By Steve Sherack
Hughes (Into Mischief), a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' runaway debut winner for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert going five furlongs at Los Alamitos June 21, stayed perfect in style in Saturday's GIII Best Pal S. at Del Mar. Hughes, the 101st graded winner for his all-conquering sire, becomes the 12th Best Pal winner for Baffert and his fifth in a row.
“It was beautiful,” Baffert said. “The second time out is always important. He had been training well and we knew he had a lot of speed. (Jockey) Juan (Hernandez) got him into a good groove, a good flow. He's always shown he was special and I'm happy for the group at Del Mar. They're a new group. We love Del Mar and now we'll go on to the (GI Del Mar) Futurity (on Sept. 6).”
The $675,000 Keeneland September graduate, off as the 3-2 favorite against four overmatched rivals, was pressed through an opening quarter in :22.92. He began to shake free as they turned for home and opened up impressively from there to win by 7 3/4 lengths.
The Cal-bred Phone Booth (Pavel) was second by a head. 'Rising Star' Kennyten (Drain the Clock), a 7 1/2-length Santa Anita debut winner with a 92 Beyer, was third.
The final time for six furlongs was 1:09.61.
“I worked this horse up at Los Alamitos and I really liked him,” Hernandez said. “I worked him again at Del Mar and he felt good. Bob (Baffert) didn't give me any instructions with him. I like it like that, he just left it up to me. The horse made it easy for me–he broke so well out of there. Then when a horse came up on our outside at the three-eighths (pole), he took it up another notch. He's a good one.”
Pedigree Notes:
Hughes was produced by the MGISP K P Dreamin (Union Rags), who is also responsible for a yearling colt by Elite Power and a McKinzie colt of this year. She was bred back to Patch Adams. K P Dreamin brought $260,000 from winning breeder Breffni Farm at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale. This is the fifth graded winner for broodmare sire Union Rags. This is also the female family of GI Pacific Classic winner Go Between (Point Given).
Saturday, Del Mar
BEST PAL S.-GIII, $150,000, Del Mar, 8-8, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.61, ft.
1–HUGHES, 120, c, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: K P Dreamin (MGISP, $143,600), by Union Rags
2nd Dam: Litigating, by Point Given
3rd Dam: Mediation (Ire), by Caerleon
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($675,000 Ylg '25 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Front Row Club, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor Racing LLC, Albaugh Family Stables, LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Breffni Farm (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $120,000. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Phone Booth, 120, c, 2, Pavel–Mandy's Grace, by Bellamy Road. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Reddam Racing LLC (CA); T-Doug F O'Neill. $30,000.
3–Kennyten, 120, c, 2, Drain the Clock–Fairywren, by Goldencents. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($20,000 Ylg '25 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '26 OBSMAR). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Holly & David Wilson; B-Nicholas M Lotz (KY); T-Vladimir Cerin. $18,000.
Margins: 7 3/4, HD, 5 3/4. Odds: 1.50, 13.90, 1.60.
Also Ran: He Is No Lie, You Want Some. Scratched: Icanthelpmyself. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#3 HUGHES rolled home in the $150,000 Best Pal Stakes (G3) under @JJHernandezS19. The son of @spendthriftfarm Into Mischief is trained by Bob Baffert for @MadaketStables, @StonestreetFarm, @StarlightRacing and partners. pic.twitter.com/DBTVHpDCK9
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 8, 2026
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
