Churchill Downs hosted morning workouts for two Japanese Kentucky Derby hopefuls Tuesday as both Luxor Café and Admire Daytona completed five-furlong works during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EST training session reserved for Derby and Oaks contenders.
Koichi Nishikawa’s Luxor Café (American Pharoah) completed his five-furlong drill in 1:02.40 with jockey Joao Moreira aboard. The Noriyuki Hori trainee posted fractions of :13.40, :26, :37.80 before finishing in 1:02.40.
“I was asked to canter a lap as a warm-up,” Moreira said. “Then I galloped him from the five-furlong pole. It was just an easy work, just to keep him ticking over. The horse felt good, relaxed and had good rhythm throughout. I was happy with his action and focus. He pulled up well. Looking forward to the challenge of riding him in the Kentucky Derby.”
Junko Kondo’s Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) also worked five furlongs in 1:02.40 under Yoshimitsu Niyashita. The G2 UAE Derby winner trained by Yukihiro Kato worked in company with Dale Romans-trained 3-year-old maiden winner Greatdayforhockey (Twirling Candy).
Admire Daytona recorded fractions of :13.40, :25.60, :49.40, 1:02.40 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.20.
“Up until now he’s been just training on his own just maintaining condition from Dubai,” Kato said. “We wanted to train him in company to tighten the screws down and it was perfect. He is a horse that thrives off a challenge. We really appreciate Dale Romans helping us out today.”
Both Japanese contenders completed their works over a fast track as they continue preparations for America’s most prestigious race.
