Hughes favored to give Baffert 20th Del Mar Futurity

Few if any American races have been dominated by one man as much as the Del Mar Futurity (G1) has by Bob Baffert. On Sunday, the Hall of Famer will attempt to win the seven-furlong test for the 20th time.

Only five were entered the $350,000 race, with Baffert saddling two. Hughes enters with the biggest reputation, having won his two career starts by a combined margin of 13 3/4 lengths. That includes a 7 3/4-length romp in the Best Pal (G3) last month. Joining him is stablemate Domus, a 5 1/2-length debut winner on July 25.

The other three are sent out by meet-leading trainer Doug O’Neill. O’Neill has won the Futurity only twice, both times by eventual division champions Stevie Wonderboy (2005) and Nyquist (2015).

O’Neill’s trio includes Phone Booth, a distant second to Hughes in the Best Pal. Dang Son, well beaten by Domus on debut, bounced back to graduate by one length over a mile on the grass. The last is High Pronto, who earned his diploma in an optional maiden claiming.

The penultimate day of the Del Mar summer meet also includes the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf over one mile and the $125,000 Shared Belief S. for three-year-olds at one mile on the main track. The latter features the Baffert-trained Desert Gate, a three-time stakes winner attempting to bounce back from upset losses in the Ohio Derby (G3) and Iowa Derby.