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‘Deuce’-s Wild In The Arima Kinen

The second betting choice to–finally–build on a championship season in 2021 and a Classic-winning campaign last season, Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) was produced wide into the Nakayama straight by the ageless Yutaka Take and outbattled the positively ridden 4-year-old filly Stars on Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) to take out Sunday's G1 Arima Kinen, the fan-voted 'Grand Prix' of Japan. Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) made the majority of the running, but where he weakened out to finish down the field 12 months ago, held courageously for third in his final career start.

Outfooted and relegated to the tail of the field, with 5-2 pick Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})–runner-up to Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn)– bringing up the rear, the 2022 G1 Tokyo Yushun hero traveled strongly for Take, as Titleholder opened a long lead through the middle stages as was widely expected. Keeping his mount out wide and out of harm's way, Take slipped Do Deuce some rein as they took the rise with 800 metres to race, but Titleholder wasn't coming back to the field just yet and carried a healthy advantage into the final 600 metres.

But the swoopers began to chime in, as Do Deuce got underway at the midpoint on the turn and was four deep, but gaining on the front-runner nearing the entrance to the straight as Stars on Earth plugged on at the fence. Titleholder was brave on the lead and stuck on well into the final furlong, but he just couldn't quite see it out, as Do Deuce rolled home to outfinish the 2022 G1 Yushun Himba heroine, giving Take an 81st elite-level success on the JRA. Next in was Justin Palace followed by 2021 Derby winner Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), while reigning Derby winner Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}) was sixth.

Last but one in last year's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Do Deuce resumed with a cracking victory in the G2 Kyoto Kinen Feb. 12, an effort that propelled him in most circles to favourite's status for the G1 Dubai Turf. Forced to withdraw from the contest in the days leading up to it, the bay was somewhat disappointing when a first-up seventh to Equinox in the Tenno Sho and was a latest fourth to the now-retired Horse of the Year in the G1 Japan Cup Nov. 26. The two most recent efforts came with Keita Tosaki on his back, but it was Take renewing acquaintances Sunday, having recently returned from an injury-enforced absence.

“It's great to comeback with Do Deuce to win this race against some really strong opponents,” said Take, winning his fourth Arima Kinen, three of which have occurred on Christmas Eve. “He was in good shape coming into this race and although the colt was a bit keen, I had to keep him in hand and maintain a good rhythm and not let him rush and gave him the go from about 700 metres out. His response was very good rounding the last corner and gave a terrific late charge to the wire. We did have our struggles after winning the Kyoto Kinen early this year, but I was determined to show his true strength and prove what he was really made of in this big race.”

Pedigree Notes:

Two-time graded-stakes winner Dust and Diamonds, also runner-up to Groupie Doll in the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint for Padua Stables and Richard Santulli, changed hands for $900,000 at that year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale and won the GIII Sugar Swirl S. in a single racetrack appearance for Borges Torrealba Holdings and Three Chimneys Farm. The mare foaled MGSP Much Better (Pioneerof the Nile) for that operation before being purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for an even $1 million in foal to Pioneerof the Nile at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale.

Carrying the distinctive Shadai black-and-yellow stripes, Heart's Cry was runner-up to King Kamehameha (Jpn) in the 2004 Tokyo Yushun and ninth in this event behind Zenno Rob Roy. He ran with credit, albeit without winning, early on at four in 2005, but blossomed really and truly at the back end of the season, missing by a nose to the Luca Cumani-conditioned Alkaased in the G1 Japan Cup before famously handing Deep Impact (Jpn) his only domestic defeat in that year's Arima Kinen. Heart's Cry became the second Japanese-based winner of the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in 2006 and was third to Hurricane Run (Ire) and Electrocutionist in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. at Ascot, but was well held behind Deep Impact in that year's Japan Cup.

Do Deuce is one of a dozen top-level scorers for his sire, whose daughter Lys Gracieux (Jpn) was brilliant in winning the 2019 Arima Kinen. Heart's Cry passed away this past March aged 22, but was represented posthumously by Continuous (Jpn), victorious in this year's G1 St Leger. Heart's Cry's recently repatriated American dual-surface Grade I winner Yoshida (Jpn) is out of the Grade I-winning Hilda's Passion, whose sire Canadian Frontier was a son of Gone West and Borodislew (Seattle Slew).

Kieffers purchased the Real Steel (Jpn) half-brother to Do Deuce for a sales-topping ¥94.6 million (approximately $664,000) at the 2022 Northern Farm Foal Sale and Dust and Diamonds foaled a filly by Silver State (Jpn) this past Mar. 20 before visiting Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Contrail (Jpn).

Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
ARIMA KINEN-G1, ¥959,860,000, Nakayama, 12-24, 3yo/up, 2500mT, 2:30.90, gd/fm.
1–DO DEUCE (JPN), 128, c, 4, 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
O-Kieffers Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm; T-Yasuo Tomomichi; J-Yutaka Take; ¥503,420,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-Jpn, 12-6-1-1, $7,671,573. *1/2 to Much Better (Pioneerof the Nile), MGSP, $332,204. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Stars on Earth (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Duramente (Jpn)–Southern Stars (GB), by Smart Strike. O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm; T-Mizuki Takayanagi; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥200,972,000.
3–Titleholder (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Duramente (Jpn)–Mowen (GB), by Motivator (GB). (¥20,000,000 Wlg '18 JRHAJUL). O-Hiroshi Yamada; B-Okada Stud; T-Toru Kurita; J-Kazuo Yokoyama; ¥130,486,000.
Margins: HF, 1, HD. Odds: 4.20, 7.60, 7.30.
Also Ran: Justin Palace (Jpn), Shahryar (Jpn), Tastiera (Jpn), Win Marilyn (Jpn), Sol Oriens (Jpn), Harper (Jpn), Ho O Emmy's (Jpn), Iron Barows (Jpn), Through Seven Seas (Jpn), Lilac (Jpn), Pradaria (Jpn), Deep Bond (Jpn), Heat on Beat (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

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Favorite Julias Dream Rolls Home In Turfway’s Gowell

Talla Racing's 2-year-old filly Julias Dream pressed the pace from second and withstood swift early fractions before grabbing the lead in the stretch and drawing off to win Saturday's $125,000 Gowell Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths at Turfway Park.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Julias Dream improved her overall mark to three wins from four starts. She was ridden to victory in the Gowell Stakes by Luan Machado while completing six furlongs in 1:11.21.

In the early stages of the race, Baraye was fleet-footed from the rail under jockey Gerardo Corrales but was quickly joined to her outside by Julias Dream. The duo clocked an opening quarter mile in :22.15 and half mile in :45.29. As the field entered the stretch, Julias Dream poked her head in front of her speedy rival and began to draw clear as they entered the final furlong.

Baraye was able to hold the runner-up position by a neck over the fast-closing Pipit. They were followed in order by Pinotslilgirl, Candi Girl, Trial, Edge of Town, Secret Glenda, Kerlo's Cause, and Logistics.

Julias Dream was bet down to the 5-2 post time favorite and paid $7.86 for the victory.

Julias Dream is a daughter of Flameaway out of Cinnamon Girl, by Meadowlake. She was bred in Kentucky by David Soblick.

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Road To Kentucky Oaks: Alpine Princess Makes All The Pace In Untapable

Fighting through and winning the early battle for positioning in and out of the first turn, Full of Run Racing and Madakat Stables' Alpine Princess wired five fillies in Saturday's $100,000 Untapable at Fair Grounds.

Though Alpine Princess' lead seemed insurmountable, stablemate West Omaha never quit through the stretch to finish two lengths back at the wire, securing the Brad Cox-trained exacta. Alpine Princess covered the one mile and 70 yards in 1:43.08 to earn 10 points toward a possible start in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) next spring. West Omaha collected five Oaks points.

Breaking from the rail and brushing an outer foe, Alpine Princess found herself in the rear at the outset, but her jockey Florent Geroux urged her through the encroaching outside fillies unscathed and into command of the field with first-time router Legadema in chase mode at her tail. After scrambling through the first turn three-wide, West Omaha took a tracking position in fourth.

Traveling comfortably in :24.27 and :48.29 through a half mile, Alpine Princess grew bold, adding distance to her lead at every call, as Legadema began to fade turning for home. West Omaha and Sistina Chapel were coming on, but the latter could not match strides and crossed the wire three lengths behind West Omaha in third for trainer Ken McPeek, earning three Oaks points. Legadema held on for fourth and two points. Band of Gold managed fifth and one point.

Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, Alpine Princess returned $5.40 for the win.

“It wasn't my plan to go to the lead,” Geroux said. “But she broke well and I was going to get squeezed pretty hard leaving there, so I just took the best option and that was to let my filly run and not take a very strong hold going into the first turn. I had to give her a couple of reminders right at the end. She was getting a little lost the last furlong. She's a very honest filly. We've liked her from the beginning. I don't see many fillies on this circuit right now who blow my mind. We know the route to take (toward the Kentucky Oaks).”

Alpine Princess's first stakes victory ratcheted her career earnings up $210,810 to match her 5-3-0-1 record.

Last year's Untapable winner, Pretty Mischievous, would go on to win the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and finish second in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) en route to an eventual score in Kentucky Oaks.

