Nysos, the early Preakness 2024 favorite, has been taken out of training. Bob Baffert’s Nyquist colt is expected to be out of action for at least four weeks, and this setback puts his Preakness participation in serious doubt.
His last published workout was Feb. 25. He was entered in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park on March 3. He scratched out of that race and Bob Bafffert stated that he needed more time between starts. Now he has had an undisclosed minor setback.
Nysos won all three starts in impressive fashion. He romped by 10 1/2 lengths in his sprint bow last fall, and cruised by 8 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes second time out. He stretched out and captured the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes by 7 1/2 lengths on Feb. 3.
In other Preakness news, Chad Brown hopes that his $1 million purchase Top Conor can make the Preakness. The Twirling Candy colt stalked and scored in his flat mile debut at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 17. He has breezed twice since that effort and will jump into the deep end in the Florida Derby (March 30) or Wood Memorial (April 6).
Chad Brown also trains current Kentucky Derby 2024 favorite Sierra Leone, recent Tampa Bay Derby (G3) hero Domestic Product, and impressive maiden winner Tuscan Gold. The latter will make his stakes debut in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 23.
