The big crowd on opening day at Santa Anita pleased Bob Baffert, and the trainer returned the favor when two of his stars waged a thrilling stretch battle before Nysos edged past Nevada Beach to win the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes.
\n\u201cEverybody got a good scream out of it, right?\u201d Baffert said in the winner\u2019s circle.<\/p>\n
Most bettors were happy to see Nysos and jockey Flavien Prat prevail \u2013 by a head \u2013 in the $200,000, Grade II Pincay and pay $2.40 as the heaviest favorite in any of the six graded stakes races Sunday.
\nNysos, the most accomplished best horse running on the rain-delayed season-opening card, was the first of Baffert\u2019s three stakes winners. Goal Oriented and jockey Joel Rosario won the Grade I Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds, nominally the feature race of the afternoon. Usha and Juan Hernandez won the Grade I La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 5-1\/4 lengths in a mild upset.
\nNysos capped his 4-year-old season with his fourth win in five starts in 2025, the most important victory coming in the Breeders\u2019 Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar and the only defeat coming by a neck to Mindframe at Churchill Downs in Nysos\u2019 first start in 15 months. The son of Nyquist\u2019s earnings for the year rose to $1,021,900 for owners Charles and Susan Chu (Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith are listed as lessees).
\nBut 3-year-old Nevada Beach and jockey Juan Hernandez tested Nysos all the way down the stretch in a race clocked in 1:42.36. That\u2019s the fastest of the nine runnings of the Pincay Stakes (formerly the San Antonio) at 1-1\/8 miles, though it must be said that the track was unusually fast. They finished 4-1\/4 lengths in front of third-place Bartholdy.
\n
\nThe Baffert pair\u2019s performances increased the chances that Nysos and Nevada Beach both will run in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh on Feb. 14 instead of one or both going to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in Florida on Jan. 24.
\n\u201cIt really could, the way they ran,\u201d the trainer said, saying he\u2019s \u201cglad that Nevada Beach is back\u201d with two wins since a \u201csort of disastrous\u201d seventh-place finish behind Forever Young in the Breeders\u2019 Cup Classic.<\/p>\n
The crowd was 41,962 for the opening of Santa Anita\u2019s winter-spring racing season, which was pushed back for two days by last week\u2019s rain. It was the biggest crowd for opening day since 2016 and the biggest on a Sunday since 1999. A track executive had said he hoped for 35,000 to 40,000.
\nAs he left the winner\u2019s circle after Nysos\u2019 victory, Baffert accommodated fans seeking autographs and selfies.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s great to see this place packed, you know what I mean?\u201d Baffert said. \u201cEverybody was on the (track) apron for this one. They saw a great horse race.\u201d<\/p>\n
On most other days, Jonathan Thomas would have been the hottest trainer.
\nThomas won the $200,000, Grade II Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf when Hiding in Honduras ($21.40) and Antonio Fresu caught Tempus Volat at the wire, and finished the afternoon by winning the $300,000, Grade I American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on grass with Ambaya ($27.40) and Kazushi Kimura passing favored Cliffs late.
\n\u201cI\u2019m feeling great,\u201d Thomas said after the two victories, which came for, respectively, Robert LaPenta and George Strawbridge, both supportive owners.<\/p>\n
Fresu was taken to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena for evaluation of a reported ankle or foot injury after having to pull up his mount, favorite Anmer Hall, in the seventh race.
\nHe had won his first two races of the Santa Anita meet, the second with Hiding in Honduras. Fresu was replaced by Kimura for the American Oaks.<\/p>\n
Cabo Spirit went back to his front-running style, got a clear lead with jockey Mike Smith and went on to win the $100,000, Grade III San Gabriel Stakes on turf and pay $14.80.
\nIt was the sixth stakes victory for the 6-year-old gelding, best known for a gate-to-wire win in the Grade II John Henry Turf Cup at Santa Anita in 2024.
\n\u201cWe tried something different last time out, sitting right off the leader, and that didn\u2019t work out,\u201d trainer George Papaprodromou said. \u201cToday I just told Mike, \u2018Just get him out there (the gate). He likes it out there and gets comfortable.\u2019\u201c<\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s Grade II Joe Hernandez Stakes looks like a battle between 3-1 morning-line favorite Motorious (with Fresu named to ride), the 2024 winner of this hillside turf sprint, and 7-2 Imagination (Juan Hernandez), the Breeders\u2019 Cup Sprint runner-up making his grass-course debut.
\nAfter a day off Tuesday, Santa Anita is set to race Wednesday through Sunday, but rain is forecast later in the week.<\/p>\n
The opening day at Santa Anita was a resounding success, with a large crowd and exciting races. Nysos’ win in the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes was a highlight, and Bob Baffert’s three stakes wins made it a day to remember. The performances of Nysos and Nevada Beach have increased their chances of running in the Saudi Cup, and the upcoming races at Santa Anita promise to be just as thrilling.<\/p>\n
Q: Who won the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes?
\nA: Nysos, ridden by Flavien Prat, won the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes.
\nQ: How many stakes wins did Bob Baffert have on opening day?
\nA: Bob Baffert had three stakes wins on opening day.
\nQ: What is the next major race at Santa Anita?
\nA: The next major race at Santa Anita is the Grade II Joe Hernandez Stakes on Monday.
\nQ: Who is the favorite for the Joe Hernandez Stakes?
\nA: Motorious is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the Joe Hernandez Stakes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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