Pedigree fun facts: 2026 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

Oct 30, 2026 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Hughes will try to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) that eluded his high-profile ancestors (Photo by Coady Media)

Into Mischief has sired the past two winners of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Citizen Bull (2024) and Ted Noffey (2025), and the great patriarch has even-money favorite Hughes to represent him in Friday’s renewal at Keeneland.

Interestingly, Hughes descends from a few runners-up in the Juvenile. He comes from the male line of supersire Storm Cat, who was just nailed on the wire in the 1985 edition.

Hughes is out of K P Dreamin, a multiple Grade 1-placed two-year-old but unplaced in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). K P Dreamin is by 2012 Belmont (G1) victor Union Rags, beaten a head as the favorite in the 2011 Juvenile.

Hughes’s maternal grandmother is by Hall of Famer Point Given. The flying near-misser in the 2000 Juvenile, Point Given was fifth as the favorite in the following year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) before going on to dominate the Preakness (G1) and Belmont.

Salahudin is by Uncle Mo, the 2010 Juvenile romper, out of a well-bred mare by Smart Strike. This is the family of 2011 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) upsetter Court Vision, along with 1992 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1)-winning Hall of Famer A.P. Indy. Salahudin’s grandmother is a full sister to 1990 Preakness winner Summer Squall.

Gaudreau, a grandson of Uncle Mo, was hoping to be a third-generation winner, but he unfortunately scratched. He’s by Uncle Mo’s champion son Nyquist, the 2015 Juvenile star who went on to win the 2016 Kentucky Derby.

Damavand is by Not This Time, who missed by a neck as the favorite in the 2016 Juvenile. Out of Tempers Rising, a daughter of 2014 Classic winner Bayern, Damavand is a half-brother to Owen Almighty, who runs in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on Saturday.

Earth Song, by 2018 Triple Crown champion Justify, has been scratched from the Juvenile. But his half-brother Further Ado is set to go Saturday as the morning-line favorite in the Dirt Mile. Further Ado was 11th as the favorite in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Their great-grandmother in the direct maternal line (third dam) is 1999 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) champion Beautiful Pleasure.

Influential sire Tapit has a son, Coach Pope, and grandson, American History, renewing rivalry on Friday.

Coach Pope is out of multiple Grade 3-winning Gamble’s Ghost, by Hall of Famer Ghostzapper, the 2004 Classic champion.

American History is by Tapit’s son Constitution and out of a half-sister to Vekoma. American History’s Grade 1-winning grandmother, Mona de Momma, is by 2004 Sprint champion Speightstown.

He Is No Lie is from the first crop of Early Voting, the 2022 Preakness winner. Early Voting was himself from the first crop of Hall of Famer Gun Runner. After a runner-up effort in the 2016 Dirt Mile as a three-year-old, Gun Runner peaked at four and capped his Horse of the Year campaign in the 2017 Classic.