Japan: Pair of Kentucky-breds eye first Derby points in Cattleya
The Kentucky-bred colts Arcadia Cafe and Magna Victor, both expensive purchases at American auctions, are two of the three leading contenders in Saturday’s $197,000 Cattleya Stakes for 2-year-olds at Tokyo Racecourse, the first of four stakes in the country’s qualifying series for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
They are part of a field of 12 in the one-mile race led by the Japanese-bred Into Mischief colt Satono Voyage, the only two-time winner in the field.
Magna Victor, bought for $1 million at the Ocala Breeders Sale of 2-year-olds in-training sale in March, won his lone start in a seven-furlong race at Hanshin on Sept. 6. By Maxfield, Magna Victor races for Sanshishumei Co. Ltd., and trainer Matsumasa Nakauchida.
Arcadia Cafe, by Into Mischief, was purchased for $550,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Arcadia Cafe is out of Mary’s Follies, winner of the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs in 2019.
Mary’s Follies is the dam of Regal Glory, a 12-time stakes winner who won the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar in 2021 and 2022. Mary’s Follies is the dam of two star runners in Japan – Café Pharoah, the winner of the Grade 1 February Stakes on dirt in 2021 and 2022 and the third-place finisher in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2023; and Luxor Cafe, a stakes winner in Japan who was 12th in the Kentucky Derby in May.
Arcadia Cafe has started twice, both at Tokyo Racecourse, finishing second in a seven-furlong race for first-time starters in June and winning a maiden race at a mile on Nov. 1.
Satono Voyage was the 6-5 favorite in early betting on Friday.
Satono Voyage was second in his debut in a one-mile race for first-time starters on turf in July, and has won his last two starts in a six-furlong dirt race for maidens on Aug. 9 and a seven-furlong allowance race on dirt at Tokyo on Nov. 9.
The field includes the Kentucky-bred colt Purnabhadra, by Authentic, who is a longshot. Purnabhadra won his debut in a maiden race at 6 ½ furlongs at Tokyo on Nov. 8.
The Cattleya Stakes is the lesser of the four qualifying races in Japan, with 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the first five finishers. There are one-mile qualifying races in December and February worth 20 and 30 points to the winner and a final qualifier in March at 1 1/8 miles worth 40 points to the winner.
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