The spotlight of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is firmly fixed on Bob Baffert’s barn and his formidable colt, Nysos. The four-year-old son of Nyquist, owned by Charles and Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp, has assembled a formidable race record, making him one of the top contenders for the $1 million prize. After a 15-month layoff, Nysos announced his return to top form with a blistering effort in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes on Kentucky Derby day, missing victory by just a neck to the highly-touted Mindframe. He followed that performance with a dominant 5 1/2-length romp in the Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita.

Most impressively, he demonstrated his versatility by successfully stretching out to a route distance, rating behind the speed and powering away to a 2 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, the very track that will host the Breeders’ Cup. The excitement surrounding his Breeders’ Cup prospects intensified during a recent workout at Santa Anita Park, where Nysos turned heads.

As reported by photographer J McLaughlin Safford on X, the colt was in exceptional form, stating, “Nysos looking amazing this morning 3/4 in 1:11.00 with Juan Ochoa in the irons for HoF trainer Bob Baffert.” Just days earlier, on October 12, Baffert had expressed his satisfaction after Nysos completed the same distance in 1:11.20, simply stating, “Very happy with the work.”

This series of sharp, timed exercises signals that Nysos is physically primed for his date at Del Mar, a positive sign after a minor hind foot issue caused him to be scratched from the Pacific Classic in late August. The meticulous training under Bob Baffert has him in top form, and the team is expressing quiet confidence.

As the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile approaches, all signs point to a prime-time performance from a colt who has done everything right in the final stages of his preparation, leaving Baffert and his team with a justifiable sense of optimism as they head to Del Mar. However, the trainer recently had to face a harsh reality check: one of his major horses will be sitting out of another contest.

Bob Baffert’s chances went down at one race

It looks like the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is gearing up for a possible rematch between Bob Baffert’s two standout horses, Brant and Desert Gate. They last raced together in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on September 7, 2025. Brant took the win in the race, leading from the front, while Desert Gate managed to snag second place after bouncing back from a stumble right at the beginning. But fate had other ideas in store.

“He got an infection on his hock and we had to treat it with antibotics. I wouldn’t be able to work him (on Sunday). He is going to be OK, but he is not going to run,” Baffert said, confirming the colt’s status for the race. So, it’s official—Desert Gate won’t be in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. That’s a real disappointment for fans who were looking forward to that exciting rematch with Brant.

The son of Omaha Beach kicked off his graded career in August with a win at the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes. Baffert also mentioned that the up-and-coming horse racing star was “built for speed.” Though he’s out of the picture, the Baffert still has Brant and Litmus Test still in the mix. We’ll just have to wait and see if he can pull off his Del Mar magic again.