FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance

There have now been 43 runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. For more than four decades, the race has showcased some dazzling 2-year-olds and crowned the division champion 34 times. But then, in the spring, when the Kentucky Derby rolls around on the first Saturday in May and precocious 2-year-olds turn into maturing 3-year-olds, the Juvenile winner is usually an afterthought.

Only two winners of the race (Street Sense in 2006 and Nyquist in 2015) have been able to win the Juvenile and then the Kentucky Derby.

It’s called the “Juvenile Jinx” and this year one of the best 2-year-olds, Grade 1-winning U. S. S. Valor, skipped the Breeders’ Cup to focus on winning the Kentucky Derby.

But interestingly, when Nyquist pulled off his double, the Juvenile was contested at Keeneland.

Why would that be interesting?

Because on Oct. 30 at Keeneland, Hughes added his name to the list of dazzling 2-year-olds and eventual champions who have starred in the Breeders’ Cup’s Future Stars Friday centerpiece stakes.

He was simply too good on a gorgeous day in Bluegrass country as he fended off early pace pressure, then motored away in the stretch to win the 1 1/16-mile, $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance convincingly by 2 1/4 lengths.

In doing so, not only did Hughes almost certainly wrap up an Eclipse Award with his fifth win in as many starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert — three of them in Grade 1 company — but the way he faced a tough challenge for the first time and swatted it away gave off loud signals that perhaps he might be that rare Thoroughbred who can be dominant at 2 and 3.

And maybe beyond.

“He’s a superior 2-year-old,” said Front Row Club’s Tom Ryan, the managing partner of the colt’s large ownership group. “This is the pinnacle of 2-year-old racing and he has never let us down.

“He’s a horse who can be equally good at 3. He’s a mentally tough horse with gears. He’s won five races, but he has relatively low mileage on him. This was the first time he was challenged. Now he’ll get plenty of time to get ready for next year. We’ll see what pathway Bob takes with him to get to the Derby, but I’d like to think he’s a horse who can win the Juvenile and the Derby.”

So far, no one in his crop has been able to check Hughes, who was primarily named for New Jersey Devils and United States Olympics gold-medal-winning hockey star Jack Hughes. In his four previous starts, Hughes proved best by a combined 24 1/2 lengths.

The margin was significantly smaller this time, but the competition was significantly tougher with Grade 1 winner American History, Grade 3-winning stablemate Salahudin, and Grade 1-placed Coach Pope in the field of six.

“At the quarter pole,” Baffert said after the son of Into Mischief battled with Damavand and Coach Pope through 6 furlongs in a quick 1:10.86, “I said ‘We’ll find out what’s inside of him.’ ”

The answer was poignantly delivered in a manner as smooth as Jack Hughes gliding over the ice. The four-legged Hughes and jockey Flavien Prat brushed off the early pressure and in the final furlong lengthened their lead from a length to 2 1/4 lengths over American History at the wire.

“It was a spectacular performance and I am so glad it happened at the Breeders’ Cup,” said Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Stables, part of “The Avengers” ownership group that also includes Front Row Club, Jack Wolf’s Starlight Racing, Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables (which includes New York Mets owner Steve Cohen), Bashor Racing, Albaugh Family Stables, Robert Masterson, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.

Hughes was a deserving 4-5 favorite ($3.64) on a chalky opening day at the Breeders’ Cup, with WinStar Farm, First Go Racing, and CHC’s American History the 7-2 second choice off a win four weeks earlier at Keeneland in the Breeders’ Futurity for trainer Todd Pletcher.