‘A Real Pro’: Rising Star Nysos Powers Unchallenged To Bob Hope Victory by Edited Press Release|11.19.202311.19.2023|9:02pm9:09pm Flavien Prat teams with Nyquist colt Nysos for victory in the Bob Hope (G3) Baoma Corp.'s Nysos followed up his romping debut victory a month ago at Santa Anita by romping once again in Sunday's $100,000 Bob Hope (G3) for 2-year-olds at Del Mar, getting home 8 3/4 lengths the best in the seven-furlong test. The Kentucky-bred Nyquist colt raced outside and under wraps through the first half mile, then took the lead turning for home and simply drew off through the lane. He finished the distance in a rapid 1:21.71 – just three-hundredths of a second off Havnameltdown's stakes record of 1:21.68 set last year – with jockey Flavien Prat never asking the bay for his best. Finishing second was Stronghold, who had 3 1/4 lengths on third-place finisher Tejon Pass. Mission Beach completed the order of finish. “With this being his second time out, you never know how they are going to react to it all, but he was a real pro,” Prat said of Nysos. “He broke well and relaxed well and showed rein on the lane. He kind of took a breather (early on), but I didn't want to get myself, you know, head and head with everybody else.” Nysos earned a first prize of $60,000, increasing his bankroll to $96,600. He paid $2.40 to his backers as a stout 1-5 favorite against three rivals. The winner is trained by Bob Baffert, who supplemented him to the race at a cost of $1,000. Baffert now has won the Bob Hope seven times in its 10 editions at Del Mar. “He's a real quiet colt,” Baffert said. “He was real quiet in the paddock, but Prat said once he got behind the gate he just turned it on. I took the blinkers off of him so he would relax. Last time he went out there (on the lead) and I didn't want to see that again. He handled it like a pro and did everything right. It's tough for a horse, after a big race to come back and do it again.” Bred by Susie Atkins, Nysos was produced by the unraced Bernardini mare Zetta Z. Charles and Susan Chu's Baoma Corp. purchased the colt in April for $550,000 at the OBS Spring Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where Best A Luck Farm consigned him.