Hughes drew post 5 and is the 1-1 morning-line favorite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile 2026, Race 9 at Keeneland on Friday, Oct. 30 (4:55 PM ET). The unbeaten Bob Baffert trainee is 4-for-4, including two Grade 1 wins, and comes in off a six-length American Pharoah Stakes score at Santa Anita. The race is part of Future Stars Friday at Breeders' Cup 2026.
Updated: Wed., Oct. 28 — post position and morning line from Monday's draw; Gaudreau (#2) scratched.
The fastest horse in the field on figures. The question is the short price, not the horse.
| Hughes at a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Jockey / Trainer | Flavien Prat / Bob Baffert |
| Owner | Front Row Club, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables and partners |
| Pedigree | Into Mischief – KP Dreamin, by Union Rags |
| Earnings | $480,000 |
| Last Race | 1st American Pharoah Stakes (G1), Santa Anita, Oct. 3 |
| Last Workout | 4f in :47.20, Churchill Downs, Oct. 25 |
| How Qualified | Won the American Pharoah Stakes (G1), a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race |
| Race | 1 1/16 miles, dirt, $2 million |
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| 2026 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Field (7) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML |
| 1 | Damavand | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher | 20-1 |
| 2 | Gaudreau (SCR) | Manuel Franco | Chad Brown | SCR |
| 3 | Salahudin | Tyler Gaffalione | Bob Baffert | 6-1 |
| 4 | Earth Song | Junior Alvarado | Jorge Delgado | 20-1 |
| 5 | Hughes | Flavien Prat | Bob Baffert | 1-1 |
| 6 | American History | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 9-2 |
| 7 | Coach Pope | Jose Ortiz | Kenny McPeek | 4-1 |
| 8 | He Is No Lie | Joel Rosario | Doug O'Neill | 15-1 |
Post position draw held Monday, Oct. 26 at Keeneland. SCR = scratched. Race details: Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Live prices: Breeders' Cup odds.
Two need the lead from outside him, and the favorite doesn't need it at all:
| Hughes: Last 3 Starts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Race | Track / Dist | Finish | Odds |
| 10/03/26 | American Pharoah (G1) | Santa Anita 1 1/16m | 1st by 6 | 4-5 |
| 09/06/26 | Del Mar Futurity (G1) | Del Mar 7f | 1st by 4 3/4 | 1-5 |
| 08/08/26 | Best Pal (G3) | Del Mar | 1st by 7 3/4 | 3-5 |
Source: published race results. — = not available.
| Last-Race Brisnet Figures in the Juvenile Field | ||
|---|---|---|
| Horse | Last Race | Brisnet |
| Hughes | 1st, American Pharoah (G1) | 108 |
| Salahudin | 1st, Iroquois (G3) | 96 |
| He Is No Lie | 2nd, Iroquois (G3) | 95 |
| Earth Song | 4th, Champagne (G1) | 94 |
| American History | 1st, Breeders' Futurity (G1) | 93 |
| Coach Pope | 2nd, Breeders' Futurity (G1) | 92 |
| Damavand | 1st, Maiden, Keeneland | 87 |
Brisnet Speed Rating from each horse's last start, per Horse Racing Nation.
About a 40% chance to win (fair odds 3-2). American History is the main threat.
The best horse in the race, but even money is a short price for a juvenile shipping east for the first time. Use him on top in exactas instead of a big straight win bet.
| How to Bet Hughes (#5) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet | Ticket | Cost | Example return |
| Win | #5 | $10 | $20 at 1-1 |
| Win | #5 | $50 | $100 at 1-1 |
| Exacta | 5 over 6, 7 | $4 ($2 each) | About $11 (American History 2nd) or $10 (Coach Pope 2nd) |
| Trifecta | 5 with 6, 7 with 1, 3, 6, 7 | $6 ($1 each) | Pays more if a longshot runs third |
Examples only, based on the 1-1 morning line. Win returns include your stake. Exacta figures are estimates (winner's odds × (second horse's odds + 1) × $2); actual payouts are set by the betting pools at post time.
More: Breeders' Cup betting guide · contenders · schedule.
Hughes drew post 5 for the 2026 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Gaudreau (#2) scratched, leaving a field of seven.
Hughes is the 1-1 morning-line favorite. Live prices: our Breeders' Cup odds page.
Flavien Prat rides for trainer Bob Baffert.
No. All four of his starts came in California, at Del Mar and Santa Anita.
Race 9 at Keeneland on Friday, Oct. 30, with post time at 4:55 PM ET.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
