Nysos a Short-Priced Favorite in Robert B. Lewis

In 2023, Bob Baffert winning the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) was a foregone conclusion: He trained all four runners.

In 2024, it will be tougher, but Baffert still has an excellent chance in the Santa Anita Park stakes for 3-year-olds slated for Feb. 3. He has three of the nine in the field, with Nysos  likely to be a short price.

Baoma Corp.’s Nysos is undefeated in two starts with combined winning margin of 19 1/4 lengths. The second victory came in the Nov. 19 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, making Nysos the only graded stakes winner in the Robert B. Lewis field. Flavien Prat, who piloted Nysos in the Bob Hope, will be back aboard from post 6.

After the Bob Hope, Baffert noted that Nysos also has a good demeanor, putting his focus where it belongs.

“He’s a real quiet colt,” Baffert said. “He was real quiet in the paddock, but Prat said once he got behind the gate, he just turned it on.”

Baffert ran Nysos in blinkers for his debut, a 10 1/2-length romp after leading throughout the six-furlong maiden race under jockey Kyle Frey. The trainer took the blinkers off for the seven-furlong Bob Hope “so he would relax.” Nysos responded by stalking early and scoring by 8 3/4 lengths.

The one-mile Lewis will be Nysos’ first race at two turns. His pedigree (Nyquist  —Zetta Z , by Bernardini ) suggests distance won’t be a problem. Nyquist won the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby (G1), and Bernardini captured the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1) at that same distance.

Baffert will go for a record-extending 12th Lewis and sixth consecutive victory in the race. The Hall of Fame trainer will also saddle Wine Me Up  (Juan Hernandez, post 1) and Coach Prime  (Frankie Dettori, post 5), both graded stakes-placed. Wine Me Up ran second in the Oct. 7 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) to Baffert-trained Muth  and has since been unplaced in two graded starts. Coach Prime finished third in the Dec. 16 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) behind winner Wynstock , another Baffert trainee. Coach Prime races with blinkers off.

Stronghold , trained by Phil D’Amato, will take on the Baffert trio in the Lewis. After breaking his maiden in his second start, the son of Ghostzapper   ran second to Nysos in the Bob Hope and second to Wynstock in the Los Alamitos Futurity. Antonio Fresu rode Stronghold in both of the colt’s stakes efforts and returns on him from post 7. He races with blinkers on.

Trainer Doug O’Neill has won the Lewis twice, with Great Hunter  in 2007 and I’ll Have Another  in 2012. The latter went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness (G1). O’Neill has entered Ace of Clubs  this year, with Edwin Maldonado set to ride from post 2. A two-time winner, Ace of Clubs has finished unplaced in three subsequent stakes attempts.

Trainers John Sadler and John Shirreffs have previously won the Lewis, Sadler with Candy Boy  in 2014 and Shirreffs with Royal Mo  in 2017. Sadler has entered Scatify , a son of Triple Crown winner Justify  , after the colt broke his maiden in fast time in his racing debut and has named Hector Berrios from post 9. Mc Vay , a $1.25 million yearling trained by Shirreffs, is a maiden after two starts and will have Umberto Rispoli aboard from post 8.

Better Than Gold , like Nysos, a son of Nyquist, will have the services of jockey Mike Smith from post 3. Trained by Gary Mandella, Better Than Gold broke his maiden in his second start Dec. 2.

Trainer Tim Yakteen has Geovanni Franco aboard Moonlit Sonata , who drew post 4. Moonlit Sonata won in his racing debut by 2 1/2 lengths and then ran fifth in Muth’s San Vicente Stakes (G2) Jan. 6 after being bothered leaving the gate and running last early.