Tokyo: Cafe Pharoah returns from layoff in Unicorn Stakes

Cafe Pharoah, the top-ranked active 3-year-old in the standings for Kentucky Derby prospects in Japan, will have his first start in four months in Sunday’s Grade 3 Unicorn Stakes at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse.

The $630,825 Unicorn Stakes is one of two remaining races on the schedule of prep races in Japan for the Kentucky Derby. The final race in the series is the Japan Dirt Derby at Oi Racecourse on July 8. The horse with the most points in the series will earn a berth in the 20-horse field for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5.

Cafe Pharoah earned 30 qualifying points with his win in the Hyacinth Stakes at a mile at Tokyo on Feb. 23. The top finishers of the Unicorn Stakes will earn 40, 16, 8 and 4 qualifying points.

In the 16-horse field for the Unicorn, there are two other runners who have already earned qualifying points. Tagano Beauty ranks third with 12 points for a second-place finish in the Hyacinth Stakes and Dieu du Vin ranks fourth with 10 points for a win in the Cattleya Sho at a mile at Tokyo last November.

Herrschaft earned 40 points for winning the Fukuryu Stakes in March, but is not listed by Churchill Downs officials as a Kentucky Derby candidate.

Cafe Pharoah, trained by Koichi Nishikawa, is a Kentucky-bred by American Pharoah who was purchased for $475,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in-training in March 2019.

Cafe Pharoah’s most notable rival in the Unicorn Stakes is the Kentucky-bred colt Full Flat, a Speightstown colt who won the $800,000 Saudi Derby at a mile in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 29 on the same program as the $20 million Saudi Cup.

Full Flat has not raced in the interim. Last November, Full Flat was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. Full Flat was purchased for $250,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale.

There are two other Kentucky-breds in the field – the colt Aurora Tesoro and filly Lecce Baroque.

Aurora Tesoro, bought for $450,000 at the 2018 Saratoga yearling sale, has won 2 of 10 starts. A colt by Malibu Moon, Aurora Tesoro was eighth in the Tango Stakes at seven furlongs at Kyoto Racecourse on May 3.

Lecce Baroque, purchased for $575,000 at the same sale as Café Pharoah, is an Uncle Mo filly who is unbeaten in two starts and will have her stakes debut on Sunday. She is one of two fillies in the field.

Post time for the Unicorn Stakes is 2:45 a.m. Eastern, on Sunday, or 11:45 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is avaiable through DRFBets.com.