A parade of short-priced winners opened the Breeders’ Cup on Friday, with the afternoon’s heaviest favorite capturing the headline race as Hughes won the $2 million Juvenile.
Hughes, named for New Jersey Devils forward and U.S. Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes, held off American History and Salahudin in the 1 1/16-mile race at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky., to remain undefeated in five starts and clinch the 2-year-old championship.
The son of Into Mischief, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Bob Baffert, went off at odds of 4-5 and returned $3.64 after covering the distance in 1 minute 42.27 seconds.
The winner of the Juvenile normally is anointed the early favorite for next spring’s Kentucky Derby, but Hughes will have to vie for that label with U.S.S. Valor, who skipped the Juvenile after a very impressive win in the Champagne Stakes last month at Belmont Park.
Friday’s win was the third in a Grade 1 race for Hughes, following victories in the American Pharoah at Santa Anita and the Del Mar Futurity.
Baffert also had the favorite in the Juvenile Fillies, but Miss Monica was runner-up behind second choice Emphatic ($7.92). The other losing favorite was Folsom Blues, who was second in the Juvenile Turf behind third choice Haffner ($9.46).
The other races were won by favorites — Libertango ($5.74) in the Turf Sprint and Sun Goddess ($3.70) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Ryan Moore rode Sun Goddess and Haffner for trainer Aidan O’Brien, who broke a tie with Baffert for most Breeders’ Cup wins (23-22).
There are nine more races Saturday beginning at 10:10 a.m. PDT. The final race, the $7 million Classic, is scheduled for 3:16 p.m.
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