Alpine Princess was bred in Kentucky by Betz/DJ Stables, Peter V Lamatia, and Classic Empire Syndicate. Produced by the Curlin mare Le Moine, she sold to Full of Run Racing for $190,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where Betz Thoroughbreds consigned her.

The Road to the Kentucky Oaks through Fair Grounds picks back up on Jan. 20. Fasig-Tipton sponsors Fair Grounds' 2024 series for 3-year-old fillies. The Fasig-Tipton Tremé Triple consists of the Silverbulletday Stakes (Jan. 20), the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra (Feb. 17), and the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) (March 23). The name of the race series is a tribute to the historic Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans that borders Fair Grounds.

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Road To Kentucky Derby: Track Phantom Impresses In Gun Runner In Year’s Final Derby Prep

Track Phantom left heavy favorite Nash toiling in his wake nearing the stretch and continued on to win the $100,000 Gun Runner on Saturday at Fair Grounds. The son of Quality Road, trained by Steve Asmussen, earned 10 points toward a spot in the 150th Kentucky Derby (G1) next May.

After pressing the speed-and-fade Next Level through the :23.61 first point of call, Track Phantom made a deft move at the three-furlong pole and sustained the momentum to lead through the first half-mile in a swift :46.93. Although he had the 1-2 favorite Nash and Snead in pursuit across Fair Grounds' long homestretch, the rising star held sway to the wire, stopping the clock at 1:44.42 for 1 1/16 miles. Snead was second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of 1-2 favorite Nash in third.

L and N Racing, Clark Brewster, Jerry Caroom, and breeder Breeze Easy's Track Phantom returned $11.80 for the victory.

“It's impressive that both of his two turn races have been victories, and it was a good field today,” Asmussen said. “I actually thought they went too fast in the middle, you know, :46 4/5 here in a two-turn race, you don't see horses see it out very often. He's obviously a very good horse who has some room to physically develop and we have him right where want to be at this stage of his career.”

Named for one of the all-time greats, the initial Gun Runner was won by the Asmussen-trained Epicenter two years ago. That colt would later take down both the Risen Star (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2) in advance of a runner-up performance in the Kentucky Derby.

“Gun Runner was such a special horse for us,” said Asmussen, who conditioned the 2017 Horse of the Year. “He got started during his 2-year-old, 3-year-old season here, which put him on the map, and the things he went on to do were obviously very special.”

In town to ride just this one race, Christian Torres piloted Track Phantom to the 1 1/4-length win over Snead. It was the up-and-coming jockey's first career Fair Grounds win from just three local mounts.

“He broke sharp for us like we expected,” Torres said. “Going into the first turn I was trying to let the one horse (Next Level) go and save (my horse). On the backside, he kind of relaxed a little bit, but I knew we were going a little bit fast. The way he was traveling, he felt comfortable and he was well in hand. I just waited until we turned for home to really ask him and when he did, he just took off.”

After settling near the back through the opening half mile, Snead made a wide move with intention though the far turn, setting his sights on the leaders, and making quick work of Nash. Trained by Brendan Walsh and guided by Jareth Loveberry, Snead kept coming at Track Phantom but fell short. The son of Nyquist earned five Derby qualifying points.

“That was a huge one,” Walsh said. “I'm delighted. You'd like to think he'd improve more because he's that type of horse and that the further he goes the better he'll get. He ran at that horse again right at the end. I don't think the pennies dropped with this horse still. He's so laid back. When things really click with him, who knows (what he could do) if he keeps going the right way.”

Nash stalked the front-runners and tried to muster a bid in the homestretch but could never find a run to match strides with the top two. The son of Medaglia d'Oro earned three points toward a possible start in the Run for the Roses.

“I thought he got a good trip,” Cox said. “Sat behind what we thought was a hot pace. Horse on the lead kept going. No excuses that I can see. He was getting passed by a horse on the outside. I don't know. We'll see how he comes out of it. Disappointing. We'll see if we can bounce back. I thought he'd show a little more today.”

Footprint finished in fourth for trainer Ken McPeek to receive two points, and Track Phantom's stablemate Risk It earned one point for his fifth place finish. Neat and Next Level rounded out the order of finish.

Having broken his maiden last out on Churchill Downs' “Stars of Tomorrow II” card, the newly minted stakes winner now boasts a record of 4-2-1-1 record and $165,000 in the bank along with a promise note for more.

The Kentucky-bred is out of the Into Mischief mare Miss Sunset. Consigned to the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the bay colt sold to L&N Racing for $500,000.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby through Fair Grounds picks back up on Jan. 20 with the 1 1/8 miles Lecomte (G3). On Feb. 17, the Derby dreamers will be tasked with 1 1/8 miles in the Risen Star (G2), and the last New Orleans stop before the first weekend in May comes on March 23 with the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) which is run at 1 3/16 miles.

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