Cafe Pharoah looks to stay hot in Japan Dirt Derby

Jul 05, 2020 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

The runaway leader in the points standings for the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, Cafe Pharoah looks to remain perfect in the series finale in Wednesday’s Japan Dirt Derby. The exciting American Pharoah colt tops a field of 13 in the about 1 1/4-mile test at Tokyo’s Oi Racecourse.

Tune in to TwinSpires.com early Wednesday morning -- post time is 7:05 a.m. ET!

Cafe Pharoah enters with 70 points, 30 from his last-to-first heroics in the Feb. 23 Hyacinth and 40 from his stakes-record romp in the June 21 Unicorn (G3). Both of those came around a one-turn metric mile, but he’d aced his career debut going about 1 1/8 miles at Nakayama in December, and the increased distance doesn’t appear an obvious concern. Drawn in post 2 with Australian rider Damian Lane, Cafe Pharoah can firm up his Kentucky Derby status with another top performance.

Even if Cafe Pharoah is upset, none of his rivals can top him on the leaderboard because of the Japan Dirt Derby's 40-16-8-4 points structure. Thus the invitation to Derby 146 will officially be his, if owner Koichi Nishikawa and trainer Noriyuki Hori accept it. 
The Japan Dirt Derby will help make that decision, and possibly unearth a new contender should Cafe Pharaoh decline. 
Four foes are hoping to turn the tables on Cafe Pharoah. Full Flat and Daimei Corrida are fellow Triple Crown nominees, while Barnard Loop and Kitano Octopus are not.
Barnard Loop was a distant second to Cafe Pharoah in their mutual debut. But the well-bred son of Lord Kanaloa has gone on to win his three ensuing starts, including the May 6 Hyogo Championship at Sonoda over Danon Pharoah. Barnard Loop, drawn just outside of Cafe Pharoah in post 3, keeps Christophe Lemaire aboard.
Kitano Octopus, a closing fifth in the Unicorn, could move up over the extra quarter-mile. Sire Fenomeno was a two-time winner of the Tenno Sho Spring (G1) over two metric miles, and his dam is by champion Grass Wonder, twice successful in the prestigious Arima Kinen (G1).

Full Flat was most recently sixth in the Unicorn, his first start since upsetting the Saudi Derby on Saudi Cup Day. The Hideyuki Mori pupil might do better second time out, considering that he was also beaten in his comeback after a fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Whether the Speightstown colt will be as effective at this longer distance is another question, but he is out of a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro and Grade 1 vixen Fire the Groom. And his Saudi form has turned out to be noteworthy, with runner-up Mishriff winning Sunday’s French Derby (G1). Japanese legend Yutaka Take will guide Full Flat from post 5. 

Daimei Corrida, who owns 2 Derby points as the third-placer in the Nov. 23 Cattleya Sho, was only ninth behind Cafe Pharoah in the Hyacinth. The son of Eskendereya has placed second in his past two, to Miyaji Kokuo in the May 24 Hyoso S. at Kyoto and in an about 1 1/4-mile allowance versus elders at Hanshin. 
Danon Pharaoh, another Triple Crown-nominated American Pharoah, has been hit-or-miss. His narrow loss to Barnard Loop was one of his better efforts, as he prompted the pace, spurted clear, and just got collared late. Danon Pharaoh has disappointed, however, in his two tries on the Japan Road, finishing fifth in the Cattleya Sho and sixth in the Mar. 28 Fukuryu. His latest was also a clunker, a 14th of 16 in the aforementioned Hyoso.
Hyoso hero Miyaji Kokuo, a half-brother to Japanese dirt star Espoir City, is an intriguing fresh challenger for Cafe Pharoah. Sporting a 3-for-5 mark, Miyaji Kokuo came from the clouds to grab third in the Fukuryu in his only attempt at a scoring race. That would have been worth 8 points, but he’s not pursuing the Kentucky Derby at last report from Churchill Downs. 
The remaining six entrants – Aime Limite, who upset the course-and-distance Tokyo Derby last out; Bravoure; Gamila’s Jackson; Gold Bomber; Riko Seawolf; and Causey Son Rad – are not Japan Racing Association-registered runners, and accordingly face a stiffer class test.  

Here is the full field in post order, from goracing.jp:

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