Lucky Kid stamped himself as a live Kentucky Derby trail hopeful after digging deep to win Sunday’s Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse, a key Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier and a primary springboard for the UAE Derby in Dubai.
Godolphin’s homebred colt, trained by Yukihiro Kato and ridden by Mirai Iwata, stopped the clock in 1:36.7 for 1600 metres on a fast dirt track, scoring by a neck from a charging Don Erectus, with Itterasshai a further 1 3/4 lengths back in third.
“He was very impressive in his debut, and I felt that if he could find that same gear today, he’d be right in the mix,” Iwata said. “The trainer’s instructions were to get him a bit of clear air, so I kept him in a stalking position where I could move him to the outside when ready.”
Iwata said he liked the qualities shown by the three-year-old – from early speed, acceleration when it matters and fight in the finish.
“The first half was a bit quick, but he still showed a great turn of foot,” he said. “Even though it got tight at the wire, he did a fantastic job holding on.”
The win marked a timely return to form for Lucky Kid, who had followed a winning debut at Tokyo in October with a third in the Hyogo Junior Grand Prix and an eighth in a Tokyo allowance on January 31.
“He does have a habit of getting a bit green once he hits the front,” Kato said. “It’s not that he’s tired; he just loses focus. For his next start, we’ll likely look to keep a target in front of him. He still needs to mature mentally.”
On the 1600m distance, Kato added: “I think he stays the trip perfectly well. The pace today was honest, which suited him. When you go overseas, the races don’t turn into tactical crawls; you have to be able to travel from the jump. Japanese racing needs to adapt to that high-tempo style.”
Whether Lucky Kid runs in the UAE Derby at Meydan on March 28 remains undecided.
“That will be a decision for the owners,” Kato said, adding: “It’s certainly an option on the table.”
Japan has won the last four editions of the UAE Derby – Crown Pride (2022), Derma Sotogake (2023), Forever Young (2024), and Admire Daytona (2025) – with all four winners later travelling to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. ∎
