Bob Baffert had a great summer at Del Mar, especially when his talented 3-year-old Nysos came back to peak form and won the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap in style. Baffert brought in Flavien Prat to ride Nysos, who was the favorite at post time, and the colt really came through. He stayed close to the pace, then made his move in the stretch, pulling ahead to win by about 2 3/4 lengths at 1 1/16 miles on July 26. He’s now got four wins out of five career starts, showing off some impressive speed figures, which really puts him in the spotlight as a strong contender for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The performance really showed off the colt’s pedigree—he’s by Nyquist and out of a Bernardini mare—which hints that he might be able to tackle Classic distances. But Baffert’s goals at Del Mar go way beyond just Nysos.

According to Horse Racing Nation, he’s made a pretty bold move by entering two fillies, Seismic Beauty and Nothing Like You, along with a mare, Richi, in Saturday’s Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes. This race is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The Hirsch is a 1 1/16-mile dirt race with a prize of $400,000, and it offers a paid spot to the Distaff at the Del Mar meet in November.

Baffert talked about his entries and recognized how deep and complex his decision was, saying, “They’re all training well. It’s a tough race. I think the break is going to be the key but they seem like they’re getting over the track here really well.”

With a small group of seven starters, including graded stakes winners like Seismic Beauty and Richi, plus the returning runner Nothing Like You, Baffert is definitely showing his hand. This three-horse attack boosts Baffert’s chances of snagging another “Win and You’re In” spot and really shows how he’s ready to take some calculated risks by letting his horses go head-to-head for a shot at the championship.

Looks like Baffert is making a strong statement at Del Mar this summer—he’s definitely serious about it. But Baffert is already thinking ahead, even with this tough season he’s having.

Bob Baffert might have found the next big thing in the sport

It seems like Bob Baffert is starting to find his groove again after a tough time on the Triple Crown trail. A big part of that is thanks to Brant, a $3 million colt by Gun Runner that’s making quite the splash in his barn. Zedan Racing Stables picked up Brant at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale for a record price. He really made a splash with a strong 5 1/4-length win in a Del Mar maiden special weight race, coming in as the even-money favorite.

The performance really backed up the hefty price tag and hinted that Brant could be a breakout star in a season that had mostly been a challenge for Baffert’s team. Baffert, looking pretty pleased, talked about his colt, saying, “We took our time with him. When you buy them at the 2-year-old in-training sales, sometimes you can’t get the speed out of their mind. He’s really good.”

The colt really made a name for himself from the very beginning and gave Baffert a chance to bounce back, especially after earlier horses like Citizen Bull, Goal Oriented, and Rodriguez didn’t quite make the cut in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont this season. As soon as the next three-year-old season kicks off, Baffert is going to have a huge contender to keep an eye on.