Do Deuce Sweeps to Victory in Japanese Derby

Any hope of a Triple Crown winner ended as Do Deuce (JPN) swept by rivals in the stretch run to win the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby-G1) May 29 at Tokyo Racecourse, but the outcome promised another great rivalry in the making. As usually happens after a remarkable performance in Japan, it didn't take long for that nation's most elusive prize, the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), to enter the conversation. And, it was a remarkable performance. Do Deuce, a Heart's Cry (JPN) colt out of the Vindication mare Dust and Diamonds, was a little slow out of the gate in the 2,400-meter (about 1 1/2 miles) race. Yutaka Take was in no hurry to chase the early speed and let the colt settle near the rear of the 18-colt field until they turned into the stretch. Circling rivals, Do Deuce exploded from the 400-meter mark, hit the front inside 200 meters and won by a neck over Equinox (JPN). Winner of last year's Asahai Hai Futurity (G1) and 2021 Japanese champion 2-year old male, Do Deuce posted a stakes-record time of 2:21.9. Equinox was the hard-luck story for the second straight time in the Triple Crown. The Kitisan Black (JPN) colt, with Christophe Lemaire aboard, also flew down the straight and for the second time just missed catching the winner. As in the first race in the series, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas-G1), his chances were compromised at the draw as he improbably started in the No. 18 gate in both races. Ask Victor More (JPN) was third in the Tokyo Yushun, with race favorite Danon Beluga (JPN) fourth. The Satsuki Sho winner, Geoglyph (JPN), didn't handle the added distance and saw his Triple Crown aspirations end as he reported seventh. "This is a truly emotional experience for me and I couldn't be happier," said Take, who won the Derby for the sixth time. "Though my colt isn't such a good starter, we were able to sit in an ideal position, so the fast pace didn't bother me. He had so much left in the tank at the final corner when I asked him for his run. He responded amazingly and took the lead earlier than planned but held on well to the wire." Do Deuce was third in the Satsuki Sho and Danon Beluga was fourth, so those rivals seem certain to feature prominently in more big races, both in Japan and overseas. Take wasted no time in dreaming big about that potential future. "The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe should be a strong option for the owner and will probably be our next target," he said. Japanese connections have lusted after that prize for decades, frequently turned away by the most frustrating of circumstances. Bred by Northern Farm and racing for Kieffers Co., Ltd., Do Deuce certainly has the pedigree to continue that quest, as his sire, Heart's Cry, is by 1989 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sunday Silence and his dam sire, Vindication, is by 1977 U.S. Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. Vindication won the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park and the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Arlington International Racecourse in 2002. Named champion 2-year-old male that year, he was retired with a suspensory injury. Dust and Diamonds finished second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita in 2012 and was never out of the top three in 11 career starts. Do Deuce also appears to have the temperament to handle top challenges. "He's an easy horse to deal with, so there's nothing to worry about with him at all," trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said. Do Deuce was undefeated in three starts as a 2-year-old, culminating in the Futurity win. He started the 2022 campaign with a second-place finish in the Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen (G2) while stepping up to 2,000 meters for the first time in preparation for the Satsuki Sho at the same trip. The further step up to 2,400 meters seemed to play right into his hands, as Tomomichi predicted before the race. "Although it's his first time over the trip, he's run over 1,800 and 2,000 meters and has handled them both with ease, he said. The 53-year-old Take, as much a pop culture star in Japan as a legendary jockey, reflected on the gradual return of fans to the country's grandstand as the pandemic is brought under control. "It's so wonderful to be able to win in front of a packed stand," he said. "You couldn't be a jockey and not dream of living this moment."