By Jill Williams
Baoma Corp's 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (c, 3, Nyquist–Zetta Z, by Bernardini), who is a neck away from being undefeated in six career starts, made just his second trip around two turns Saturday, resulting in a victory in the 1 1/16-mile GII San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. His fellow Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Mirahmadi (Into Mischief), a $1.05-million Keeneland buy who finished second in the GI Del Mar Futurity two years ago, set all the pace, holding off all but Nysos to complete the silver-haired trainer's exacta. MGSP Tarantino (Pioneerof the Nile) stalked throughout to finish third.
When the gates flew, MGSP Judge Miller (Curlin) lost his footing behind and nearly sat down, forcing a tardy exit from his outside post. The setback didn't impact anyone else, least of all Nysos, who broke from the inside. Mirahmadi showed the way through a :23.49 first quarter as Nysos got comfortable on the rail in a joint fourth alongside GSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Hall of Fame (Gun Runner). Mirahmadi continued to rev the motor up front, tripping the timer in :46.91 for the half, but when the tempo quickened, Nysos idled with no where to go. Trapped on the rail behind Mirahamdi, Nysos and Flavien Prat finally found room at the eighth pole. Nysos accelerated and Prat waved the stick at him twice as the pair inhaled the pacesetter to skip home much the best in a hand ride. The 2 3/4 lengths marked Nysos's smallest margin of victory to date, but visually it was as strong as ever and he won in hand with his ears pricked.
“He was ready,” said Baffert after the San Diego. “Prat just sat patiently behind there and he had enough horse to cut the corner. Once he got that little seam, I knew it was over. I'm glad to win the San Diego. I haven't had the best of luck in this race. I've had some great horses get beat here.”
Baffert previously won the San Diego with Maximum Security in 2020 and Fed Biz in 2014. Nysos's win represented his 179th stakes win at Del Mar, the most of any trainer. It was also the 100th stakes win at Del Mar for Prat.
“[Nysos] broke well and he was comfortable down inside, so I stayed there,” said Prat. “He was comfortable all the way around. I didn't have any special instructions with him; just ride.”
Nysos may not have a lot of races on his CV, but he brings his 'A' game every single time. After breaking his maiden on debut at Santa Anita in the fall of his juvenile season–a runaway 10 1/2-length score good for 'Rising Star' honors and a 96 Beyer Speed Figure–he captured the GIII Bob Hope Stakes in a similar performance. Brought back early in his 3-year-old year for another daylight score in the one-mile GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes–his only previous try around two turns–he was sent to the sidelines for 15 months before returning in Louisville on Derby Day this year to face a deep field in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes. Nysos suffered his only career loss that day, falling short by just a neck to 'TDN Rising Star' and MGISW Mindframe (Constitution) while deadheating for second. He hasn't lost since, capturing the GIII Triple Bend Stakes May 31 at Santa Anita by 5 1/2 lengths with a career-high 108 Beyer in his lead up to Saturday's stretch out in the San Diego. Baffert said after the San Diego Nysos would be aimed at the $1-million GI Pacific Classic, Del Mar's signature 1 1/4-mile test for older horses Aug. 30.
#2 NYSOS ($2.20) lives up to his favoritism $300,000 San Diego Handicap (G2) at @DelMarRacing! This is the fourth graded victory for the four-year-old colt by @DarleyAmerica's Nyquist. Flavien Prat was in the irons for trainer Bob Baffert. pic.twitter.com/9RKnZZLBEw
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 27, 2025
Pedigree Notes:
Darley's Nyquist, firmly entrenched among the top 10 leading sires of 2025 with his sixth crop of 2-year-olds racing this year, is the sire of Nysos and 17 other graded winners. His 30 black-type winners include two Eclipse champions, one Sovereign Award winner, and eight Grade I winners. Nysos, like four other Nyquist graded winners (including two of his three champions), is out of a Bernardini mare. The late Bernardini, who stood alongside Nyquist at Darley, has 118 stakes winners out of his daughters including Saturday's GII Jim Dandy Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief). As a Godolphin homebred, that dual Classic winner will eventually join Nyquist in the Darley stud barn.
Nysos is out of the unraced Zetta Z, who sold at the 2021 Keeneland November sale for $35,000 to Three Times A Charm. It was the same sale where Nysos first sold; Cypress Creek paid $130,000 for him as a weanling. Nysos would sell twice more: as a $150,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling to Best A Luck Farm and finally as a $550,000 2-year-old at OBS to Baoma. His dam would also go through the ring again. On the heels of Nysos's early performance, Zetta Z would sell at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale for $2 million to Coolmore Stud. The foal she was carrying, a filly a Cyberknife, is now a yearling. The mare also has a 2-year-old colt named Warnock (Yaupon), who sold as a weanling at Keeneland in 2023 to AAA Thoroughbreds for $450,000. Zetta Z is a granddaughter of Unbridled Elaine (Unbridled's Song), winner of the 2001 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and a half-sister to 1997 GI Ashland Stakes winner and Grade I producer Glitter Woman (Glitterman).
Saturday, Del Mar
SAN DIEGO H.-GII, $300,500, Del Mar, 7-26, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.61, ft.
1–NYSOS, 124, c, 4, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Zetta Z, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Seresa's Spirit, by Rahy
3rd Dam: Unbridled Elaine, by Unbridled's Song
($130,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT;
$550,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Baoma Corp;
B-Atkins Susie (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000.
Lifetime Record: GISP, 6-5-1-0, $598,500.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mirahmadi, 119, c, 4, Into Mischief–More Chocolate, by
Malibu Moon. ($1,050,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne,
Masterson, Robert E., Waves Edge Capital LLC, Donovan,
Catherine & Ryan, Tom J.; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD.
(KY); T-Bob Baffert. $60,000.
3–Tarantino, 118, g, 7, Pioneerof the Nile–Without Delay, by
Seeking the Gold. ($610,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $240,000 RNA 2yo
'20 KEENOV; $235,000 3yo '21 KEENOV). O-David A. Bernsen
LLC & Rockingham Ranch; B-Fred W. Hertrich III & John D.
Fielding (KY); T-Peter Eurton. $36,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3 1/4, HF. Odds: 0.10, 16.60, 57.70.
Also Ran: Hall of Fame, Express Train, Judge Miller. Scratched: Midnight Mammoth. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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