Nysos outduels Nevada Beach to start Bob Baffert’s 3-win day at Santa Anita

ARCADIA — The big crowd on opening day at Santa Anita pleased Bob Baffert, and the trainer returned the favor when two of his stars waged a thrilling stretch battle before Nysos edged past Nevada Beach to win the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes. “Everybody got a good scream out of it, right?” Baffert said in the winner’s circle. Most bettors were happy to see Nysos and jockey Flavien Prat prevail – by a head – in the $200,000, Grade II Pincay and pay $2.40 as the heaviest favorite in any of the six graded stakes races Sunday. Nysos, the most accomplished best horse running on the rain-delayed season-opening card, was the first of Baffert’s three stakes winners. Goal Oriented and jockey Joel Rosario...