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Nyquist -- the winner of the Kentucky Derby -- has been pulled from the Belmont Stakes ... after complications with his health, TMZ Sports has learned.

We spoke with Nyquist's assistant trainer, Jack Sisterson, who tells us ... Nyquist has an elevated white blood cell count, which can sometimes indicate an infection.

Nyquist was already battling a fever -- but Sisterson hoped Nyquist would overcome it in time for the Belmont Stakes next month.

Now, with this new complication, Sisterson says it's better to play it safe -- and not push Nyquist too hard.

"We just want to do right by Nyquist right now. We want to make sure he'll be back to 100% in the next few days."

As for his future -- "He's definitely going to race again this summer."

Bill Cosby had sexual contact with 2 teenage girls, and his agent paid off one of them so his wife wouldn't find out ... this according to a newly-released deposition.

The revelations came from Cosby's settled civil case with Andrea Constand. Cosby said, during filming of one of his sitcoms, an agency would send him "five or six" models every week, right to the studio where he was shooting.

He said under oath, his MO was to give young actresses a "very, very good meal."

Cosby was asked about Constand, and whether he had sexual relations with her when she was 17. Her lawyer asked, "Do you recall serving her amaretto?" He responded, "No."

The lawyer went on ... "That you told her to sit next to you on the couch and that you put your arm around her and began massaging her shoulder and arms suggestively. Did that occur?" His response: "I need clarification on time."

The attorney persisted ... "She's 17 and I believe throughout the time she knows you she becomes 18 or 19. On a later occasion you had her masturbate you with lotion. Did that ever happen?" Answer: "Yes."

He also admitted having sexual relations with Therese Serignese, who was 19 in 1976. He says he gave her money through her agent at the William Morris Agency so she wouldn't spill the beans to his wife.

The Associated Press, which obtained the transcript, called the agency that Cosby said paid the hush money but got no comment.

Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson told police he was reaching for a dropped cell phone when he lost control of his car and smashed into another vehicle head-on early Sunday morning ... cops say.

Shaq -- the team's 2015 1st round draft pick -- was behind the wheel of a 2016 Chevy SUV which slammed into a 2004 Lexus SUV driven by former Duke QB Anthony Boone at 7:45 AM.

When cops arrived to the crash scene near Shaq's Charlotte-area home, the NFL player was given a breathalyzer -- which turned up traces of alcohol ... but cops say it was well BELOW the legal limit.

"He had some residual left over from the night before, but nothing where it was impairing or anything like that,” Sgt. Ben Miller of the State Highway’s Union County told the Charlotte Observer.

TMZ Sports also spoke with law enforcement officials who say Shaq said he had been playing music off his cell phone but dropped it ... and that's when he made the ill-fated decision to reach down and pick it up.

Officials tell us Boone was not wearing a seat belt -- and was hospitalized for a broken pelvis and broken ribs.

Shaq told police he was not seriously injured. He was not arrested -- but was cited for crossing the center lane.

LSU's beloved Siberian-Bengal tiger mascot, Mike VI, has been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer ... and vets believe he only has 2 years to live ... school officials announced.

The 10-year-old tiger has been receiving treatment from a team of specialists ever since his caretakers noticed a tumor on his face earlier this month.

Officials say Mike has spindle cell sarcoma -- which is unlikely to spread to other areas of his body ... but it's a fatal condition nonetheless.

LSU says Mike is receiving the best care possible -- and they've already drawn up a battle plan to make sure Mike lives out his final days as comfortably as possible. Without treatment, officials say Mike would only have 1 to 2 months to live.

Mini Kim Kardashian died of chronic alcohol abuse ... according to the Clark County coroner.

The coroner also confirmed there was no evidence of foul play in Kim Tripp's death.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim's BF Mini Kanye West discovered her body on the front porch of her Vegas apartment back in March. Kim became famous as Mini Kim K at Beacher's Madhouse in Vegas and Hollywood.

She was 32.

Morley Safer, longtime correspondent for "60 Minutes" ... has died at the age of 84, according to CBS News.

Safer had just announced his retirement a week ago, after 46 years on "60 Minutes." He was the show's longest serving correspondent. He'd been with CBS News since 1964 and ran the network's Saigon bureau during the Vietnam War.

He made a name for himself with his intense reports from the war -- which frequently ticked off the White House. Morley went on to win 12 Emmys in his career.

The TV news magazine just aired a special send-off to Safer this past Sunday night.

He's survived by his wife of 47 years, Jane ... and his daughter Sarah, who is also a journalist.

Phil Mickelson made nearly $1 MILLION in the stock market off information stemming from insider trading ... this according to the Securities and Exchange Commission which just sued the golfer.

According to a lawsuit filed by the SEC, Mickelson got a tip about Dean Foods company in 2012 from famed sports gambler Billy Walters.

The SEC believes Walters got his information from a longtime friend who was a director at the company.

But since Phil allegedly took Billy's info -- and made roughly $931k in profits from subsequent trades -- the SEC believes Phil's money was ill-gotten and he should have to forfeit the money to the SEC.

The SEC believes Phil owed Walters money at the time of the trade -- the assumption is that he urged Phil to make the financial moves to make some money to pay him back.

Ray J is making serious accusations about Naomi Judd and grits -- namely, that she called the Southern dish ... "slave food."

Ray was on his way to the set of "My Kitchen Rules" when he described the alleged incident. Check out the video because what he has to say is incredibly shocking, if true.

