Trainer Bob Baffert reported on Monday morning that his three horses—Nysos, Goal Oriented, and Usha—who each won graded stakes on Sunday’s opening day, are all in good condition. Nysos edged out stablemate Nevada Beach by a head in the Grade 2 Laffite Pinkay Jr. race, boosting his record to 8-7 and earnings of over $1.2 million, while earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 101. Baffert mentioned that both Nysos and Nevada Beach might compete in the Saudi Cup in Riyadh on February 14, although no final decisions have been made yet. He emphasized that while all horses are healthy, no future plans are set at this time.
Goal Oriented came from behind in the Grade 1 Malibu to win by one length over fellow Baffert-trained Midland Money, achieving a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 108. This marked the first stakes victory for the 3-year-old colt by Not This Time. Throughout 2025, Goal Oriented has consistently performed well in major races, finishing third in the Haskell Derby and Pennsylvania Derby, fourth in the Preakness, and sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Following this win, his record is now 7:3-0-2, with earnings of $624,460.
In the same Malibu event, Baffert withdrew horses Barnes and Cornucopian. Cornucopian became agitated and injured by falling in his stall before the race, though Baffert reassured that the horse is okay, with no further updates on Barnes.
Usha captured the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with a commanding 5 1/4 length victory over seven furlongs, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 99. This is the first stakes win for a daughter of Tiz the Law. After failing to win in four races as a 2-year-old, Usha has shown remarkable progress since returning from a nine-month break in July, winning three out of four races by narrow margins.
Fan Take: This trio of impressive graded stakes winners highlights Bob Baffert’s continued excellence in training top-level horses, underscoring the competitive depth in American horse racing. Their performances not only excite fans but also hint at thrilling matchups ahead, potentially raising the sport’s profile internationally, especially with talks of races like the Saudi Cup on the horizon.
