Luxor Cafe (15-1) and Admire Daytona (30-1), Japan’s two entries in Saturday’s $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1), turned in workouts on Tuesday at Churchill Downs over a fast track.
Luxor Café, trained by Noriyuki Hori, worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.40 with jockey Joao Moreira aboard.
Admire Daytona, trained by Yukihiro Kato, worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.40 with Yoshimitsu Niyashita aboard.
“Up until now, he’s been just training on his own, just maintaining condition from Dubai,” Kato said of his UAE Derby (G2) winner. “Today we wanted to train him in company to tighten the screws down, and it was perfect. He is a horse that thrives off a challenge. We really appreciate [trainer] Dale Romans helping us out.”
A year ago, Forever Young nearly gave Japan its first Derby win, but finished third in a three-horse photo behind Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone.
🇯🇵 Luxor Cafe #ルクソールカフェ put in a 5 furlong workout this morning under the TwinSpires in 1:02.40. ⏱️@themeganburgess & @TrustYourLuck take you through the Japanese Kentucky Derby contender's workout. #ケンタッキーダービー @netkeiba pic.twitter.com/fmuCx0K7HU
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) April 29, 2025
Not only does six-time Derby winner Bob Baffert have a pair of Kentucky Derby contenders in Citizen Bull (20-1) and Rodriguez (12-1), he’ll send out Tenma (12-1) in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks (G1) as well as Derby undercard entries Madaket Road and Gaming in the Pat Day Mile (G2), Nysos in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1), Hope Road in the Derby City Distaff (G1), and Romanesque in an allowance race.
“The always have a terrific undercard for the Derby with lots of good opportunities for good horses,” said Baffert, back at the Derby for the first time since his suspension in 2021 after Medina Spirit finished first in the Derby but was disqualified a week later for testing positive for an overage of a race-day medication. “I had good horses over the last three years and never got to run them here.
“But I’m back doing it now and have spots for my horses to run. That’s one of the best things of all for me and for my owners.”
Derby Nuggets: If Blue Grass (G1) winner Burnham Square can pull off a Derby upset – he's 12-1 – it would put Ian Wilkes in select company – he would become one of 12 trainers to win a Derby and a Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). He won with Fort Larned in 2012.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
