Japan's Kentucky Derby dreams still on ice as Luxor Cafe, Admire Daytona hold back by muddy Churchill Downs

Luxor Cafe

Admire Daytona

At next year’s Kentucky Derby, Japanese horse will be praying for some sun at Churchill Downs.

Done in by the sloppy track conditions, Luxor Cafe and Admire Daytona, the JRA’s two entries for the 151st Run for the Roses on Saturday (May 3), unfortunately finished miles out of the winner’s circle in double digits in the first race of the American Triple Crown.

The Noriyuki Hori-trained Luxor Cafe, under Joao Moreira and who went off as the fourth choice in the end, was 12th out of 19 after Rodriguez and Grande were scratched in the US$5 million race.

The Christophe Lemaire-ridden Admire Daytona, coming off victory in the UAE Derby a month ago, placed dead last in the field topped by third pick Sovereignty, trained by William Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado.

Moreira looked back on the race with nothing but resignation, saying the wet, wet terms were just too much for his horse to overcome.

“The conditions were like nothing we had experienced before,” Moreira told reporters after the 2,000m race, describing the challenging terms on a wet day in Louisville.

“The kickback was insane. He didn’t have his best stuff on the front stretch. He gave it his 100 percent despite the tough conditions, but he just could not produce his best performance on a day like this.”

Admire Daytona’s trainer, Yukihiro Kato, echoed Moreira’s sentiments regarding the muddy surface.

“We are incredibly sorry for the way things turned out,” Kato said. “The race unfolded at a really high pace and he could not keep up during the trip. It wasn’t easy for any of the horses in front so it is what it is.”

Sovereignty brought home the race’s maiden win for Godolphin Racing, which also won the Kentucky Oaks a day earlier to become the first owner to sweep both races in the same year since 1952.

Alvarado, of Venezuela, won his first Kentucky Derby. Mott won the race for his second time, his first since six years ago - but back then, only after by virtue of Maximum Security’s disqualification.

The 38-year-old Alvarado won the race in his ninth try, despite fracturing his shoulder in late March after his mount suffered a heart attack mid-race.

“Still sinking in, to be honest,” the jockey said. “It means the world to me, for me and my family. Coming from my country where the only race we would be able to watch back there was just the Kentucky Derby.

“I said that would be nice to be in the United States and ride in the Kentucky Derby. Little by little I started to point that out to be, to make it come true. Today, we did just that.”

Saturday’s prohibitive betting favorite, Journalism, took second a length and a half behind Sovereignty. Lucky loser Baeza, the half brother to 2023 champion Mage, came in third.

Admire Daytona got a good jump out of the gate while Luxor Cafe did not. The American Pharaoh colt, coming off four successive wins, stumbled through early on and simply could not make up all the ground he had lost.

Amid the tough going, Luxor Cafe was not a shadow of himself, according to Moreira.

“The horse was giving off good vibes and felt good from the paddock to warmups. But after he went into his stall, he had a lapse because the surroundings were not what he was used to - from all the noise at the racetrack and what not,” said the Brazilian rider.

“His timing was off when the gates opened. We tried to pick up the pace for position but couldn’t find the space and fell further back than where we had hoped to be.”

Admire Daytona, by Drefong out Ice Pastel, faded despite the solid start, leaving the JRA’s big jockey Lemaire to lament the weather on the day.

“He started the race well and had good position but the track conditions clearly didn’t suit him,” the Frenchman said. “He didn’t warm up very well and while he felt OK on the back stretch, he kept slipping and just couldn’t keep up when the pace picked up.

“Conditions like this don’t work in Japanese horses’ favor. Way too sticky.”

The Japanese contingency will be hoping to rebound in 2026, when it will aim to pick up on where Forever Young left off in 2024 with the JRA’s best-ever result in the Kentucky Derby with third place - only by a three-way photo finish, behind winner Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone.

Official Result (Equibase)

Please refer to the following website for further details.
Churchill Downs Racecourse
Kentucky Derby