports, food, entertainment, fun, what else can you expect?," said Tiffani Steer, director of special projects with the Stronach Group, owner and operator of Pimlico Race Course.
The race course has been home to the Preakness for more than 140 years, however a new study could change that.
The Maryland Stadium Authority will be evaluating the racing venue and assessing the benefits of keeping it where it is.
"It's ultimately the decision of the Stronach Group along with the state and various racing commissions and I know that the Stronach Group is committed to doing what's best for the sport, what's best for the state and what's best for the city of Baltimore," Steer said.
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