Japan's Derby hopefuls chasing history, flash in final prep
April 29 - The pair of Japanese horses entered in the Kentucky Derby turned in their final work on the Churchill Downs dirt track on Tuesday, with mostly rest ahead prior to race day in Louisville, Ky.
Admire Daytona and Luxor Cafe finished their five-furlong workouts in 1:02.4. While their times were identical, how they made their way to Kentucky was much different.
Luxor Cafe, bred in Kentucky and sired by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, earned his invite by winning key stakes races in Japan. That included the Fukuryu Stakes last month at Chiba's Nakayama Racecourse.
Japanese-bred Admire Daytona ran fourth in February's Hyacinth Stakes, won by Luxor Cafe, at Tokyo Racecourse. After that, trainer Yukihiro Kato took his colt to Dubai, where he won the UAE Derby on April 5 and earned 100 points towards qualifying, more than enough to get him to Louisville.
In recent years, Churchill Downs has placed an increased emphasis on inviting horses from Europe and Japan to the Derby. That includes creating a series of races in both locations similar to the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the United States, albeit with far fewer races.
No horse that's been based in Japan has won the Derby, but Forever Young finished third last year, being edged out by Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone in a three-way photo finish.
The last horse bred outside of the United States to win the Run for the Roses was Sunny's Halo. The 1983 champion was bred in Ontario, Canada. Northern Dancer, the 1964 winner, was also bred in Ontario. The 1971 winner, Canonero II, came from Venezuela.
--Also-Eligible Baeza Works Out
While the post position draw for the Derby took place last Saturday, there's one horse whose connections are hoping he can still make the 1-1/4 mile race.
Baeza also worked out at Churchill Downs on Tuesday. Based on the points structure for the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the colt trained by John Shirreffs would need another entry to be scratched by 9 a.m. ET on Friday in order to be entered.
"Racing has a lot of ups and downs," said Shirreffs, who trained 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, in an interview with the Kentucky HBPA. "We're not eliminated yet, so as they say, hope springs eternal."
In his only prep for the Kentucky Derby, Baeza held the lead in the stretch of the April 5 Santa Anita Derby, but he lost by less than a length to Journalism, the colt widely expected to be the favorite on Saturday.
As an also-eligible, Baeza would start in gate 20, the far outside post, if he makes the field.
Three years ago, Rich Strike was a last-minute insertion as an also-eligible and posted one of the biggest upsets in the race's 150-year history, paying $163.60 on a $2 bet to win. He, too, started from gate 20.
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