Japan road to Ky. Derby: Luxor Cafe leads Saturday qualifier
Luxor Cafe, who leads in the standings on the Japan road to the Kentucky Derby 2025, can pick up more points in Saturday's Fukuryu Stakes.
The 1 1/8-mile race offers 40-20-12-8-4 qualifying points for the Japan route to Churchill Downs, and Luxor Cafe is atop the leaderboard with 30 points earned in the Hyacinth last out. None of the other entrants in Saturday's race has any Derby points, and the Fukuryu is the last stop on the Japan route. So if Luxor Cafe finishes in the top three, he would have right of first refusal for Japan's slot in the run for the roses.
Post time for the Fukuryu is 2:10 a.m. EDT Saturday.
The Kentucky-bred son of American Pharoah is trained by Noriyuki Hori and is 2-for-2 this year after breaking his maiden in December in his third start. His full brother, Cafe Pharoah, won the 2020 edition of the Hyacinth and eventually was named Japan’s champion dirt horse.
Last year's Fukuryu was won by T O Password, who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby.