Nysos's solid form in San Diego makes him early Pacific Classic favorite
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DEL MAR, Calif. – A decisive victory by Nysos in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on Saturday at Del Mar stamped the 4-year-old colt an early favorite for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 30.
The win also allowed trainer Bob Baffert to exhale a sigh of relief after Nysos ($2.20) drew away by 2 3/4 lengths over pacesetter-stablemate Mirahmadi. Tarantino finished third in the San Diego, a race that has often eluded Baffert.
“I’m relieved,” Baffert said afterward. “Because do you know how may good horses I’ve gotten beat in this race?”
The list includes Arrogate, Silver Charm, Congaree and Arabian Knight. Those stars, along with Baffert-trained Defunded and Paynter, lost the San Diego at odds-on.
But not Nysos. Compared to his rivals Saturday, he is in another league. He broke from the rail under jockey Flavien Prat, and tucked third or fourth on the inside while Mirahmadi set fractions of :46.91 and 1:10.82. Prat was never worried on Nysos.
“The one-hole is not great, but he broke well, he was traveling well inside, so I was happy to stay there,” Prat said. “I felt like I had a ton of horse and at some point, something would open.”
Nysos angled Mirahmadi outside at the top of the stretch, and he drew away. His final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.61. Prat was asked if he thought Nysos could stay 1 1/4 miles, the distance of the Pacific Classic.
“Today when I turned him loose, he extended well,” Prat said. “It didn’t feel like (a mile and a quarter) would be a problem.”
Beyond natural ability – the San Diego was Nysos’s fifth win from six starts – is a cool-headed temperament. “He has such a great mind,” Baffert said. “He’s chill in the paddock, he’s so quiet.”
The order of finish in the San Diego, after third-place Tarantino, was Hall of Fame, Express Train and Judge Miller, who broke slowly and trailed throughout. Midnight Mammoth scratched.
Nysos will be one of the top betting choices in the Pacific Classic, which would be one of the most widely anticipated races of the summer if 3-year-old Journalism stays home. Journalism has won three Grades 1s – the Haskell, Preakness and Santa Anita Derby.
Now that Nysos has a race over the Del Mar track this summer, he might have an advantage over the 3-year-old. But it takes a good horse to sweep the San Diego and Pacific Classic. San Diego winners who made their next start in the Pacific Classic are 2-for-19 since 2002. Maximum Security won the San Diego and Pacific Classic for Baffert in 2020; California Chrome won both races in 2016; Skimming won both races in 2000-01.
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