Baffert gets a start into Hughes after sharp gate works as Los Alamitos has $19,859 carryover in $2 pick six
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Three times since late May, the 2-year-old colt Hughes has worked from the gate in preparation for his career debut in a maiden race at five furlongs at Los Alamitos on Sunday.
Those works have left trainer Bob Baffert encouraged Hughes will be prominent early against five rivals.
“He’s a fast horse,” Baffert said.
The maiden race is the third race on an eight-race program that includes a carryover of $19,859 in the $2 pick six. The pick six covers the third through eighth races on a program that begins at 1 p.m., Pacific. The pool of new money in the pick six may surpass $100,000.
Baffert cautioned that Hughes will benefit from a start on Sunday in advance of the Del Mar summer meeting that begins on July 17.
“We want to get an out in them,” Baffert said of his 2-year-olds. “We have a bunch to run. I’m glad the race went.”
As for Hughes, Baffert said, “He’s bred to go a mile.”
Hughes, owned by a large partnership that includes Front Row Club, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, and Stonestreet Stables, is Baffert’s second 2-year-old starter this year.
On June 12 at Santa Anita, the Baffert-trained Nayar was 1-5 in a maiden race at five furlongs, but could only manage second by 7 1/2 lengths to Kennyten.
“That thing smoked us,” Baffert said.
Hughes, who is by Into Mischief, was purchased for $675,000 at the 2025 Keeneland September yearling sale. Hughes is out of K P Dreamin, who was third in two Grade 1 races for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles in California in 2019 – the Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita and the Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos.
K P Dreamin has had two foals to race, both by Into Mischief – Career Risk, winner of a $16,000 claimer for maidens at Tampa Bay Downs in February, and Travieso, who is winless in four starts.
In recent weeks, Hughes has worked from the gate at distances ranging from three furlongs to five furlongs. On June 12, he worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds.
Hughes will start from post 2 in a field of six in Sunday’s third race. All of the runners are first-time starters.
Midnight Ovation, trained by Peter Miller, starts from the inside post. Purchased for $230,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in-training in April, Midnight Ovation is by the first-year stallion Olympiad.
Midnight Ovation worked a half-mile in a fast 47.20 at the San Luis Rey Downs training center on June 13. Midnight Ovation is the first foal to race out of Acoustic Shadow, who was winless in 13 starts.
Through Thursday, Miller had had six 2-year-old runners so far this year, with one win, by Weekend Vibes in a maiden race on turf at Santa Anita on June 14.
Trainer Doug O’Neill starts High Pronto, by Hightail, and Mosigma, by Mo Donegal.
Mosigma worked three furlongs from the gate at Santa Anita in 35.40 on Wednesday, only the colt’s fourth recorded workout.
High Pronto has had seven workouts since late April, the last of which was a half-mile from the gate in 48.40 at Santa Anita last Sunday.
The other runners in the field are Nichols, trained by Chuck Treece, and Curlin Tornado, trained by Sergio Morfin. They have worked exclusively at Los Alamitos in recent months.
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