Nyquist the horse has plenty of company

It is unlikely Gustav Nyquist will ever catch Nicklas Lidstrom in the Red Wings record books.

But Nyquist’s namesake horse has already stormed past Lidstrom’s and will never be caught.

Nyquist, the 2016 Kentucky Derby winner, increased his career earnings to almost $5 million with that victory. He can add to his total Saturday in the Preakness Stakes.

Lidstrom the defenseman played 1,564 games over 20 seasons for the Red Wings. Lidstrom the horse earned $28,800 for winning by 2-1/4 lengths as the favorite in the eighth race at Hollywood Park on July 2, 2008. He never raced again.

Nyquist and Lidstrom are two of eight horses owned by Paul Reddam named for a Red Wings player.

“It’s very hard to come up with unique horse names, so when you use a surname, they’re generally not taken,” Reddam told Canada.com before Nyquist and some others arrived. “So we’ve had Lidstrom, Hudler, Zetterberg and Datsyuk. I wish the horses had been better horses, but you don’t really know when you’re naming them.”

Few of the horses had success that would match their namesake player. None have done what Nyquist has, winning all eight of his races and moving two steps from the sport’s Triple Crown.

“I’ve been a Nyquist fan for a couple of years,” Reddam said of the player. “To me, he’s got kind of a special talent. He’s a tremendous stick-handler. It’s kind of exciting to have named the horse after him and …

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