Nysos has first work since February

Nysos, the undefeated colt who won two stakes by a combined 26 3/4 lengths last fall and winter before he was sidelined during the buildup to the Triple Crown, worked a half-mile in 47.60 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita on Thursday.

The workout was the first for Nysos since late February. Nysos was the morning-line favorite for the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on March 3, but was withdrawn the day before the race. The San Felipe is a key prep race for the Santa Anita Derby.

Owned by Charles and Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp., Nysos recently resumed training after a layoff.

“He went nice,” Baffert said of the workout in a brief conversation. “I was happy with him.”

By Nyquist, Nysos has dominated the competition in his brief career. He won a maiden race at six furlongs by 10 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita last October and his final start of 2023 in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs by 8 3/4 lengths at Del Mar last November.

In his lone start this year, Nysos won the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at a mile by 7 1/2 lengths as the 1-10 favorite.

Race plans for Nysos are unclear. There is one major race for 3-year-olds expected to be considered – the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

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