Nysos Dominates the Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Nysos delivered a powerful performance to win Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap, securing a four-length victory. Despite initial concerns from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert when jockey Flavien Prat dropped Nysos from first to fourth place down the backstretch on a speed-favoring track, the strategy proved successful.
Nysos, the favorite returning $4.94, broke from the rail out of the Wilson Chute. Prat intentionally gunned him to the lead, crossing the first quarter in 23.52 seconds. By the half-mile mark, which went in 45.61, Nysos was confronted by Saudi Crown, Antiquarian, and Knightsbridge. Carrying a topweight of 126 pounds and coming off a layoff since February, Prat opted to move Nysos behind other horses to maintain his rhythm. In the upper stretch, Prat swung Nysos wide, powering past Antiquarian and Knightsbridge to win.
Nysos completed the mile in 1:34.85, finishing just .13 seconds off the 1992 track record of 1:34.72 set by Key Contender.
The finishing order saw Knightsbridge take second place, beating Journalism by three-quarters of a length. Antiquarian finished fourth, followed by Saudi Crown and Rated by Merit. Journalism, the previous year’s Preakness winner, rallied from sixth to finish third. Vibe was pulled up by jockey Luis Saez and vanned off, though trainer Todd Pletcher indicated the horse was okay.
A son of Nyquist owned by Baoma Corp. and the Coolmore connections (Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith), Nysos has now won eight of 10 career starts. His record includes the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and several Grade 2 and Grade 3 stakes, with total earnings exceeding $5.2 million. His previous start was a second-place finish to Forever Young in the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 14.
Bob Baffert, who has now won the Met Mile three times overall and twice in the last three years, believes Nysos is one of the best older horses in training. Baffert plans to target the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on October 31 and believes Nysos can be effective at 1 1/4 miles. He may also enter the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on August 22.
The Metropolitan Handicap serves as a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Regarding the other finishers, jockey Junior Alvarado noted that Knightsbridge was more aggressive than usual, leading to a premature move. Jockey Jose Ortiz suggested that the mile distance was likely too short for Journalism.
