Kentucky Derby 2025: 2 of 3 overseas horses are confirmed
Two of the three international qualifiers for Kentucky Derby 2025 are fully committed to being in the race, and the other is a definite maybe.
Luxor Café, an American Pharoah colt from Japan who qualified with wins in the Hyacinth and Fukuryu stakes back home, had all his I’s dotted and T’s crossed on his paperwork Wednesday.
“Luxor confirmed,” Japan racing’s traveling liaison Kate Hunter said in a mid-morning message Wednesday. “Luxor confirmed. ... (April) 21st depart, quarantine Chicago, then 23rd arrive to Churchill.”
Fresh off his victory Saturday in the Group 2 UAE Derby, Japan-based Admire Daytona was expected to arrive at the Churchill Downs quarantine barns Wednesday afternoon.
“Admire Daytona left Dubai at 8 a.m. local time and gets (to Kentucky) at 2 p.m. local time,” Hunter said.
Where Luxor Café was an early nominee for the Triple Crown, owner Junko Kondo paid the $6,000 late nomination fee Sunday to make Admire Daytona eligible.
UAE Derby runner-up Heart of Honor was not yet confirmed to be taking part in the Derby even though Churchill Downs reported that Jim and Claire Limited also made a late nomination payment before Monday’s deadline.
“Not certain yet,” England-based trainer Jamie Osborne said in a text message Wednesday morning.
The deadline to commit is entry day Saturday, April 26, when horses who have qualified for the Kentucky Derby must be at Churchill Downs. Regrets could be sent sooner.
Up to three of the 20 places in the starting gate are reserved for the top point earners on the Europe-Middle East and Japan roads to the Kentucky Derby. The move of the UAE Derby off the main U.S. trail this year basically meant the top two finishers from that race would have first dibs on the Europe-Middle East invitations. Japan retained its usual one berth.
If connections for Heart of Honor say no, Churchill Downs could extend his invitation to another horse from that trail. More likely, though, Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) runner-up Flying Mohawk would move up from his position at the front of the U.S. waiting list and into the top 20. He also could get in through any number of dropouts that always happen in the final weeks before the run for the roses.
| Kentucky Derby 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinched | Rank | Points | *Earnings |
| Burnham Square | 1st | 130.00 | $927,425 |
| Sandman | 2nd | 129.00 | $1,117,995 |
| Journalism | 3rd | 122.50 | $600,000 |
| Rodriguez | 4th | 121.25 | $476,000 |
| Tiztastic | 5th | 119.00 | $1,395,800 |
| Tappan Street | 6th | 110.00 | $619,400 |
| Sovereignty | 7th | 110.00 | $548,800 |
| Final Gambit | 8th | 100.00 | $446,400 |
| Coal Battle | 9th | 95.00 | $1,169,500 |
| Chunk of Gold | 10th | 75.00 | $324,400 |
| Citizen Bull | 11th | 71.25 | $1,436,000 |
| Owen Almighty | 12th | 65.00 | $430,935 |
| East Avenue | 13th | 60.00 | $612,500 |
| Publisher | 14th | 60.00 | $355,000 |
| American Promise | 15th | 55.00 | $335,000 |
| River Thames | 16th | 50.00 | $176,700 |
| Flood Zone | 17th | 50.00 | $174,993 |
| Admire Daytona | E-M | $599,044 | |
| Luxor Café | Jpn | $323,003 | |
| Has not sent RSVP | |||
| Heart of Honor | E-M | $281,558 | |
| Waiting on RSVP above | |||
| Flying Mohawk | 21st | 50.00 | $156,800 |
| Need dropouts | |||
| Grande | 22nd | 50.00 | $140,000 |
| Madaket Road | 23rd | 46.00 | $290,000 |
| Built | 24th | 45.00 | $180,000 |
| Neoequos | 25th | 40.00 | $153,250 |
| Render Judgment | 26th | 39.00 | $163,172 |
| Baeza | 27th | 37.50 | $100,000 |
| Chancer McPatrick | 28th | 35.00 | $565,625 |
| Poster | 29th | 31.00 | $194,700 |
| Passion Rules | 30th | 25.00 | $75,000 |
| California Burrito | 31st | 20.00 | $109,008 |
| Admiral Dennis | 32nd | 17.00 | $96,188 |
| *non-restricted stakes | |||
| E-M Euro-Mideast berths | |||
| Jpn Japan berth |