American Pharoah Colt on Derby Trail After Hyacinth Win
Ten years after his Triple Crown victory, American Pharoah looks to have an exciting Kentucky Derby contender after Luxor Cafe (3c American Pharoah x Mary’s Follies, by More Than Ready) impressed in the Listed Hyacinth Stakes to earn 30 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Looking for his second win in two starts this year in the one mile race his full brother won five years ago, Luxor Café broke well before settling in midfield down the backstretch. Jockey Rachel King had the colt five wide into the stretch and that served him well coming into the final furlong.
It was a half-length victory for the Noriyuki Hori trainee, who races for Koichi Nishikawa and has taken that owner to the winner’s circle three times in five starts.
Bred by Orpendale, Chelston, Wynatt, and Westerberg Ireland, this is the fourth stakes winner for Grade II winner Mary’s Follies. That mare has produced two champions in American Pharoah’s champion son Café Pharoah and U.S. Champion Turf Female Regal Glory. She is also the dam of multiple Grade III winner Night Prowler among her seven winners from eight to race.
Each of Luxor Café’s first four dams either won stakes or produced stakes winners with his fifth dam producing two stakes producers.
Luxor Café is the 56th stakes winner for his sire, who has sired seven Japanese stakes performers and five Japanese stakes winners, led by the Grade I winning Café Pharoah. Three of his Japanese stakes performers hail from his 2022 crop.