Nysos could point to Whitney with Breeders' Cup Classic the goal

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert has the Breeders' Cup Classic in mind for Nysos and could start the 5-year-old in the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 8 – a "Win and You're In" for the Classic – after a four-length romp Saturday at Saratoga.

"Everybody wants to know what is next for him, but I don't know what's next for him (laughs)," Baffert said. "I know the Breeders' Cup is the goal, we'll work backwards from there and I'm not sure yet."

Baffert ranked Nysos among the best he has trained. "He came out of it well," Baffert said. "He'll be heading back to Kentucky now, Monday night. I haven't had a horse like him since like American Pharoah. He is that caliber of horse. He's really good."

Racing for Baoma, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the son of Nyquist improved to 8-for-10 with more than $5.2 million in earnings in the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap, run for 3-year-olds and up at one mile from the Wilson Chute on Belmont Stakes day. He broke from post 1 in the seven-horse field under regular rider Flavien Prat and led through an opening quarter-mile in 23.52 seconds over the fast dirt.

Antiquarian, Saudi Crown and Knightsbridge pressed him, and Prat let that trio pass to travel fourth as the half-mile went in 45.61 seconds. After saving ground to about the three-eighths pole, Nysos tipped back out in pursuit of Knightsbridge, blew past that rival by the three-sixteenths and drew off to win in 1:34.85 – 0.13 of a second off the course record of 1:34.72 set by Key Contender in 1992.

"That trip was exactly the way I mapped the race out for him," Baffert said. "Prat rides the horse with a lot of confidence. That horse is very smart. He shut off, let the horses go, and then came back around. That's really a big advantage right there."

The performance produced a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form and avenged a runner-up finish to reigning champion older dirt male Forever Young in the Saudi Cup (G1) in February. The victory secured a berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in October at Keeneland, the race Nysos won by a head last November at Del Mar, though Baffert points him to the Classic this fall.