As we reported ... Judd very openly said she didn't want to be on the cooking competition show once she found out her co-stars were people like Ray J, Brandi Glanville and Andrew "Dice" Clay.

Ray says he was disappointed to hear that's how Judd feels. As for the grits incident, he adds it definitely "smells like some racism."

For once, Katt Williams benefited from a courtroom no-show -- prosecutors have dropped an attempt to revoke his probation and lock him up immediately.

The D.A. in Hall County, GA filed a motion to revoke Katt's bond in one of his criminal cases -- an alleged assault on his bodyguard. The hearing went down Wednesday, but 3 subpoenaed witnesses for the prosecution failed to show up ... and as a result the motion was withdrawn.

Katt was not in court to celebrate his victory.

Naomi Judd wants nothing to do with reality TV stars like Ray J and Brandi Glanville, which is why she tried to quit "My Kitchen Rules" -- the cooking competition she's shooting with them.

Naomi went on the attack on Facebook claiming producers misled her about who her competition would be on the show. The other contestants include Andrew Dice Clay and his wife, Glanville and LeAnn Rimes' ex Dean Sheremet, Ray J and Brandi, and Lance Bass and his mom Diane.

Naomi skewered most of the cast, saying Brandi's from "one of those tawdry Housewives shows" ... Ray J's a "bad boy" who made a porn and calls Dice "a no holds barred comedian."

Naomi says she wanted off the show since she'd never "choose to socialize with" people like her co-stars, but she'd already signed on the dotted line. So, she's stuck.

One of the paramedics who rushed to James Gandolfini as he was dying in Rome, stole his $3,000 watch ... according to prosecutors.

Claudio Bevilacqua's trial started Monday in Rome. It's still unclear if he allegedly stole the Rolex Submariner right off the 'Sopranos' star's body, or if it was lifted from his hotel room.

TMZ broke the story ... Gandolfini's people reported the Rollie was missing to his insurance company back in 2013, a few months after he died of a heart attack. At the time, there was no suspect named in the theft.

Monday's hearing was brief, and Bevilacqua was not present in court.

Boxing superstar Tyson Fury says he realizes his insanely offensive statements about Jews and transgender people have "been viewed by some" as offensive ... and so, he's sorta (not really) apologizing.

As we previously reported, the heavyweight champ went on a vile rant about transgenders -- calling them "freaks of nature" -- and accusing the Jews of running a global brainwashing scheme.

Moments ago, Tyson's team issued a statement about last week's interview saying, "Mr Fury made comments that have been viewed by some as offensive."

The statement continued, "Mr Fury would like to apologise to anyone who may have taken offence to these comments."

There's more ... "He has many friends of a wide range of backgrounds and races and wishes no ill to anyone of any race, religion or sexual orientation."

The statement included quotes from Fury ... "I apologise to anyone who may have taken offence at any of my comments. I said some things, which may have hurt some people, which as a Christian man is not something I would ever want to do."

Then he blamed the media ...

"Though it is not an excuse, sometimes the heightened media scrutiny has caused me to act out in public."

Then doubled down on the whole "I'm not a bigot" thing ...

"Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am in no way a racist or bigot and I hope the public accept this apology.”

Prince's sister wants to make one thing clear ... she, nor anyone in Prince's family is connected to Sunday's memorial planned by his church -- and the family won't be participating.

Tyka Nelson says, "I nor my brother's remains will be present at any Memorial or Funeral services." Jehovah's Witnesses in Minnetonka, Minnesota -- where Prince worshiped -- announced a private service this weekend.

She went on to say in a Facebook post ... she supports all memorials because the grieving process is unique to everyone who was connected to Prince, but wanted fans to know this weekend's service is NOT the highly anticipated public tribute.

She said that will be coming some time in August, and took what seems like a dig at all other memorials, saying ... "We feel inspired to celebrate his life and legacy in just the right way."

Vanessa Hudgens has officially copped to defacing a rock in a national forest near Sedona, and now she'll have to dig into her wallet.

Vanessa will pay $1k ... earmarked for a volunteer group called Friends of the Forest which will restore the rock.

Vanessa defaced the rock during a Valentine's Day trip with BF Austin Butler ... a big no-no since there's a federal law prohibiting damage to natural surfaces on US property.

She cooperated with authorities after the backlash leading them to the location on Bell Rock.

More filth from boxing star Tyson Fury ... this time he's blasting society as a world full of porn-obsessed perverts ... and blaming the Jews for "brainwashing" people.

In his rant to SportsViewLondon, the heavyweight champ goes off on everything from transgender people to bestiality and porn.

Then, around 9:30 into his rant takes aim at the Jews.

"Everyone just do what you can, listen to the government follow everybody like sheep, be brainwashed by all the Zionist, Jewish people who own all the banks, all the papers all the TV stations. Be brainwashed by them all."

Fury is prepping for his rematch with Wladimir Klitschko later this year. For the record, Klitschko has come out strongly against Fury -- condemning him as a sexist homophobe.

A former Marine sergeant who worked in the Aerospace industry and the California Dept. of Corrections is running for the California State Senate. He's also a member of the Satanic Temple.

Steve Hill is the first political candidate in California who publicly affiliates himself with the Temple. In fact, he even helped organize it.

Hill says he's an atheist who fights for true religious freedom, saying, "This includes preserving the right to believe or disbelieve as one sees fit."