Japan Road: Luxor Cafe emulates brother Cafe Pharoah with Hyacinth victory

Feb 23, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Odds-on favorite Luxor Cafe became the new leader on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby by prevailing in Sunday’s Hyacinth S. at Tokyo. The American Pharoah colt was following in the hoofsteps of his full brother, Cafe Pharoah, who won the 2020 edition of this race and eventually reigned as Japan’s champion dirt horse.

Luxor Cafe kicked off a big-race double for jockey Rachel King, who piloted Costa Nova to victory in the February (G1), a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). King is now the first woman to ride a Japan Racing Association Grade 1 winner on the flat.

The Hyacinth and February were both contested around a one-turn metric mile, but the final times were starkly different. While Costa Nova clocked 1:35.5, Luxor Cafe’s time was about two seconds slower in 1:37.6, thanks to a far more sedate early pace.

Ironically, this was the slowest Hyacinth since Cafe Pharoah needed 1:37.7 five years ago. But that didn’t stop him from developing into a champion as an older horse. Indeed, Cafe Pharoah would go on to win the February twice himself, and even set the stakes record of 1:33.8 when successfully defending his title in 2022.

Trained by Noriyuki Hori for owner Koichi Nishikawa (also like Cafe Pharoah), Luxor Cafe settled several lengths off the pace set by Vilja Lied. The tempo slackened as she passed the halfway mark in :48.8 and about five furlongs in 1:02. But Vilja Lied couldn’t take advantage of her controlling position, and the stalking Danon Figo, Ecoro Azel, and Don in the Mood all ranged alongside at the top of the stretch.

Then King asked Luxor Cafe to quicken on the outside, and the 4-5 favorite rolled past them. But closing even faster and wider out was Promised Gene, the 5.30-1 second choice, who had been lagging in last after missing the break. Promised Gene got to within a half-length of Luxor Cafe at the wire, prompting thoughts of what might have happened if she’d gotten off to a better start.

Luxor Cafe ☕️ earns 30 points on the Japan Road to the #KyDerby! 🏇🏼🌹 pic.twitter.com/3q9vNfXTZJ

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) February 23, 2025

Luxor Cafe earned 30 points, putting him atop the Japan Road leaderboard, and Promised Gene sits second with 15 points for her hard-charging runner-up effort. Both are Triple Crown nominees, but third-placer Don in the Mood (nine points) and fourth Admire Daytona (six points) were not nominated by the early deadline.

Dragon picked up three points in fifth, followed by Danon Figo; Taisei Dorado, American Pharoah’s other contender who might not have been suited by the race shape; Vilja Lied; Happy Man; and Ecoro Azel.

Luxor Cafe improved his record to 5-3-1-0. Fourth and second, respectively, in his first two starts at Sapporo in August, the bay broke his maiden in juvenile-record time for the metric mile at Tokyo Nov. 23. He opened his sophomore campaign Jan. 11 with an about nine-furlong allowance romp at Nakayama and made it three straight in the Hyacinth.

Kentucky-bred Luxor Cafe is also a half-brother to U.S. champion turf mare Regal Glory, an earner of more than $2.6 million during her glittering career. Luxor Cafe, Cafe Pharoah, and Regal Glory are all out of the Grade 2-winning More Than Ready mare Mary’s Follies.

The concluding leg of the Japan Road, the Fukuryu S. at Nakayama, is scheduled for March 29.