Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator will take on the Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist in Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park after connections decided to bypass the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.

Majority owner Matt Bryan said the desire to win the Eclipse Award as champion 3YO had influenced the switch.

“The horse has had a really good week,” Bryan said when explaining the change in plans.

“If we’re fortunate enough to beat Nyquist then we’d certainly have a leg up on the championship.

“We have nothing against Saratoga or the Jim Dandy. He’s working fine at Saratoga, but we think the Haskell just sets up better and it’s a Grade 1.

“After the Haskell, we’ll come back to Saratoga and point for the Travers Stakes on August 27.”

Exaggerator is loking to bounce back from a well-beaten 11th in the G1 Belmont Stakes in June.

He has breezed three times in preparation for his first start since the final leg of the Triple Crown and there has been criticism of his work but Bryan is not concerned.

“Everyone seems to be reading more into it than there really is,” Bryan said.

Exaggerator, trained by Keith Desormeaux, defeated fellow Haskell aspirant Sunny Ridge in last year’s G3 Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes and then romped to a 6.25 lengths success in the G1 Santa Anita Derby in California.

He was then runner-up to Nyquist in the Kentucky Derby on May 7 before turning the tables with his win in the Preakness at Pimlico.

Nyquist suffered his first career defeat in the Preakness and has not raced since.

Exaggerator will also face Kentucky Derby third placegetter Gun Runner in the Haskell.