ARCADIA — Consider this: Perhaps the best 3-year-old in the country won’t be running in the Kentucky Derby, America’s most famous horse race, on the first Saturday in May. It’s the 150th running, but it will be missing one of its biggest draws.
Nysos, a son of 2016 Derby winner Nyquist, put on a show Saturday at Santa Anita, winning the $200,000 Grade III Robert B. Lewis by 7½ 1/2 lengths under Flavien Prat while remaining unbeaten in three starts. He’s won those three races by a combined 26 ¾3lengths while displaying the type of talent that suggests he could be something special.
But racing fans around the country won’t be able to watch him in the Derby. All of Baffert’s owners, in perhaps a protest against Churchill Downs, remained steadfast by their trainer and did not transfer their horses to different barns by the Monday deadline that would have made them eligible for the Derby.
Baffert originally was suspended two years by Churchill Downs after Medina Spirit was disqualified from his Derby victory in 2021 when he tested positive for a prohibited race-day therapeutic substance after the race. Churchill officials extended the ban an extra year in July, citing “continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing he poses to CDI-owned racetracks.”
So a sport that is starving for attention will keep its star 3-year-old on the sidelines on racing’s biggest day.
Nysos, assuming he runs in the Santa Anita Derby on April 6 the way he performed Saturday, might have drawn a few extra viewers if he remained healthy and made it to the starting gate. Now he’ll be pointed to the Preakness Stakes on May 18.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Nysos’ victory in the Lewis was his ability to rate off the pace and accelerate in the stretch. Baffert likes to wait until a horse shows the ability to successfuly navigate two turns before determining its true talent. Nysos took to two turns the first time like an elephant takes to peanuts.
“I love the fact that he has speed and he proved he can do two turns,” said Baffert, who will have to wait at least another year before trying for his seventh Derby victory. “He has a great mind. He’s a really good colt. You can just sit there and push the button at any time. It makes it so much easier for the riders, but I still get a little nervous.”
Calling Nysos “a really good colt” is like referring to Picasso as a good painter, but time will tell just how special he can become.
Nysos, the 1-9 favorite, was fourth up the backside as 13-1 longshot Scatify set fractions of 22.81, 46.67 and 1:11.11. By the time the field hit the top of the stretch, Nysos was in front by three lengths while telling the other six 3-year-olds to come and get him. Prat could have won by 10 lengths if he’d wanted, but there are bigger fish to fry down the road. Final time for the 1 mile over a fast track was 1:36.65.
“The pace was pretty hot so it was good,” Prat said. “I gave him a chance and he took the dirt very well. When I called on him, he responded really well.”
Nysos won his debut last fall at Santa Anita by 10½ lengths, eliciting a “wow” from his Hall of Fame trainer. He followed that blowout with an 8¾-length romp in the Grade III Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 19, prompting former Del Mar publicity director and longtime racing aficionado Dan Smith to call him “the best 2-year-old I saw last year.”
Santa Monica Stakes
Three Witches, the 8-5 co-favorite along with Kirstenbosch, gave Prat victories in three of Saturday’s four stakes races. The 5-year-old Into Mischief mare, trained by Michael McCarthy, beat Chismosa by 2½ lengths in the $200,000 Grade II event for fillies and mares while covering the 7 furlongs in 1:23.21.
The winner, third in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, increased her career earnings to $417,970 by winning for the fourth time in nine starts. It was her second graded-stakes victory after winning the Grade III Princess Rooney at Gulfstream Park in October.
Megahertz Stakes
Prat took the Philip D’Amato-trained Bellabel, an Irish-bred daughter of Belardo, gate to wire to win the $100,000 race for fillies and mares on the grass off a near 16-month layoff. Bellabel, the 9-5 favorite, beat Mouffy by one length while running the mile over a turf course labeled “good” in 1:36.16.
The victory was Bellabel’s second graded-stakes victory in the U.S. after she won the Grade II San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar in August 2022. She’s won four of 10 starts for earnings of $364,810 after collecting Saturday’s winner’s share of $60,000.
Thunder Road Stakes
Goliad, in front by 12 lengths at one point, held on under Kazushi Kimura to win the $100,000 Grade III grass race by three lengths while running the 1 mile on turf in 1:33.57. He went postward as the 5-1 fourth choice in the field of seven.
Trained by Richard Mandella, the 7-year-old War Front gelding made it two consecutive victories while raising his career earnings to $262,371 with his fourth victory in 16 starts. He won an $80,000 optional claimer Jan. 7 at Santa Anita.
Sunday racing canceled
With more than two inches of rain forecast for the Arcadia area in the next 24 hours, Santa Anita canceled Sunday’s eight-race card and will run the two scheduled stakes, the Las Virgenes and San Marcos, next Saturday.
The racing office said Sunday’s other six races will be offered as extras for Friday’s program. Entries for Friday will be taken Sunday.
The cancellation is Santa Anita’s first during this year’s Classic Meet. The track lost four days of racing because of rain in 2022-23.
