Hughes impresses on stretch-out in American Pharoah

Both of Saturday’s graded dirt routes for two-year-olds at Santa Anita produced dominant winners, but one came as a massive surprise.

While Bob Baffert’s 3-10 favorite Hughes easily handled the stretch-out to two turns in the $300,500 American Pharoah (G1), the 14.50-1 maiden Domain Expansion stunned the $200,500 Oak Leaf (G2) in a turf-to-dirt gambit for Leonard Powell.

Each race has implications for Breeders’ Cup Future Stars Friday on Oct. 30 at Keeneland and for Churchill Downs next spring. The American Pharoah and Oak Leaf serve as “Win and You’re In” events for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), respectively. They are also qualifiers on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, offering points on the 10-5-3-2-1 scale to the top five finishers. 

American Pharoah (G1)

Unbeaten Hughes romped in his first three starts at incrementally increasing distances – a five-furlong maiden at Los Alamitos, the six-furlong Best Pal (G3) at Del Mar, and the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G1). The $675,000 son of Into Mischief figured to have no problem with 1 1/16 miles in the American Pharoah, but Baffert wanted him to employ a less aggressive running style over a route. 

“Bob told me that he cut the blinkers so there was a little less blinker,” regular rider Juan Hernandez said, “and to just get him to relax, and you can do whatever you want with him. He was right. He told me just to ride with confidence.”

Hughes instills confidence, helping Hernandez to follow the game plan and teach him with an eye toward the future. The heavy favorite eased back into a ground-saving third and observed longshots Net Par and Domus go forward. 

After Net Par set fractions of :23.37 and :46.86, prompted by Domus, Hughes began to advance on the outside. The bay moved into second, just a half-length off Net Par, passing six furlongs in 1:11.22, and asserted his superiority straightening into the stretch. 

Hughes still had a six-length margin at the wire, despite being geared down late, in 1:43.22. His time was more than a second faster than Domain Expansion’s in the Oak Leaf.

The Antonio Garcia-trained Net Par, one of only two entrants not from the Baffert barn, was all alone as the runner-up. Another 9 1/2 lengths adrift in third came Imperial Honor, followed by Domus, Emancipate, and Doug O’Neill’s Dang Son, who was eased but walked off.

Hughes gave Baffert his 14th win in the American Pharoah. Historically known as the Norfolk, the feature was rebranded as the FrontRunner (2012-17) before being renamed in honor of Baffert’s Triple Crown winner who captured the 2014 edition. 

“It was good schooling for him,” Baffert said of Hughes’s performance. “He got behind horses, and we wanted to see that. First, he was a little bit anxious, but he settled well. When we asked him to go, he went. A very respectable time here. He comes back great.

“I just think he's getting better and better. Baby steps to progress in the right way. He was a little bit keen, but that's the first time he's ever gone two turns. He got him to settle, and he shut it down, and that's what you need. You need a horse to shut it off, and he did.”

Hernandez was pleased with how the colt responded. 

“He broke a step slow, but he relaxed really good behind horses,” the winning rider said. “It was his first time going two turns and first time running behind horses. He took it pretty well. I was loaded the whole race; I was just waiting for the quarter pole to start making my run. When I hit the quarter pole, I asked him, and he took off for the wire.”

Campaigned by a consortium including Front Row Club, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Albaugh Family Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, Hughes sports a 4-for-4 mark with $480,000 in earnings.

“He fits well in the Breeders’ Cup now,” Baffert said, “so hopefully we can get him there healthy. 

“We saw some nice horses run (in Saturday's Champagne [G1] at Belmont Park and Breeders’ Futurity [G1] at Keeneland). I think the horse in New York (Champagne winner U. S. S. Valor) was pretty impressive. 

“We have a good horse. He needs to show up. To get the trips, you need a lot of luck. He's definitely one of the top five, or whatever you want to call it.”

Bred by Breffni Farm in Kentucky, Hughes is out of the multiple Grade 1-placed K P Dreamin. The Union Rags mare was third to the Baffert-trained Bast in the 2019 Starlet (G1) and the Chandelier (G1), the same race that’s since reverted to its traditional name of the Oak Leaf. 

Oak Leaf (G2)

Baffert also held a strong hand in the companion race for fillies, sending out the top three betting choices, led by the even-money Quattro Passi. But they were no match for Domain Expansion.

The Powell filly was coming off a promising second, despite trouble, in her premiere over a mile on the Del Mar turf. With that two-turn experience under her belt, Domain Expansion parlayed a sharper start into a better trip in this stakes and dirt debut.

Jockey Adrian Escobedo did his part to earn his first graded stakes win as well. He put Domain Expansion in a good position, tracking Baffert’s Deluge through splits of :23.05 and :47.11. She was briefly relegated to fourth at the six-furlong mark in 1:11.86, when Baffert’s Holmby and Michael McCarthy’s Free Closer ranged up to challenge on the outside.

But Escobedo coolly let them go by and steered Domain Expansion into the clear leaving the far turn. The daughter of freshman sire Speaker’s Corner was traveling best of all by that point, and she overwhelmed them in a seven-length rout. Clocking 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.44, she sparked a $31 payout.

Holmby checked in second by 3 1/4 lengths from Quattro Passi, who churned on without ever looking competitive.

“Just didn't run a jump,” Hall of Famer Mike Smith said of Quattro Passi. “Nothing. Just nothing. We just hoped that she'd run her race, and she didn't. I don't know if the heat had a lot to do with it or what. She just never picked her feet up.”

Free Closer, Deluge, and the tailed-off Janie Not Jeanie concluded the order of finish.

Domain Expansion’s maiden-breaking score increased her bankroll to $136,000 for California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing, Allen R. Keith, and Kevin O’Donnell.

Matt Dohman of California Racing Partners explained the colorful backstory on how Escobedo linked up with their filly. 

“We knew she was a good filly. She was training well, and she has all the attributes of a stakes horse. We bought her (for $130,000) at Keeneland (September), Larry Zapp, myself, and Amanda Murphy. I want to thank all the partners. 

“We gave Adrian the mount because we were at the jockey karaoke at Del Mar, and he bought me and Larry a beer. So we said we should give him a mount on a good horse.”

“It feels amazing,” Escobedo said of his graded stakes breakthrough. “She felt great, like the first time I rode her. I felt very comfortable. Mr. Powell gave me the best instructions. This filly, she is just getting started, hopefully we can go far with her. Thanks to everyone for the opportunity, let’s go do this.”

“She is very talented,” Powell said. “As soon as we started breezing her at Del Mar, she showed things that your usual two-year-old doesn’t show. I’m glad to share this with Adrian. I think there is still upside to her.

“I knew in the long term she could handle the jump in class. Baffert had three horses in there. You never know how good they are. For a smaller outfit like me, it's hard to go against him, but we did that today and she came out on top. She is a big filly by Speaker’s Corner, and she’s going to develop into a really nice horse.”

Bred by Machmer Hall, Carrie Brogden, and Craig Brogden in the Bluegrass, Domain Expansion is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Special You. Her dam is a full sister to Grade 2 heroine Mrs McDougal, who is responsible for Grade 2 scorer Seal Team.

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