Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Luxor Cafe

Luxor Cafe, a Triple Crown nominee based in Japan, could have Kentucky Derby (G1) aspirations after winning the Hyacinth S. on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Racing 1,600 meters (about one mile) at Tokyo Racecourse, Luxor Cafe rallied to lead in the homestretch, then dug deep to turn back a challenge from Promised Gene and prevail by half a length in 1:37.6.

Although Luxor Cafe has competed exclusively in Japan, his pedigree is thoroughly American. His sire is 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and his dam is multiple U.S. graded stakes winner Mary’s Follies.

You might assume a son of a Triple Crown winner is bred for success over classic distances on dirt. But a closer examination of Luxor Cafe's pedigree suggests turf racing—and distances shorter than the 1 1/4-mile journey of the Kentucky Derby—might be preferable.

Consider the stud record of American Pharoah. Even though he was stellar over classic distances on dirt—winning the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) in addition to his Triple Crown sweep—many of his best runners have found success on turf.

American Pharoah’s accomplished grass runners include 1 1/8-mile Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) winner Harvey’s Lil Goil, 2,400-meter (about 1 1/2-mile) Australian Derby (G1) conqueror Riff Rocket, 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) Prix Saint-Alary (G1) heroine Above the Curve, 1,600-meter Criterium International (G1) winner Van Gogh, 1 1/4-mile New York (G1) winner Marketsegmentation, and five-furlong Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) victor Four Wheel Drive.

On turf, the progeny of American Pharoah have shown the ability to win over classic distances. But on dirt, they’ve tended to be sprinters and milers. American Pharoah’s best dirt runners include two-time 1,600-meter February (G1) winner Cafe Pharoah, Beholder Mile (G1) heroine As Time Goes By, and six-furlong Bing Crosby (G1) conqueror American Theorem.

The bottom half of Luxor Cafe's pedigree trends in a similar direction. His dam, Mary’s Follies, was a capable grass runner who won the Mrs. Revere (G2) and Boiling Springs (G3) racing 1 1/16 miles. She’s found even greater acclaim as a broodmare.

Prior to Luxor Cafe, Mary’s Follies foaled Cafe Pharoah, the above-mentioned two-time February winner; champion turf female Regal Glory, a four-time Grade 1-winning turf miler; and Night Prowler, winner of the 7 1/2-furlong Dania Beach (G3) and 1 1/16-mile Transylvania (G3) on grass. Clearly Mary’s Follies has a tendency to foal stakes-caliber milers much like herself.

That isn’t surprising since Mary’s Follies is a daughter of More Than Ready, winner of the King’s Bishop (G1), Hutcheson (G2), Sanford (G2), and Tremont (G3) sprinting seven furlongs or less. Even though his big wins came in sprints, More Than Ready also showed enough stamina to finish second in the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass (G1) and fourth in the Kentucky Derby, so he was more of a sprinter/miler than a pure sprinter.

The same tendency can be seen among More Than Ready’s most accomplished progeny. He’s sired seven horses who have combined to win eight Breeders’ Cup races, all racing one mile or shorter. Most of More Than Ready’s Breeders’ Cup winners have excelled on turf, including Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winners Uni and More Than Looks, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) heroines Rushing Fall and More Than Real, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) victor Pluck, and Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) conqueror Regally Ready. But More Than Ready is also responsible for Roy H, a two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on dirt.

Much like American Pharoah, More Than Ready has sired an abundance of top-tier turf runners even though he himself raced on dirt. That turf prowess is arguably even more pronounced in More Than Ready’s record as a broodmare sire. His daughters have foaled major grass winners around the globe: Australia’s Melbourne Cup (G1) winner Knight’s Choice, Japan’s Kikuka Sho (G1) conqueror Durezza, the United States’ two-time Grade 1-winning miler Carl Spackler, and Hong Kong’s four-time Group 1-winning sprinter Wellington, to name a select few.

Knight’s Choice and Durezza scored their signature wins over marathon distances, so there’s precedent for Luxor Cafe to find success racing 1 1/4 miles or farther… on turf. But the dirt influences in Luxor Cafe's pedigree are geared toward success racing one mile or less, so he isn’t guaranteed to relish the Kentucky Derby conditions.