Five unbeaten 2-year-old colts lined up in Sunday's championship-crowning G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. at Hanshin, and it was the third betting choice Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) who emerged with his perfect record intact while handing legendary jockey Yutaka Take his first win in the race.
In a pattern that would be unusual in most other major racing nations, Do Deuce made his first two starts over nine furlongs before dropping back to eight for his first Group 1 assignment. He won both his prior starts by a neck: a maiden race on Sept. 5 and Tokyo's Listed Ivy S. on Oct. 23.
Traveling midpack and wide on Sunday as the race favourite Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) sat closer to the pace while racing keenly, Do Deuce found himself in the middle of the track when they straightened for home. After being slightly hampered by a rival, Do Deuce regrouped to rally on the heels of Serifos. Always looking like he was traveling better than that rival despite switching back to his wrong lead two furlongs from home, Do Deuce overhauled a stubborn Serifos inside the final half-furlong to score by a half-length under mild coaxing.
“Do Deuce is an honest colt,” said Take, who was winning his 78th JRA Group 1 and his first since 2019. “We were able to run in a good position and in good rhythm while observing the others. He responded well going into the straight and although the favorite was stubborn and hard to beat, he dug in remarkably all the way to the line. He's getting stronger by every race—we can look forward to the spring classics next year.”
Take, Japan's most popular and best-known jockey internationally, now just needs to win the G1 Hopeful S. for 2-year-olds to have won all 24 JRA Group 1s. That race takes place next week.
Pedigree Notes
Do Deuce is the 11th Group 1 winner for his sire Heart's Cry and the fifth out of a Vindication mare. His dam, Dust And Diamonds, won the GII Gallant Bloom S. and GIII Sugar Swirl S. and was second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2012. She produced three foals in the U.S., headed by the listed-winning and multiple graded placed Much Better (Pioneerof the Nile) before being purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for $1-million, in foal to Pioneerof the Nile, at Keeneland November in 2016. Her first three foals in Japan are all winners, with Do Deuce the lone black-type winner among them.
ASAHI HAI FUTURITY S.-G1, ¥135,580,000, Hanshin, 12-19, 2yo, c&f, 1600mT, 1:33.50, fm.
1–DO DEUCE (JPN), 121, c, 2, by Heart's Cry (Jpn)
1st Dam: Dust and Diamonds (MGSW & GISP-US,
$496,260), by Vindication
2nd Dam: Majestically, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Darling Dame, by Lyphard
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Kieffers Inc; B-Northern Farm; T-Yasuo
Tomomichi; J-Yutaka Take; ¥71,106,000. Lifetime Record:
3-3-0-0. *1/2 to Much Better (Pioneerof the Nile), MGSP-US,
$275,031. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: C+.
2–Serifos (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–Sea Front (Fr), by
Le Havre (Ire). O-G1 Racing; B-Oiwake Farm; ¥28,316,000.
3–Danon Scorpion (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Lexie
Lou, by Sligo Bay (Ire). O-Danox Inc; B-K.I. Farm; ¥18,158,000.
Margins: HF, HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 6.80, 1.40, 8.70.
Also Ran: Al Naseem (Jpn), Geoglyph (Jpn), Toshin Macau (Jpn), Dobune (Jpn), Purpur Ray (Jpn), Tudo de Bom (Jpn), Sprit the Sea (Jpn), Via Dolorosa (Jpn), Otaru Ever (Jpn), Sekkachi Cane (Jpn), Kaju Faith (Jpn), Shin Limites (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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