Undefeated Nysos Faces Four Rivals In San Felipe
With Nysos and all other Baffert trainees ineligible for this year’s Kentucky Derby, Nysos is expected to aim for the G1 Preakness Stakes
Considered by many to be America’s most talented 3-year-old, Bob Baffert-trained and undefeated Nysos heads a field of five going 1 1/16 miles in Sunday’s Grade 2, $300,000 DK Horse San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.
With Nysos and all other Baffert trainees ineligible to run in this year’s Kentucky Derby, Nysos will likely eye the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes next on May 18 with a stop in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6 a possibility as well.
length first-out maiden winner going six furlongs here on Oct. 21, Nysos came back to take Del Mar’s Grade 3 Bob Hope at seven panels by 8 ¾ lengths Nov. 19. Off at 1-10 versus six rivals going a flat mile in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Feb. 3, Nysos rated kindly in his first two-turn assignment and destroyed the competition, winning by 7 ½ lengths and earning a tremendous 105 Beyer Speed Figure.
One of three Baffert entrants, Nysos, who is by 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist out of the Bernardini mare Zetta Z, has won his three starts by a combined 26 ¾ lengths and will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Flavien Prat.
A $550,000 Ocala Sales 2-year-old in Training Sale purchase in April, 2023, Nysos is owned by Baoma Corp and will attempt to give Baffert his record ninth score in one of America’s most important Derby preps.
Second by 7 ½ lengths to Nysos in the Lewis, Baffert’s Wine Me Up will likely be the second choice in the San Felipe wagering. Owned by longtime clients Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Wine Me Up, a first-out maiden winner at six furlongs Sept. 2, was subsequently second behind talented stablemate Muth in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here on Oct. 7.
Well beaten at 22-1 in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 3, he was then fourth at 9-5 in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity two starts back on Dec. 16.
With Juan Hernandez up for the third consecutive time on Sunday, Wine Me Up, a $300,000 Ocala Sales 2-year-old, has good natural speed and with a career-best 92 Beyer in-hand from his second place run in the Lewis, will hope to turn the tables in what will be his fifth consecutive two turn assignment
A one mile gate to wire maiden winner in his third start on Jan. 1, Baffert’s Imagination, a hard-fought second at the same distance in a first condition allowance Feb. 11, has three seconds and the maiden win from four starts and could likely be on the early lead Sunday as Frankie Dettori tries his hand for the first time.
A $1,050,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Imagination is by Into Mischief out of the Empire Maker mare Magical Feeling. Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Racing, LLC, et al, Imagination earned an 89 Beyer in his most recent start and appears on the improve.
