Video: Do Deuce rallies from last to win $7 million Japan Cup

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.