By Alan Carasso
Opting for a confidence-builder over a trip to Saratoga for next weekend's GI Metropolitan Handicap, Baoma Corp's 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) made light work of three rivals in Saturday's GIII Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita, strolling home under little encouragement from Juan Hernandez to score as a mile the best.
The slowest away from the inside stall, the prohibitive favorite methodically made his way through at the inside and poked his head in front as they raced in post-position order into the far turn. The comebacking Dr. Venkman (Ghostzapper), runner-up as the odds-on favorite in this event 12 months ago, tried his best to keep up, but Nysos began to assert at the quarter pole and was under no urging whatsoever while pulling clear from Dr. Venkman to take it by 5 1/2 lengths.
A smashing 10 1/2-length winner of his debut in October 2023 to become a no-brainer 'Rising Star', Nysos defeated future GI Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold (Ghostzapper) in the GIII Bob Hope Stakes, cementing his status as a leading chance on the Triple Crown trail for 2024.
He did little to dispel that notion when racing clear by 7 1/2 lengths in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes on seasonal debut last February, but ultimately missed the Classics and the balance of the season. He made his return to the races in a red-hot renewal of the GI Churchill Downs Stakes May 3, his late run falling just short of fellow 'Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution) while dead-heating for the place spot with Banishing (Ghostzapper).
“Juan rode him beautifully, the horse broke really well and he kept him up there,” said winning trainer Bob Baffert. “We are talking about a four-horse field, it is tough because you know you are going to be a big target there. He just inched him up there and he didn't lose his spot and once he took the lead, you figured out the horse that he is.
“I am so proud to have a horse like this. He is so talented, I know the Met Mile would have been a great spot, but his last race, you know he needed it. Now from here we can build and pick our spots. Eventually on to the Breeders' Cup. The way he handled it today, he didn't take a deep breath.”
Pedigree Notes:
On behalf of Clinton and Susie Atkins, Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas gave $260,000 for Nysos's second dam Seresa's Spirit at the 2004 Keeneland September Sale when offered as part of the Estate of Better Devenport, whose husband Roger campaigned third dam Unbridled Elaine to victory in the 2001 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Betty Devenport's passing on Jan. 21,2004 came just 22 days after her husband's.
Zetta Z was the first of three foals produced for the Atkinses by Seresa's Spirit before they sold her on for $23,000 in foal to Curlin at Keeneland November in 2014. After producing six foals, including $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling Bandon Woods (Uncle Mo), Zetta Z fetched $35,000 when offered pregnant to Street Sense at KEENOV in 2021 and the colt that would become Nysos followed her into the ring, changing hands for $130,000. He would then sell for $150,000 at Fasig-Tipton October in 2022 and for $550,000 at OBS the following April.
It is safe to say that since then, the family has taken off. Zetta Z's foal of 2020, the Distorted Humor filly Attabe, was third in the Ruling Angel Stakes in May 2023 a handful of months before Nysos began making headlines. Attabe was represented by her first foal this season, a colt by Nyquist, bred in Kentucky by Mark Dodson. Warnock (Yaupon), the current 2-year-old out of Zetta Z, was a $450,000 KEENOV purchase not long after Nysos broke his maiden and the circle was completed when Zetta Z was purchased by Coolmore for a sales-topping $2 million in foal to Cyberknife at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton February Sale. Zetta Z was most recently covered by Justify.
Saturday, Santa Anita Park
TRIPLE BEND S.-GIII, $98,000, Santa Anita, 5-31, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.28, ft.
1–NYSOS, 126, 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; B-Atkins Susie (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $418,500. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Dr. Venkman, 126, g, 5, Ghostzapper–Theory of Change, by Archarcharch. ($105,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Alipony Racing, Dan J. Agnew, Clint Bunch and James Hailey; B-Ghostzapper Syndicate & Hidden Brook Farm (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $20,000.
3–Smooth Cruisein, 118, c, 3, Girvin–Smooth Cookie, by In Summation. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($41,000 Ylg '23 OBSOCT; $45,000 RNA 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Matson Racing, Sandra L. Brown, Elise Naify and Marsha Naify; B-J D Farms (FL); T-Karen Headley. $12,000.
Margins: 5HF, 4 1/4, 13. Odds: 0.20, 2.60, 11.80.
Also Ran: Spirit of Makena. Scratched: Vlahos.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#2 NYSOS ($2.40) was an easy winner of the $100,000 Triple Bend Stakes (G3) at @SantaAnitaPark. This is the third graded win for the four-year-old Nyquist (@DarleyAmerica) colt. @JJHernandezS19 was in the irons for trainer Bob Baffert. pic.twitter.com/b8dp974Zph
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) May 31, 2025
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