Even though the season kicked off quietly during the Triple Crown races, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert made a strong comeback at the Del Mar summer meet. And boy, didn’t he showcase his dominance in a big way. He snagged the track’s top juvenile championships, marking a record-extending 12th win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante with Bottle of Rouge. In addition, he had a historic 19th victory in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity with the highly rated $3 million colt Brant. These wins highlighted an impressive comeback, but raised big question marks about one of his better older horses, the talented but missing Nysos.

In a disappointing turn, Nysos got scratched from the Pacific Classic on the morning of the race after Baffert detected bruising in the colt’s hind foot. This minor but unfortunately timed setback has kept him out of competition since his July victory. With the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar coming up on November 1, the racing world is buzzing for the latest on the talented Nysos.

According to the Daily Racing Form, Baffert confirmed the colt’s status: “He’s training. We’re still shooting for it.” This brief note is just to say that the plan is still to aim for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Nysos has shown much promise for it. But with him missing out on recent big races and being labeled as “unlikely” as per Horse Racing Nation’s website in the early Breeders’ Cup potential field lists, it shows the challenge Baffert is up against.

Notably, the Nyquist colt has been having a fantastic run, showing off his top-notch skills with two significant graded stakes wins. He won the Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita on May 31 and then secured a decisive 2 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 26. This performance set him up as the morning-line favorite for the big $1 million Grade 1 Pacific Classic happening in late August, an important “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

As the selection process wraps up, the trainer feels pressure to prepare Nysos for the championship. He’s hoping his horse can push through those physical challenges and finally get the spotlight he deserves on the biggest stage in the sport. But wait, Baffert trains another horse, potentially gearing up for a shot at the Classic.

Bob Baffert has another horse in his arsenal

Like Nysos, Goal Oriented remains a potential contender for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic, though not the frontrunner. The three-year-old colt, trained by Bob Baffert, showed potential in winning his first two career starts. He proved he can hold his own at the Grade 1 level, coming in third in both the Haskell Stakes and the Pennsylvania Derby, and finishing fourth in the Preakness Stakes.

Even with a solid resume, the colt is still marked as “possible” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Before Goal Oriented’s last race, the Pennsylvania Derby, Baffert mentioned, “He is getting better. He’s a big, beautiful horse. I think we will see it. He is going to have to improve. They are all improving.”

The trainer really seemed sure about how well his colt was doing. Ultimately, Goal Oriented ended up in third place, trailing behind Magnitude in second place and Baeza, who celebrated his first graded stakes win in his career. As the Classic race approaches, we’ll have to wait and see which horse lives up to Baffert’s hopes.