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Hughes Wins Breeders Cup Juvenile at Keeneland and Gives Baffert a Record Seventh Win

The 2-year-old son of Into Mischief, ridden by Flavien Prat, won the $2 million Grade 1 race by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:42.27 on Friday, stayed unbeaten in five starts, and became the early favorite for the 2027 Kentucky Derby.

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Hughes Wins Breeders Cup Juvenile at Keeneland and Gives Baffert a Record Seventh Win

Key points

  • Hughes lived up to his billing at Keeneland on Friday, winning the $2 million Breeders Cup Juvenile by 2 1/4 lengths and giving trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh win in the race.
  • Hughes went off as the 4-5 favorite and paid $3.64 on a $2 win wager.
  • "The one that wins now is special.

Hughes lived up to his billing at Keeneland on Friday, winning the $2 million Breeders Cup Juvenile by 2 1/4 lengths and giving trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh win in the race. The 2-year-old son of Into Mischief, ridden by Flavien Prat, covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:42.27 in Lexington, Kentucky, on October 30, 2026, according to BloodHorse.

Hughes went off as the 4-5 favorite and paid $3.64 on a $2 win wager. The win kept him undefeated in five career starts, with three Grade 1 wins, the Louisville Courier Journal reported. No trainer had won the Juvenile seven times before Baffert reached that mark on Friday.

The favorite delivers

"The one that wins now is special. We felt pretty good about him," Baffert said, in remarks reported by BloodHorse.

Tom Ryan, managing partner of the ownership group, gave the same verdict from the owners' side. "He's a superior 2-year-old. This is the pinnacle of 2-year-old racing and he has never let us down," Ryan said, via BloodHorse.

American History finished second, a head in front of the Baffert-trained Salahudin in third, and Coach Pope finished fourth, the Paulick Report reported.

On the road to the Derby

Hughes was bought for $675,000 at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He earned $1.04 million for the Juvenile win and now has career earnings of $1,520,000. He also picked up 40 Road to the Kentucky Derby points and is the early favorite for the 2027 Kentucky Derby, BloodHorse and the Louisville Courier Journal reported.

The colt is named in part for United States Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes, who scored the game winning goal when Team USA beat Canada in the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Paulick Report reported.

Future Stars Friday wrap

Friday at Keeneland was Future Stars Friday, the opening day of the Breeders Cup for 2-year-olds. In the other races, Sun Goddess won the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf by three lengths. Haffner, a son of Justify ridden by Ryan Moore, won the Juvenile Turf over Folsom Blues and Avec Toi, giving trainer Aidan O'Brien his fifth straight win and his ninth overall win in that race, AFP reported.

Emphatic won the $2 million Juvenile Fillies and gave Irish trainer Brendan Walsh a first Breeders Cup victory in his 14th attempt. Libertango won the Juvenile Turf Sprint by 1 1/4 lengths, AFP reported.

O'Brien spoke about Sun Goddess after her race. "She's a special filly. She's better ridden back and coming at horses, because when she gets to the front she doesn't do much. But today she was just totally dominant, wasn't she?" he said, via AFP.

The trainer standings moved with the day. O'Brien and Baffert arrived at Keeneland with 21 Breeders Cup wins apiece. O'Brien's two wins on Friday took his tally to 23, one more than Baffert at 22 after the Hughes win, for the most Breeders Cup victories by a trainer, AFP reported.

The 14 race, $34 million Breeders Cup opened Friday with five races for 2-year-olds. It concludes on Saturday, October 31, at Keeneland with nine races capped by the $7 million Classic.

Timeline

  1. Oct 30, 2026Hughes wins the $2 million Breeders Cup Juvenile at Keeneland by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:42.27, ridden by Flavien Prat. The win gives trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh win in the race and keeps Hughes undefeated in five starts.
  2. Oct 30, 2026Sun Goddess, Haffner, Emphatic and Libertango win the other Future Stars Friday races at Keeneland. Aidan O'Brien reaches 23 Breeders Cup wins, one more than Baffert at 22.
  3. Oct 31, 2026The Breeders Cup concludes on Saturday at Keeneland with nine races capped by the $7 million Classic.

Sources