Nysos (Nyquist – Zetta Z, by Bernardini) added to his accomplished resume with an overpowering performance in the Gr. 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga Race Course to lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.

    With his victory in the Met Mile, the 5-year-old son of Nyquist earned a chance to defend his title in the Gr. 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland Race Course Oct. 31 through the "Win and You're In" Challenge Series.

    Nysos, owned by Charles and Susan Chu's Baoma Corp and the Coolmore partners of Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, has now won eight of his 10 races and has never been worse than second. He boosted his earnings to $5,288,500 with the $550,000 winner's share of the purse.

    “He’s good; a great horse," Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. "That was a tough bunch. I’m just so happy for the owners. They let me take my time with this horse and get him ready. I’m just happy that he ran his race. He’s one of the smartest horses I’ve ever trained. He’s really smart, quiet and cool.”

    Nysos was purchased for $550,000 out of the Best A Luck Farm consignment by Donato Lanni, Agent for Baoma Corp at the 2023 OBS April Sale after breezing in :9 4/5.

    At Saratoga, West Point Thoroughbreds’ Counting Stars (Honor A.P.- Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter) turned the tables on Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner with a 3 3/4-length score in Friday’s Gr. 1, $500,000 Acorn Stakes.

    Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Counting Stars previously captured the Gr. II Fantasy at Oaklawn Park in March. Casse said the filly will likely look to improve her credentials in the Gr. 1, $600,000 Alabama on Aug. 22 at Saratoga.

    Counting Stars was purchased by her owners at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $150,000 from the Wildheart Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    At Churchill Downs, Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado (Gun Runner- Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa) returned to his winning ways with a two-length triumph in the $489,665, Gr.III Matt Winn Stakes.

    Further Ado, trained by Brad Cox, clocked 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:41.26, which was the second-fastest Matt Winn, only behind his sire Gun Runner’s 1:41.12 in 2016. He previously captured the $1.25 million Blue Grass in April and bolstered his bankroll to $1,446,958. 

    Further Ado was purchased by Spendthrift at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $550,000 from the Six K’s Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :21 1/5. 

    At Saratoga, Mo Speed Racing’s West End Kid (Twirling Candy- To a Friend, by Scat Daddy) brought his win streak to three-in-a-row with a successful stakes debut in the Gr. III, $300,000 Pennine Ridge.

    Trained by Will Walden, the son of Twirling Candy was a $350,000 purchase by his owners at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the Navas Equine consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    The June 4 card at Saratoga also saw Spendthrift Farm’s Goodall (Yaupon-Moon Over Mag Bay, by Malibu Moon) earn a 2 3/4-length score in the $175,000 Jersey Girl on Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Goodall was purchased by Spendthrift for $525,000 at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Tom McCrocklin after breezing in :20 2/5.

    At Churchill Downs, Doncho (Mo Town – Sassy Redhead, by Henny Hughes) ran down defending race winner Joe Shiesty in deep stretch to win the $224,500 Mighty Beau Stakes (Listed) by three-quarters of a length in course-record time.

    Doncho, trained by Michelle Lovell, ran five furlongs on firm turf in a course and stakes record :55.01 to collect his third career stakes win for owner Jose A. Lopez’s JAL Racing. Consigned by GOP Racing Stable Corp. to the 2023 OBS June Sale, Doncho was purchased by his owners for $72,000 after breezing in :9 4/5. 

    At Gulfstream Park, JSM Equine’s Haute Diva (Constitution – Diva Style, by Unbridled’s Song) ran up to her potential with a last-to-first rally in the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes.

    Returning from a two-month freshening, the Patrick Biancone-trained daughter of Constitution prevailed by a half-length. Haute Diva was offered by Wavertree Stables at the 2025 OBS April Sale where she failed to meet her reserve after breezing in :10 flat.

    At Saratoga on, Michael Dubb’s Sculcos Folly (Redesdale- Cool Johanna, by Johannesburg) won his fourth straight race, and third in stakes company, with an authoritative 5 1/2-length romp in the $200,000 Mike Lee on New York Showcase Day.

    Sculcos Folly has won his last four outings by a combined 29 1/2 lengths. Trained by Rick Dutrow Jr., the son of Redesdale was a $70,000 purchase by Chad Schumer at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the Omar Ramirez Bloodstock consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    At Century Mile, Avana (Vino Rosso- Revealing Moment, by After Market) earned her 10th career stakes victory in the $50,000 RedTail Landing for owners Bryan and Carol Anne Anderson, Rick Orman, William Decoursey, Greg Palmer, and Denise Praill.

    Trained by Barbara Heads, the daughter of Vino Rosso was purchased by Mike Ryan, agent for $150,000 out of the consignment of Cary Frommer at the 2023 OBS March Sale after breezing in :1 2/5.

    HALLANDALE BEACH -Trainer David Fawkes will be otherwise occupied at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York Saturday, but the veteran trainer with a long list of stakes successes on his resume, both in South Florida and elsewhere, will be very well represented in the three stakes at Gulfstream Park.

    Fawkes will be on hand at The Spa to saddle multiple graded stakes-winner Reef Runner for a start in the Gr. I Jaipur, a 5 ½-furlong turf stakes on the undercard of the Belmont Stakes. He won’t be present at Gulfstream to watch Pure Class step up in class for the $125,000 Big Drama Handicap; Nickel C face nine other 3-year-olds in search of his first stakes score in the $125,000 Not Surprising; nor Nyfive try to win her third race in a row in the $125,000 Martha Washington.

    Reef Runner is regarded as one of the top contenders in the Jaipur, and Fawkes is confident his stablemates will be ready to offer the best performances of their respective careers at Gulfstream.

    Robert Mooney and Jeffrey Siskin’s Pure Class is coming off a dazzling 3 ½-length front-running score in a seven-furlong $35,000 claiming races in his first start since being claimed for $35,000. The son of The Big Beast was bred and formerly owned by Reef Runner’s connections, Alex and Joanne Lieblong, and trained by Fawkes before being claimed away for $62,500 last fall. When he surfaced in a $35,000 claiming race, Fawkes was quick to drop a slip to claim him back for his current owners.

    “I lost him for $62,500. He ran two or three times, and they dropped him in for $35,000 and I took him back. He got beat, but I ran him back three weeks later and he ran a 90 Beyer number. He ran huge. He ran a big number on the Thoro-Graf sheets,” Fawkes said. “We’re trying to see if we can get him there. The distance is right. He loves seven-eighths. That’s his distance. Edwin’s won four on him and he’s riding him again.”

    Edwin Gonzalez, who was aboard for the victorious homecoming May 10 in a seven-furlong $35,000 claiming race, has the return call on Pure Class, who will carry 118 pounds, six fewer than co-highweights Concrete Glory and Chrome Ghost.

    “We found a really good spot and he ran a really good race, obviously,” Fawkes said. “After that, he’s been doing so good, I thought, ‘well, if ever there’s a chance to win a little something with him, maybe this is the spot.’”

    Purse Class has been priced at 10-1 on the morning line in the field of seven assembled for the Race 10 feature. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained stakes veteran Concrete Glory has been tabbed ast 5-2 in the morning line with Fausto Gutierrez-trained Rolando rated second at 3-1.

    A victory at Gulfstream Saturday would be especially satisfying for Fawkes, who trained Big Drama during a career (2008-2011) that included a victory in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs, followed by an Eclipse Award as North America’s champion sprinter.