Nyquist to miss Belmont Stakes due to illness

After losing a bid at the Triple Crown with a third-place finish at the Preakness Stakes, Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist will miss the Belmont Stakes due to the results of a blood test taken Monday.

"He has an elevated white count and his temperature has come back up," trainer Doug O'Neill said, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. The blood test was taken after it was discovered Nyquist had a fever Monday morning, and now O'Neill says the horse requires stronger antibiotics.

"We always want to do right by him and the right move is to chill and not even think about a race until he is right," he continued. "We had him on a real light antibiotic and that obviously isn't going to cut it for this bug."

The news ends the chance for a rubber match between Nyquist and Preakness winner Exaggerator at the Belmont. O'Neill says his horse will remain in Baltimore until it's declared healthy.

"I just can't wait for Nyquist to get back to 100 percent," he said.

The Belmont Stakes is scheduled for June 11 in New York.