Second favorite Do Deuce registered his fourth Gr1 title by claiming this year’s Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday, following his victories in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1,600m) in 2021, the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, 2,400m) in 2022 and the Arima Kinen (2,500m) in 2023, and became the seventh horse in JRA history to win Gr1 races for four consecutive years.
The five-year-old bay bounced back from two unsuccessful starts in spring and will probably head to the Japan Cup (Gr1, 2,400m) on November 24 and the Arima Kinen on December 22 before capping off his racing career at the end of this season.
Do Deuce finishes with a late charge to win the Sunday Gr1 feature at Tokyo Racecoure (Pic – JRA)
This win marked trainer Yasuo Tomomichi’s 20th JRA-Gr1 title following this year’s Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) with Justin Milano and jockey Yutaka Take’s 82nd JRA-Gr1 title following last year’s Arima Kinen with this horse.
Having won this race with Super Creek (1989), Air Groove (1997), Special Week (1999), Meisho Samson (2007), Vodka (2008) and Kitasan Black (2017) in the past, this win also marked Take’s seventh Tenno Sho (Autumn) title, tying him with Takayoshi Yasuda for most wins in this autumn edition’s race.
Breaking smoothly from stall seven, Do Deuce eased back to settle second from last. The son of Heart’s Cry turned the last two corners wide and steered further to the outside after entering the lane to make bid. Though still second from last at the 400-meter pole, the bay unleashed an explosive turn of speed, passing his rivals one by one with the fastest finishing speed in the field, to overtake the front just before the wire for a 1-1/4-length victory.
“I wanted to show the true ability and strength of Do Deuce today, so I was really happy when he was able to display his usual powerful kick in the last stretch and crossed the wire first. The pace was not very fast and I was relying on his strong finishing speed, so I didn’t want to make any unnecessary moves in the first half of the race and settled him second from last,” commented Yutaka Take.
The happy Do Deuce connections (Pic – JRA)
Do Deuce is one of a dozen Gr1 winners of Heart’s Cry, who was lost to the Japanese breeding industry in March 2023. Heart’s Cry’s sons Suave Richard and Cheval Grand count the Japan Cup amongst their trophies and that looks like a target for Do Deuce.
Ninth pick and 2023 Tokyo Yushun champion Tastiera settled around fourth between horses, slightly angled out rounding the last corners, further switched to the outside 300 meters out and, while no match for the winner, passed the front runners in the last 200 meters to secure the runner-up seat by half a length.
Eighth choice Ho O Biscuits set a slightly slow pace, sustained the bid before overtaken by the top two finishers just before the wire and showed tenacity to hold off the late chargers by a neck for a well-deserved third.
Race favorite Liberty Island broke smoothly from the outer stall, traveled around fourth and entered the lane in good striking position, but the fillies’ Triple Crown champion was used up in the last 200 meters and finished 13th.
