The Saudi Cup is on the agenda for Breeders’ Cup winner Nysos, who has climbed into the world top ten after taking his career record to seven wins from eight starts in a fierce stretch duel at Santa Anita on Sunday [Dec 28].
Having landed the BC Dirt Mile in a thrilling finish with Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Citizen Bull, the four-year-old faced more ‘friendly fire’ in the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (formerly known as the San Antonio).
Sent off a 1-5 favorite, Nysos had to pull out all the stops to get the better of fellow Baffert trainee Nevada Beach in the G2 event.
Just like the Breeders’ Cup, the winning margin was a head – and this time it was enough for Nysos to move up to #10 (from #13, +38pt) onThoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings.
Both Nysos and Nevada Beach (#63 from #113, +83pt) are now in line for a trip to the Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race in Riyadh on February 14.
“That was a good prep for both and for something bigger,” said Baffert, speaking to the Daily Racing Form.
“Nevada Beach is a tough customer, and Nevada Beach usually gets it done,” Baffert went on. “Nysos gets it done. They’re two nice horses and they showed up. That’s all you can ask for as a trainer.”
Although Nysos’s three-year-old campaign last year was derailed through injury, the son of Nyquist now boasts a near-impeccable career record. Indeed, even his sole defeat came only after a 15-month layoff in G1 company at Churchill Downs – over an inadequate trip.
Baffert (#3 from #4, +58pt), for his part, was in prime form with a high-profile treble on Santa Anita’s opening day card, postponed for two days owing to adverse weather in southern California.
After also claiming a pair of G1 successes with three-year-olds Goal Oriented and Usha (in the Malibu and La Brea respectively), Baffert moves back into the world’s top three to regain his status as America’s highest-ranked trainer from #4 Chad Brown.
Goal Oriented looks a likely type for the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on January 24, though Baffert would seem to have an embarrassment of riches in that regard.
However, they will not include the $3.2m yearling Barnes, who was scratched from the Malibu owing to a tendon strain and has been retired to Hill ’n’ Dale.
Museum Mile big in Japan
In Japan, Classic winner Museum Mile (#22 from #84, +219pt) ends the year as his nation’s highest-ranked three-year-old after swooping late to beat his elders in the Arima Kinen.
The season-ending grand prix at Nakayama attracted the usual star-studded field featuring a phalanx of G1 winners, with Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) winner Museum Mile sent off third favourite behind defending champ Regaleira and Danon Decile in front of a crowd of 56,409.
Having been beaten into second in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) by subsequent Japan Cup runner-up Masquerade Ball, Museum Mile swung wide at the home turn before unleashing a powerful late charge under Cristian Demuro (#50 from #53, +16pt).
With total prize-money of ¥1.090bn (about $7m/£5.2m), the Arima Kinen is Japan’s joint-richest race alongside the Japan Cup; this makes it the fourth-richest race in the world.
Museum Mile won by a half-length over rank outsider Cosmo Kuranda, with Danon Decile a neck further away in third.
“I’m really happy to win the race on the last day of racing of this year,” said Demuro, who had been touched off by Regaleira in last year’s running on Shahryar.
“It was a revenge from last year,” added the jockey. “Last year, Regaleira cut my dream and this year, I brought it back. I just followed Danon Decile all the way – he opened the way for us in the last stretch – and when we came outside, I knew we could beat him. The horse likes the Nakayama track, so it was a big advantage for us.”
As 2025 moves into 2026, the world rankings are led by Hong Kong’s superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising, who now has a total of 34 weeks at the summit after reclaiming top spot from Japan Cup hero Calandagan.
The Ballydoyle team of Aidan O’Brien (272 weeks in total at #1) and Ryan Moore (327 weeks) still leead among trainers and jockeys, though Godolphin holds sway among owners.
However, keep an eye on the overall sires’ listings, where Frankel’s long-held #1 status is in serious jeopardy from top US dirt sire Into Mischief, the sire of Sovereignty and star juvenile Ted Noffey.
• View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires
‘In a league of his own’ – imperious Ka Ying Rising reclaims #1 spot on world rankings
Japan Cup hero Calandagan on top of the world as he claims #1 spot on global rankings
• Unlike traditional methods of racehorse rankings, TRC Global Rankings are a measure of an individual’s level of achievement over a rolling three-year period, providing a principled hierarchy of the leading horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and sires using statistical learning techniques. Racehorse rankings can be compared to similar exercises in other sports, like the golf’s world rankings or the ATP rankings in tennis.
They are formulated from the last three years of races we consider Group or Graded class all over the world and update automatically each week according to the quality of a horse’s performances and their recency, taking into account how races work out.