Luxor Café wins Fukuryu, earns Japan berth in Kentucky Derby
Odds-on favorite Luxor Café did not disappoint his backers Saturday when he drew away to a five-length triumph in the US$230,370 Fukuryu Stakes, clinching the Japan invitation to Kentucky Derby 2025.
The Kentucky-bred colt by American Pharoah already held the lead in the qualifying standings and needed only a third-place finish in this final Japan points prep to clinch the one berth in the 20-horse starting gate May 3 at Churchill Downs. Luxor Café was among the early nominees to the U.S. Triple Crown.
According to a post on X by Kevin Kerstein from Churchill Downs publicity, his connections will decide midweek whether Luxor Café will come to the Kentucky Derby.
Breaking from the outside post in the field of 11 3-year-old colts, Luxor Café was fifth going around the first right turn and raced in sixth up the backstretch. Under jockey João Moreira he accelerated going four wide around the second turn, took the lead just inside the final furlong and cruised unchallenged to the finish.
The winning time was 1:52.1 without a run-up for the 1,800 meters, 10 1/2 yards short of 1 1/8 miles. On a rainy afternoon at Nakayama, the dirt course was rated good. The early fractions established by Isana (20-1) were 24.7, 50.9, 1:15.4 and 1:40.1.
Meisho Zuiun (12-1) closed from last to finish second but never was a threat to catch Luxor Café. Golden Cloud (23-1) was another neck back in third. Levant Universe (24-1) came in fourth. Slazak (107-1) finished fifth. The top five finishers earned 40-20-12-8-4 points on the Japan road to the Kentucky Derby.
Imhotep (4-1), Isana, Otamajakushi (56-1), Coche Deli (123-1), Berber Compass (9-1) and Cosmo Conferma (168-1) finished sixth through 11th in that order.
Owned by Koichi Nishikawa and trained by Noriyuki Hori, Luxor Café has won four consecutive races beginning with a maiden-breaking, one-mile effort in November on his third try. He added a January allowance win over the Fukuryu course and distance before winning last month at Tokyo in the one-mile Hyacinth Stakes, also a Kentucky Derby points prep.
Out of More Than Ready mare Mary’s Follies, Luxor Café was bred by Orpendale-Chelston-Wynatt and Westerberg Ireland. Adding the US$121,675 from Saturday’s victory, he has earned US$378,885 from a record of 6: 4-1-0, all on dirt in Japan.
| Japan road to Ky. Derby | Pts. | Earnings | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Luxor Café | 70 | $378,885 | Noriyuki Hori |
| Myriad Love (f) | 20 | $453,714 | Koichi Shintani |
| Meisho Zuiun | 20 | $127,280 | Masaru Honda |
| 2. Promised Gene (f) | 15 | $168,306 | Yuki Uehara |
| 3. Natural Rise | 14 | $177,999 | Keizo Ito |
| 4. Golden Cloud | 12 | $82,632 | Shinya Kobayashi |
| 5. Happy Man | 10 | $345,430 | Ryo Terashima |
| Don in the Mood | 9 | $128,028 | Nobuyuki Matsumoto |
| Levant Univers | 8 | $102,623 | Yoshihito Kitade |
| Soldier Field | 6 | $345,065 | Hiroto Kawashima |
| Admire Daytona | 6 | $92,047 | Yukihiro Kato |
| 6. Clay King | 5 | $155,987 | Eiji Nakadate |
| Slazak | 4 | $89,962 | Hiroyuki Oneda |
| T O Elvis | 3 | $84,231 | Daisuke Takayanagi |
| 7. Dragon | 3 | $66,926 | Mikio Matsunaga |
| Jugemoon | 2 | $77,615 | Mamoru Tanaka |
| Snappy Dresser | 2 | $60,272 | Masahiro Otake |
| Kanreiski | 1 | $46,286 | Masahiro Takeuchi |
| f - filly | |||
| Rankings only for Triple Crown nominees. | |||
| Earnings are not yet officially confirmed. |