Handler Fernel "Lefty" Serrano fixes the hair of Kentucky Derby champion Nyquist outside Barn 41at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Sunday, May 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)
Handler Fernel "Lefty" Serrano fixes the hair of Kentucky Derby champion Nyquist outside Barn 41at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Sunday, May 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Garry Jones) Credit: Garry Jones

Baltimore — When it comes to selecting a stall for his Kentucky Derby winner at Pimlico Race Course, trainer Doug O’Neill doesn’t care much for tradition.

He’d rather go with his own tested method for success.

Unbeaten Nyquist arrived at Pimlico on Monday and was eased into Stall 24 of the Stakes Barn with six other horses trained by O’Neill.

The Kentucky Derby winner is usually kept in highly regarded Stall 40 of the Preakness Barn, home of several Triple Crown champions, including Secretariat and Seattle Slew.

O’Neill spurned Stall 40 in 2012 with Derby winner I’ll Have Another, choosing instead to keep the horse in the Stakes Barn.

I’ll Have Another won the Preakness, and Nyquist’s handlers can only hope this horse does likewise.

“It really keeps the horses happy. It worked with I’ll Have Another and we’re going to do the same thing with Nyquist,” assistant trainer Jack Sisterson said.

Nyquist improved to 8-0 after winning by 1¼ lengths at Churchill Downs. He will seek to make in nine a row in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness on May 21.

NFL FootballPats, Lions in Minor Deal

Allen Park, Mich. — The Detroit Lions have acquired New England Patriots linebacker Jon Bostic.

Detroit made the trade Monday, giving up a conditional draft choice.

Lions general manager Bob Quinn saw Bostic up close last year as the Patriots’ director of pro scouting.

Bostic started in one game and played in 11 last season for the Patriots after starting in 17 games the previous two seasons for the Chicago Bears. He has made 140 tackles, including two sacks, intercepted one pass and recovered a fumble.

Chicago drafted Bostic, the former Florida standout, in the second round of the 2013 draft.

BasketballPlayer Hurt in Brussels Continuing to Recover

Rochester, Mich. — Former Oakland University basketball player Sebastien Bellin says he expects to return to Michigan in two or three weeks and his recovery following the March bombings at an airport in Brussels is ahead of schedule.

Bellin became known as the man photographed lying bloody on the floor of the airport after the March 22 bombings. He is a former member of the Belgian national team who played at Oakland University. He attended the Detroit-area school from 1998-2000.

In a news release issued by Oakland, Bellin said he was scheduled to have scans and X-rays on his reconstructed hip on Monday. He is expected to have surgery Friday to repair his left tibia.

MediaTirico Joins NBC Olympic Coverage

New York — Mike Tirico will take part in NBC’s Olympic coverage in Rio this summer after he joins the network on July 1.

NBC formally announced Monday that Tirico was leaving ESPN after a quarter-century. NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood says details about Tirico’s assignments won’t be revealed until after he officially joins the network.

Flood will say that Tirico will be involved in NFL and golf coverage.

Tirico joined ESPN as a SportsCenter anchor in 1991 and became one of the most versatile commentators in sports, working studio shows and handling play-by-play for a wide variety of events. He was picked as the play-by-play announcer for “Monday Night Football” in 2006.

Tirico also hosted major tennis and golf coverage and called the NBA Finals for ESPN Radio and the “Super Tuesday” Big Ten college basketball games.