Kentucky Derby 2025: Japanese shippers work five furlongs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Forever Young set the bar for Japan-based horses participating in the Kentucky Derby when he was beaten a head at odds of 7-1 in last year’s race while getting bumped in deep stretch.

Forever Young and T O Password, who finished fifth at odds of 48-1, have produced the two best finishes among eight Japan-based horses to compete in the Kentucky Derby.

Saturday, in Kentucky Derby 151, Japan will be represented by Luxor Cafe and Admire Daytona, both of whom are coming off stakes wins, but neither of whom are being fancied like Forever Young was last year.

Luxor Cafe, a Kentucky-bred son of American Pharoah, will bring a four-race winning streak into the Kentucky Derby. He has twice defeated Admire Daytona and was visually impressive winning the Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama on March 29.

“I thought he was going to win, but he won so much more impressive than I thought,” jockey Joao Moreira said Tuesday. “Obviously, the field wasn’t as strong as the race he will be running in on Saturday, but he’s done what a good horse does when they actually get into that type of field and when they are bloody good.”

Moreira was at Churchill on Tuesday to guide Luxor Cafe through his final pre-Derby workout. He covered five furlongs in 1:02.44, according to Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch. Luxor Cafe, working by himself, was kept well off the rail by Moreira and appeared to be wanting to get out a touch as he completed his final quarter in 24.55 seconds. Luxor Cafe, trained by Noriyuki Hori, shut it down soon after the wire.

“The traveling [from Japan] obviously did take a little bit out of him, but he’s feeling so well, eating everything. The connections seem to be very happy, as I am,” Moreira said. “The track work this morning indicates that. Obviously, it’s a new place for him. He was having a good look around. I think that’s normal. I really can’t fault the way he went this morning.”

Moreira has ridden around the world. In 2013, he rode four horses at Churchill Downs, winning one race from four mounts. That same year, he finished second aboard Judy the Beauty in the then-Grade 1 Princess Rooney Stakes at Calder in South Florida.

:: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more.

Admire Daytona, a Japanese-bred son of the North American champion sprinter Drefong, is coming off a gritty nose victory in the UAE Derby. In that race, Admire Daytona raced on the lead under Christophe Lemaire and turned back Heart of Honor in the stretch.

At Churchill on Tuesday, Admire Daytona worked five furlongs in 1:02.60, a move that was done with him starting a length in front of a workmate, Greatdayforhockey, a maiden $50,000 claimer trained by Dale Romans. Admire Daytona, who was not really asked much by exercise rider Yoshimitsu Niyashita, finished a short head in front.

“Up until now, he’s been training on his own, just maintaining condition from Dubai,” trainer Yukihiro Kato said. “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 Dale Romans helping us out today.”

Kato said that while Admire Daytona won the UAE Derby while on the lead, he believes the horse “can race from any position.” Kato did caution that Admire Daytona is the kind of horse who “might lose a little bit of [focus] along the way.”

Lemaire, who has ridden in the Kentucky Derby twice, including finishing sixth on Derma Sotogake in 2023, will ride Admire Daytona on Saturday.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.