The American pharaoh broke the record of thirty- seven years when he crossed the wire in the Belmont’s stakes last year.  He won the America’s premier awards races set aside for the three- year olds thoroughbreds which include; the Belmont, Preakness Stakes, and Kentucky Derby. The most challenging test in horse racing is the five week test. There have been only twelve known horses that have finished the triple since 1919, where Sir Barton was the first to win the series. As the Kentucky Derby nears, one of the competitors in the year’s crop of the 3- year olds has been marked with having the capability of matching the American pharaoh‘s achievement of 2015.

Nyquist is expected to premier in the Kentucky Derby on May 7^th with an unbeaten record and one of the great chances of earning himself an unforgettable position as the thirteenth Triple Crown champion. In his 2- year old season, Nyquist scored his first win at Santa Anita Park in California including four straight classified prizes which were surpassed by his most remarkable win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in the month of October. Nyquist was competing with the country’s greatest two- year olds when he was jolted by another horse in the beginning of the race, this resulted in him being stuck too wide in every turn and thus bringing about considerable ground loss. However, he still held on strong and managed to win by half a length.

Brody’s Cause who finished third place in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile lately won the Bluegrass Stakes. The Santa Anita Derby was won by Exaggerator who managed to scoop the fourth place in the Breeder’s Cup. Exaggerator and Brody’s Cause are expected to participate in the Kentucky Derby as the main competitors. Nyquist marked his third birthday by premiering in the seven furlong San Vicente stakes at Santa Anita in February. He started with a quick pace and gave Exaggerator a challenge thus managing to win the race by one and a half lengths. Nyquist resumed the races in Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in March where he competed against the unconquered Mohaymen who is the known winner of four straight classified prizes in the races that took place in New York and Florida.

Travelling across the country all the way from California seemed too great a task since there was only one pending race which also included racing in the 1 1/8^th mile in the Florida Derby. Nyquist proved himself a conqueror and the best 3- year old horse in the country with an influential and a very easy win. He is currently in Kentucky waiting for the Derby. Nyquist has proved to be the best horse in all his races by the way he faces his challenges with determination and perseverance. He is always the winner in every of his seven racing careers. He is the kind of horse that adapts too well in different races. Nyquist has two human trainers, Dough O’ Neil and jockey Mario Gutierrez who push him to greatness.

The pedigree of Nyquist has been doubted too many times. This also includes his ability to finish first in long races. Uncle Mo is Nyquist’s sire and had the title of the 2 –year old champions but he was forced out of the Kentucky Derby after he sustained an injury. Nyquist is a registered sprinter; however the Triple Crown distance has proved difficult for him. In the 2016 Triple Crown race, Nyquist is believed to be the next undefeated winner after the American Pharaoh.

JaMarcus Russell firmly believes that his NFL career is not yet finished. Russell who was chosen by the Oakland Raiders back in 2007 announced that he was willing to play for the NFL team for free in order to get back in the team. He had been out of the team since 2009. He recently featured in the Sports Illustrated video where he said that he just might come back into the team. He even said he was willing to work as a water boy and then find his way back into the scout team. He had been sending letters to each of the 32 NFL teams last year as he earnestly requested to be brought back in the team. An image of one of those letters addressed to Dallas Cowboys, owned by Jerry Jones, was included in the Sports Illustrated video.

Russell was requesting to be given a chance even if it meant leading the scout team for free for one year. He also took the blame for the horrible image his players had imparted on him, but he was hopeful he was going to do great for the NFL team. Russell admitted to having learnt great lessons in the previous years during his stay in Oakland. His misfortunes had served to make him grow into a better man and he was ready to make his dreams come true if given the opportunity, he pleaded in his letter. He had been struggling back in 2013 to make a comeback in the NFL team. He even joined a personal- training team where he lost more than 30 pounds with the objective of getting the attention of the NFL. He managed to get himself training with the Chicago Bears though he was not asked to join the camp.

With him being 30 years of age, Russell has slimmer chances of being granted a comeback. The only hope he has left is being remembered as an advisory for front offices and novices in the game. He has every reason to want a comeback in the NFL teams.