Bob Baffert Builds Up Faith in Another Horse For Breeder’s Cup After Unexpected Move With Nysos

In horse racing, fortunes can change in a single morning. Bob Baffert knows this better than most. The Hall of Fame trainer entered Del Mar’s Pacific Classic week with Nysos, his powerhouse colt, primed for another showcase. Then, just hours before the $1 million race, he had to scratch him. A bruised hind foot, “He was fine earlier, but when we double-checked on him, we found some bruising,” Baffert said, turning a moment of anticipation into sudden uncertainty. He insisted the issue looked “minor,” but the clarity around Nysos’ Breeders’ Cup path blurred in an instant. And yet, racing has a way of answering questions almost as quickly as it asks them.

Just a day later, in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, Bob Baffert’s colt Citizen Bull gave his trainer exactly what he needed: a reminder that true champions don’t vanish, they rise again. After a rocky spring marked by tough defeats and nearly three months away from the races, the 2024 two-year-old champion came back to the track with purpose. Returned to his sweet spot, Citizen Bull broke sharply, slipped into an easy rhythm, and never looked threatened. He coasted home by 5½ lengths, stopping the clock in 1:35.12, a performance that looked as effortless as it was decisive.

Afterward, Baffert’s relief was plain: “He was back to a distance he really loves. The Breeders’ Cup Mile is probably where we will be pointing. We were trying to get him back to form after what he went through. I told Juan (Hernandez) ‘Come back with bugs on your teeth.’ It was good to see him put on a show today. You saw the champion Citizen Bull today.” Those words made it clear: Baffert is now looking at Citizen Bull as his Breeders’ Cup horse. While nothing is officially confirmed, the Dirt Mile at Del Mar feels like the natural stage, one that will test him against international rivals and the heavy weight of expectation.

The victory brought in $75,000 from a $125,000 purse, raising Citizen Bull’s career earnings to $1,556,100. He has now won five of his nine starts. For Baffert, whose season has been punctuated by setbacks, the colt’s return felt less like a tune-up and more like fate circling back.

Bob Baffert’s battle to reclaim Breeders’ Cup

Bob Baffert returned to the Kentucky Derby in May, aiming to make a statement after his three-year suspension. But instead, it turned into a season of setbacks. Bob Baffert entered the Derby with two bright hopes. Rodriguez, the Wood Memorial winner, was scratched just days before with a foot bruise.

That left Citizen Bull, the Juvenile champion, to carry the weight alone. From the rail, he never found his rhythm. He faded to a disappointing 15th, and the sting of spring only deepened. By summer, the spotlight shifted west to Del Mar. There, unbeaten Nysos lit up the San Diego Handicap, looking every bit a Pacific Classic star. But fate intervened again. On race day, a bruised hind foot forced another scratch.

Still, Baffert is far from conceding. With none of his runners ranked inside the world’s Top 10, Nysos sits at 17th. However,  his fillies Seismic Beauty, Nothing Like You, and Richi are all being aimed at the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, a “Win and You’re In” test for the Distaff, a strategy that could broaden his November arsenal.

Despite the turbulence, his numbers tell a more nuanced story: from 210 starts this year, Baffert’s barn has produced 68 wins, 48 seconds, and 27 thirds, earning nearly $8 million. The road has been rocky, but the battle lines for Breeders’ Cup glory are still firmly in play.