Nysos (Nyquist) followed up on his win in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with a thrilling victory over stablemate Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach) in the GII Laffit Pincay, Jr. Stakes on Santa Anita's delayed opening-day card Sunday. Sent off the 1-5 favorite, Nysos was a little flat-footed at the break, but recovered quickly to track pacesetting Vodka Vodka (Stay Thirsty) from the rail, with Nevada Beach parked just to his outside. Vodka Vodka was pressed by Bartholdy (Mendelssohn) through a quarter in :24.00 and a half in :48.44. Bartholdy took charge entering the straight, but Nysos and Nevada Beach were making ominous progress to his outside. The two stablemates turned for home in tandem and easily put away Bartholdy before going eyeball to eyeball down the lane, with Nysos just outgutting Nevada Beach on the line.
“Nysos, he just knows where the wire is,” said winning trainer Bob Baffert. “Flavien [Prat] rode him well. I got two great rides and two good horses.”
Prat added, “He broke a bit flat-footed, but then I was able to sit and he was traveling well. I was a bit worried that the pace was slow, but as soon as he got a seam, he made a really good move and Nevada Beach hooked up with us. It was a very game effort.”
Nysos who had raced for the Chus' Baoma Corp. through the Breeders' Cup, added Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, John Magnier, and Derrick Smith to the ownership line for this effort.
Unbeaten in a pair of starts and tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' at two, Nysos was winner of the GII Robert B. Lewis Stakes in his only sophomore start. He suffered his lone defeat to date when returning with a narrow runner-up effort behind Mindframe (Constitution) in the May 3 GI Churchill Downs Stakes. He returned to the winner's circle with a 5 1/2-length victory in the May 31 GIII Triple Bend Stakes and added a win in the GII San Diego Handicap July 26 before just edging stablemate Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) to win the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar Nov. 1.
“We'll see how they come out of this race in regards to possibly going to Saudi [for the Feb. 14 G1 Saudi Cup],” Baffert said. “The Breeders' Cup was a disaster for Nevada Beach. He showed today, and so did Nysos, that they were both tough customers.
“This is really great to see the place packed here. Everyone was on the apron and they got to see quite a race. Nevada showed he is competitive and Nysos knows how to find the wire.”
Pedigree Notes:
Zetta Z, who sold for $2 million while in foal to Cyberknife at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton February sale, produced a filly that spring. She also has an unraced 2-year-old colt by Yaupon and, with no foal reported this year, was bred back to Justify. Her Cyberknife filly RNA'd for $195,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton October sale, while her 5-year-old daughter, stakes-placed Attabe (Distorted Humor), in foal to Flightline, sold for $1.35 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale last month.
🏇🏽 @BobBaffert stablemates battle down the @santaanitapark stretch! NYSOS ($2.40) noses out Nevada Beach in the $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr Stakes (G2). Flavien Prat was aboard the son of @DarleyAmerica's Nyquist for @BaomaCorp, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, & Michael Tabor. pic.twitter.com/rg6ReRotBY
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 28, 2025
Sunday, Santa Anita
LAFFIT PINCAY, JR. S.-GII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 12-28, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.36, ft.
1–NYSOS, 125, 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
'TDN Rising Star'. ($130,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '22
FTKOCT; $550,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Baoma Corp., Magnier,
Lessee, Mrs. John, Smith, Lessee, Derrick and Tabor, Lessee,
Michael B.; B-Atkins Susie (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 8-7-1-0, $1,238,500.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nevada Beach, 123, c, 3, Omaha Beach–Morrow Cove,
by Yes It's True. ($260,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Michael E.
Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman; B-Paul Tackett
Revocable Trust, Phil Tackett Estate & Christy Tackett (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Bartholdy, 121, g, 4, Mendelssohn–Blazen Betsy,
by Speightstown. ($120,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $300,000 2yo '23
OBSAPR). O-John R. Haagsma, Steve R. Knapp and Robert John
Vanderdussen; B-Robert Slack & Dan Walters (KY); T-Steve R.
Knapp. $24,000.
Margins: HD, 4 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.20, 4.60, 23.80.
Also Ran: Vodka Vodka, Cornishman, Indispensable. Scratched: British Isles. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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