Meet Bob Baffert’s two undefeated hopefuls for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
With two undefeated colts in the race, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert might be considered a lock to add to his record six Breeders’ Cup Juvenile wins Oct. 30 at Keeneland.
But this isn’t the brash Baffert who won his first Breeders’ Cup race in 1992 with Thirty Slews. Now 73, Baffert knows there’s no such thing as a sure thing.
“I don’t know how good they are because they have been winning so easy,” Baffert said of his Juvenile contenders, Hughes and Salahudin. “They are getting better with every out, but they have never been battle-tested. This will be the first time.”
Hughes and Salahudin are among seven 2-year-old colts expected to compete in the $2 million Juvenile, the showcase event of five Breeders’ Cup races set for Friday. Eight colts were entered for the Juvenile during Monday’s draw, but trainer Chad Brown said Wednesday that Gaudreau will scratch because of a fever.
Justified or not, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner annually becomes a top horse to consider for the next year’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Baffert called this year’s crop of 2-year-old colts “really strong.”
“The cream rises to the top in this business,” Baffert said. “We’ve brought the cream.”
Hughes, a son of Into Mischief, is the 1-1 favorite in the morning line thanks to his undefeated record in four starts. That includes back-to-back Grade 1 victories in the Del Mar Futurity and American Pharoah.
Hughes is named after Jack Hughes, the star of the United States’ gold medal-winning hockey team in the 2026 Winter Olympics. It’s also a tribute to Pat Hughes, who’s the father-in-law of Tom Ryan, a co-owner of the horse.
“I don’t know how good he is, but his athleticism, he just runs over the top of the ground,” Baffert said. “He’s quick. He’ll stay out of trouble.”
Salahudin, a son of Uncle Mo, is 3 for 3 with victories in the Ellis Park Juvenile and Grade 3 Iroquois.
Baffert said the biggest knock on Salahudin is that he’s slow out of the gate.
“He’s a big, sort of lumbering kind of horse,” Baffert said. “It takes him a few jumps to get his legs under him. Once he does, then he’ll just take the rider. He’ll love the distance. … For the Kentucky Derby, a mile and a quarter, that’s the kind of horse you want.”
Other top Juvenile contenders are American History and Coach Pope, who were the 1-2 finishers in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 3 at Keeneland.
American History, a son of Constitution, is 2 for 2.
“He’s just been such a complete professional about everything he’s done,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s got a terrific disposition, great mind, caught on to everything that we ask him to do along the way.”
Coach Pope, a son of Tapit, is named after University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope. Kenny McPeek is the trainer.
Street Sense (2006-07) and Nyquist (2015-16) are the only Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winners to go on to win the Kentucky Derby the following year.
Baffert has captured the Juvenile six times, but only two of those winners even made it to the Kentucky Derby — Game Winner (fifth in 2019) and Citizen Bull (15th in 2025).
Of the six horses in last year’s Juvenile, only two made it to this year’s Kentucky Derby: Intrepido and Litmus Test.
“They’re 2-year-olds,” Baffert said. “They’re getting better with every out, but you don’t know what to expect.”
Jason Frakes: (502) 582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
More Breeders’ Cup: Meet 12 top horses to watch this weekend at Keeneland
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Conditions: 1 1/16 miles on dirt for 2-year-olds. Purse: $2 million. Grade: 1. Post time: 4:55 p.m. Friday.
Post position, horse, trainer, jockey, morning-line odds
1. Damavand, Todd Pletcher, Luis Saez, 20-1
2. Gaudreau, Chad Brown, Manny Franco, SCRATCHED
3. Salahudin, Bob Baffert, Tyler Gaffalione, 6-1
4. Earth Song, Jorge Delgado, Junior Alvarado, 20-1
5. Hughes, Bob Baffert, Flavien Prat, 1-1
6. American History, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 9-2
7. Coach Pope, Kenny McPeek, Jose Ortiz, 4-1
8. He Is No Lie, Doug O’Neill, Joel Rosario, 15-1
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Meet Bob Baffert’s two undefeated hopefuls for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
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