Lucky Kid earns Kentucky Derby points with Hyacinth score

Lucky Kid earned 30 Kentucky Derby qualifying points with a victory in the Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo on Sunday, positioning himself for a likely start in the UAE Derby.

The 3-year-old Discreet Cat colt, who won on debut over the same one-mile trip at Tokyo in October for trainer Yukihiro Kato, had finished third in the Hyogo Junior Grand Prix (G2) before running eighth following a slow start in his seasonal return at Tokyo in late January.

Breaking sharply in the 10-runner field, Lucky Kid tracked the leading pair of Taiki Blitzen and Seize The Throne through the opening quarter-mile and settled in fifth as Arcadia Cafe and Itterasshai advanced into closer order.

Jockey Mirai Iwata switched Lucky Kid out at the top of the straight, and the Godolphin runner quickened powerfully, sweeping past Arcadia Cafe and Itterasshai to take command entering the final furlong. Don Erectus mounted a late challenge, but Lucky Kid held on for a neck victory.

Harry Sweeney, president of Godolphin in Japan, said the colt will likely ship for the UAE Derby.

"Lucky Kid is entered in the UAE Derby and we now expect that he will be invited," Sweeney said. "His trainer is keen and he will most likely join Godolphin Japan's other intended runner, Pyromancer, Japan's top 2-year-old dirt horse last year. We certainly don't underestimate the task ahead, but it would be great to have two runners in the UAE Derby.

"Our horses have been running well on dirt of late, and Godolphin has won two out of three Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby races contested so far, with one race remaining."