Plenty of 2-year-olds look brilliant in sprints. Far fewer keep winning once the races get longer. Hughes, Bob Baffert’s bay colt by Into Mischief, has done both: four starts, four wins, including a Grade 1 route race.
He is the West Coast’s top 2-year-old, and he sits on 10 qualifying points for the 2027 Kentucky Derby. Next stop is the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on October 30.
Who is Hughes?
Hughes was foaled February 23, 2024, and bred in Kentucky by Breffni Farm. He sold for $675,000 at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, consigned by Blandford Stud. Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni bought him for a large ownership group. He’s named after hockey star Jack Hughes.
Putting him with Baffert gave the group the best shot at an early return, since few trainers have a better record with juveniles in Southern California.
The pedigree: speed up top, stamina underneath
Sire: Into Mischief. For years, critics doubted his runners could handle 1¼ miles, since the average winning distance of his offspring hovers around 6.9 furlongs. Results since 2020 say otherwise. Into Mischief has sired three Kentucky Derby winners in that span: Authentic (2020), Mandaloun (2021), and Sovereignty (2025). When he’s bred to mares with real stamina, his runners keep their speed and stretch out. Hughes is the 101st graded stakes winner for his sire.
Dam: K P Dreamin. She’s by Union Rags, the 2012 Belmont Stakes winner, who has done well as a broodmare sire by adding size and staying power. K P Dreamin was a multiple Grade 1-placed juvenile in 2019, finishing third in both the Chandelier and the Starlet in California.
Further back. The second dam, Litigating, is by Point Given, the 2001 Horse of the Year who won the Preakness and Belmont. The third dam, Mediation, is by European turf champion Caerleon, which adds more stamina.
Hughes’ four races
Debut, Los Alamitos, June 21. Sent off at 3-5 in a five-furlong maiden race, Hughes dueled with High Pronto early, put him away at the top of the stretch, and won by six lengths under Joel Rosario. The effort earned him a Thoroughbred Daily News Rising Star nod and Hot Prospect status on the BloodHorse Maiden Watch.
Best Pal Stakes (G3), Del Mar, August 8. Facing Kennyten, a debut winner with a 92 Beyer, Hughes broke sharply from post three and pressed a moderate pace. When Juan Hernandez asked him on the far turn, he quickly pulled away. His final furlong took 11.74 seconds, and he won by 7¾ lengths over Phone Booth. It was Baffert’s fifth straight win in the race and his 12th overall.
Del Mar Futurity (G1), September 6. At 1-5 over seven furlongs, Hernandez took a slight hold of the colt, so Hughes tracked High Pronto two wide instead of making the lead. He moved up on the outside, drew clear in the stretch, and won by 4¾ lengths. It was Baffert’s 20th win in the Del Mar Futurity, dating back to Silver Charm in 1996.
American Pharoah Stakes (G1), Santa Anita, October 3. This was the real test, at 1 1/16 miles against stablemates Imperial Honor, Emancipate, and Domus. Hughes broke a step slow, then settled third behind horses, taking kickback without any fuss. On the far turn he rolled up on the outside and took the lead, then won by six lengths over Net Par in 1:43.22. Imperial Honor was another 3½ lengths back, nine and a half lengths behind the winner. His final sixteenth took about 6.64 seconds with little urging, a sign he finished the race with plenty left.
The win was also a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In race, so he has a fees-paid spot in the Juvenile, and it earned him 10 Derby points.
Speed figures: what they say about Hughes
| Race | Equibase | Beyer |
|---|---|---|
| Debut (5f) | 93 | 81 |
| Best Pal (6f) | 101 | 84 |
| Del Mar Futurity (7f) | 96 | n/a |
| American Pharoah (1 1/16m) | 105 | n/a |
The trend is up, with a slight dip in the Futurity. His Equibase 105 in his first two-turn race is the standout. His sprint Beyers aren’t as flashy as U.S.S. Valor’s 105, but Hughes keeps improving as the distance goes up, which is what you want from a Derby prospect.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile: who’s in his way?
The field at Keeneland will bring in the best of the East Coast, and the race will shape the early Derby futures market. The main threats:
- U.S.S. Valor (Shug McGaughey): the 105 Beyer maiden winner by 13¼ lengths, who then won the Champagne Stakes. (Note: his connections have since skipped the Juvenile. See our breakdown of why – link to your U.S.S. Valor post.)
- American History (Todd Pletcher): the Constitution colt who rallied to win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.
- Coach Pope (Tapit): Beyers in the high 80s and a strong second in the Breeders’ Futurity.
One more name to remember is Inshallah, a $2.1 million Flightline colt trained by John Sadler. He ran a 90 Beyer in a 5½-furlong debut and was pointed toward the American Pharoah, but didn’t draw into the field. That cleared the way for Hughes as California’s top juvenile. If Inshallah shows up on the Derby trail in 2027, expect a California showdown.
The takeaway
Hughes has gone from a front-running sprinter to a colt who can sit off the pace, take dirt, and finish strongly at 1 1/16 miles. He’s undefeated, bred to stretch out, and trained by the man with more Derby experience than anyone. The next big question is whether he can carry that record into Keeneland.
FAQ
Who is Hughes?
A bay colt by Into Mischief, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, with four wins from four starts in 2026.
Is Hughes running in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile?
Yes. He earned a fees-paid spot by winning the American Pharoah Stakes. The race is October 30, 2026, at Keeneland.
How many Kentucky Derby points does Hughes have?
10, from his American Pharoah Stakes win.
Who are Hughes’ parents?
Into Mischief (sire) and K P Dreamin, by Union Rags (dam).
What does Hughes’ name mean?
He’s named after NHL player Jack Hughes.
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