Hughes romps over Phone Booth as Baffert continues to rule Best Pal
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DEL MAR, Calif. – At first glance, the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes on Saturday at Del Mar looked like an appealing showdown between three promising and evenly matched 2-year-olds.
Instead, the six-furlong race became a complete annihilation in 1:09.61.
Hughes ($5 favorite) crushed the Best Pal by 7 3/4 lengths over longshot Phone Booth. Others were left reeling. Kennyten, 8-5 second choice, pressed the slow pace and retreated to finish third. He Is No Lie, the 2.30-1 third choice, lost the race when he stumbled at the break. He Is No Lie finished fourth.
The win by Hughes was the fifth straight Best Pal victory for trainer Bob Baffert, and his 13th Best Pal overall. Juan Hernandez rode Hughes, a colt by Into Mischief making his second start after a debut victory June 21 at Los Alamitos.
“He broke sharp out of the gate,” Hernandez said. “I saw (He Is No Lie) kind of bobble a little bit, so I said, okay, now I’m going.”
Hughes set the pace inside, pressed by You Want Some and Kennyten through an easy :22.92 first quarter-mile and a half-mile in :45.99. Neither pace rival could keep up, and Hernandez felt it was time to go with Hughes.
“I kind of asked him to run a little around the quarter pole, he was waiting for company,” Hernandez said. “He was lugging in a little bit, that’s why I had my whip in my left (hand). I tapped him a couple times, he switched leads, and he took off again.”
Hernandez let up late. “The last sixteenth, I looked back, I took it easy because he finished really strong.” Hughes ran his final furlong in :11.74.
The win by Hughes stamps him as early favorite for the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, although recent Best Pals have been less than productive. Only three of the last 15 Del Mar Futurity winners exited the Best Pal; 12 exited maiden races. The seven-furlong Futurity will be run Sept. 6.
Baffert told Del Mar publicity that Hughes has “always shown he was special and I’m happy for the (ownership) group at Del Mar. We love Del Mar and now we’ll go on to the Futurity.”
The winning owners include Front Row Club, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.
With the win by Hughes, Best Pal favorites are now 7 for 12 since Del Mar reinstalled dirt.
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