Photo:

Japan Racing Association

Post-time favorite Do Deuce, coming off his autumn Tenno Sho
(G1) victory, successfully closed from last place in the field of 14 to win by
a neck Sunday in the 44th running of the Grade 1, US$7 million Japan Cup covering
1 1/2 miles on the left-handed turf track at Tokyo Racecourse.

Jockey Yutaka Take extended his record for Japan Cup wins to
five following his earlier triumphs with Special Week in 1999, Deep Impact in 2006,
Rose Kingdom in 2010 and Kitasan Black in 2016. It was Take’s 83rd Japan Grade
1 victory.

It was the fifth Grade 1 victory for 5-year-old entire Do
Deuce, adding to his victories in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes in 2021, the
Tokyo Yushun or Japanese Derby in 2022, the Arima Kinen in 2023 and the Tenno
Sho last month.

Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi earned his 21st Grade 1 win and his
second Japan Cup trophy after his win in 2017 with Cheval Grand.

The 14-horse field was off with no one bidding for the lead.
Shin Emperor eventually set a slow pace. Do Deuce (6-5), breaking from stall 3,
was unhurried and travel in the rear.

Durezza (15-1) took over the lead with still not much pace up
the backstretch. Do Deuce, a son of Heart’s Cry, began to make headway from the
outside rounding the second turn but still was well behind and wide.

Take unleashed Do Deuce for an incredible drive with the
fastest late speed to catch Durezza three-sixteenths of a mile from the finish.
He rallied with the stubborn pacesetter before shaking him off in the final
strides while repelling a determined challenge from Shin Emperor (25-1), who finished
in a dead heat with Durezza for second.

“As was the case before his victory in the last Tenno Sho,
he was extremely calm throughout, even more so that last time, when he was in
the saddling area, the paddock and then the post parade,” Tomomichi said. “The
race itself unfolded with no one wanting to set a solid pace as expected to a
certain extent but resulting in a very slow pace, around 62 seconds in the
first (five furlongs). Take seemed to struggle to settle him down, so I was a
bit worried watching him go along the backstretch.

“In contrast to how the race went in the Tenno Sho, Do Deuce
ended up having to lead much earlier at the stretch this time and having to
fend off challenges from behind and sustain his lead to wire, so I had to hold
my breath until the very end.”

Take, 55, agreed with Tomomichi about the running order
early as well as the unexpectedly slow pace.

“I had to struggle keeping him in hand,” Take said. “In the
first half-mile, if the pace was to quicken more, then I was planning to stay
back. But it didn’t, so I let him gradually make headway along the outside, not
so much to quicken and close the gap but to release the reins a little bit.
Making ground from (the end of the second turn), his speed was so great that he
was already in front in an instant, and after that a normal horse would be worn
out and pinned down, but this horse is exceptional. While I wasn’t sure that
I’d won until the end, I kept believing he would stay and he did.”

Shin Emperor was fast out of the gate and took the early
lead on the rails but settled back in third behind Durezza and Stars on Earth.
While the eventual winner and Durezza raced head to head in the stretch, the
Siyouni colt dug in from the inside with the second fastest speed, catching
Durezza at the wire to finish in the dead heat for second.

Following a modest break, Durezza accelerated from mid-pack
to take over the lead before the uphill climb in the backstretch and was first
into the straight. After being caught by the eventual winner, the Duramente
colt fought back persistently but surrendered in the final strides while caught
by fast-closing Shin Emperor.

Cervinia (3-1) rated in mid-pack and was passed by Do Deuce with
a quarter-mile to go. She out-finished trailing rivals for fourth place, 2 1/2
lengths out of the money.

Racing on turf rated good to firm, Do Deuce’s winning time
was 2:25.5 without a run-up for the 2,400 meters, about 15 yards short of 1 1/2
miles. Early fractions were 24.1, 50.0, 1:14.5, 1:39.6 and 2:03.6.

Bred in Japan by Northern Farm and owned by Kieffers
Company, Do Deuce will have one more race before he is retired. He is expected
to make his last start in the 69th Arima Kinen all-star race Dec. 22 at
Nakayama.

“This horse gets better with every start,” Tomomichi said. “I
had thought that his last start was very much his best performance, but he even
exceeded that in the Japan Cup. If his condition allows for another start, I
hope that he is able to show his very best in his final Arima Kinen.”

Sunday’s 12-race card had an announced attendance of 79,720
and all-sources handle of US$225,309,874. The Japan Cup by itself attracted US157,435,812
in bets.