Hughes Dominates Keeneland Field to Cement Derby Status

Hughes won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on Friday.

The colt finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of American History in a race that paid $2 million in purses. He covered the 1 1/6 mile distance in 1:42.27. His final odds were 3.64 to 1. American History, trained by Todd Pletcher, finished second by a head with odds of 3.30 to 1. Salahudin took third place with odds of 2.72 to 1.

Flavien Prat rode Hughes, who is trained by Bob Baffert. The horse is named after Jack Hughes, the hockey player who scored the gold medal winning goal for the United States in Milan-Cortina last winter. Baffert described the colt as a superior two-year-old. He noted that the team brought the horse up slowly and that the conditions allowed him to perform at his best.

Hughes entered the race as the even-money favorite. He faced seven other opponents, including three undefeated two-year-olds. Coach Pope challenged Hughes early in the race. Prat surged past Pope through the far turn. Hughes then widened the gap to secure the victory. This win was tighter than his previous four victories, which all came by margins of at least six lengths. The race took place under a clear late afternoon sky.

Jose Ortiz, who rode Golden Tempo to win last year's Kentucky Derby, was questionable to ride due to a spill in a fifth-race incident involving Brian Hernandez Jr. Ortiz cleared the injury and rode in the Juvenile. He told USA Network that he used an exercise bike during the afternoon to recover. The Juvenile was the headliner for a slate of five million-dollar Grade 1 stakes races featuring top two-year-olds.

Other winners included Emphatic, who won the $2 million Juvenile Fillies. Trainer Brandan Walsh earned his first Breeders' Cup victory. Sun Goddess won the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf by three lengths. Ryan Moore piloted Haffner to a 1 3/4 length win in the $1 million Juvenile Turf. This victory gave trainer Aiden O'Brien a temporary record of 22 Breeders' Cup wins, surpassing Baffert's previous total of 21. Libertango won the $1 million Turf Sprint by 1 1/4 lengths.

Harper's Corner was disqualified from third place in the Turf Sprint. The objection moved Mussab from fourth to third. This series of races marked the first day of the season-ending World Championships. Hughes' performance sets a high standard for his upcoming preparations for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs next May.