Hughes faces toughest test yet in American Pharoah

Hughes was the undisputed best 2-year-old in California in the summer, sweeping the two graded stakes at Del Mar without difficulty.

Keeping that title through Saturday’s Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita, and attempting to wrest the national crown in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Oct. 30 at Keeneland, may be more difficult.

Hughes will be an odds-on favorite to remain unbeaten after four starts in the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. His biggest threat is Imperial Honor, who like Hughes, is trained by Bob Baffert.

Of the six runners in the American Pharoah Stakes, Baffert trains four, including the outsiders Domus and Emancipate. Dang Son, third to Hughes in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 6, and Net Par, a stakes winner against California-breds at Del Mar, are the other runners.

The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles.

Hughes won the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity by 4 3/4 lengths without urging in the final sixteenth by jockey Juan Hernandez, who has the mount Saturday. Hughes was 1-5, raced between rivals on the backstretch, and took the lead on the turn.

Earlier in the summer, Hughes won a maiden race at Los Alamitos in June by six lengths and his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs by 7 3/4 lengths on Aug. 8 at Del Mar. In three starts, Hughes has won by a combined 18 1/2 lengths.

“He’s done it easily,” Baffert said. “It’s what you want to see.”

Hughes, owned by a partnership that includes the Front Row Club syndicate, Madaket Stable, and Starlight Racing, starts from post 2, while Imperial Honor breaks from post 4.

Imperial Honor, who will be ridden by Joel Rosario, won his debut in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs by 5 1/4 lengths on Sept. 7 at Del Mar after disputing the pace.

Baffert does not expect Rosario to take such an aggressive approach with Imperial Honor early in the American Pharoah.

“When you go 5 1/2 at Del Mar, you have to ride them like Quarter Horses,” he said. “They won’t be going super fast like that.”

Imperial Honor, by Honor A. P., was purchased for a hefty $725,000 at the Ocala Breeders Sale Co.’s 2-year-olds in training sale in Florida in April. He races for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman.

“Imperial Honor is bred to go two turns,” Baffert said. “He’s a good horse.

“He’s been working with Hughes and he’s been working heads up with him.”

Baffert has won a record 13 runnings of the American Pharoah, which was known as the Norfolk Stakes through 2011. Baffert has won six of the last eight runnings but had a four-year winning streak in the race end last year.

Emancipate, a half-brother to the millionaire and six-time stakes winner Hope Road, has his stakes debut in the American Pharoah after a maiden race win at six furlongs on Aug. 29 at Del Mar in his second start.

Domus was a well-beaten fourth in the Del Mar Futurity after racing near the front on the backstretch.

Net Par will race from off the pace. Trained by Antonio Garcia, Net Par won the Graduation Stakes for statebreds at 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 7 at Del Mar and was second after a troubled start in the I’m Smokin Stakes at six furlongs on Sept. 7.

Dang Son was beaten 10 lengths in the Del Mar Futurity, closing from last of five in a performance that left trainer Doug O’Neill eager to try a longer distance.

“We’re hoping he builds off the Futurity and we can see if goes two turns on the dirt,” O’Neill said. “He’s got a lot of talent. I think he’s scratching the surface.”

Dang Son, who starts from the inside post in the American Pharoah, is the only runner in the field with two-turn experience. He won a maiden race at a mile on turf on Aug. 15 at Del Mar at 15-1, closing from sixth of seven. Dang Son started from the inside post in that field.

“He showed me he can go two turns,” O’Neill said. “He’s always trained well on the dirt.

“I know he’ll be a longshot. We’re optimistic he can run well.”