Japan: Do Deuce completes his comeback, wins Arima Kinen

Second choice Do Deuce, partnered with jockey Yutaka Take for the first time since early this season, claimed his third Grade 1 victory by winning the 1 9/16-mile, US$6,742,246 Arima Kinen grand prix at Nakayama, Japan, on Sunday against a quality field that included eight top-level winners.

The Heart’s Cry colt who won both the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1) as a 2-year-old and then the Tokyo Yushun (G1) Japan derby at 3 completed his comeback from a major setback after another graded victory in February in the Kyoto Kinen (G2). He was ruled out of his intended overseas challenge in the Dubai Turf (G1) with a lame left-front leg. In his seventh-place comeback in the autumn Tenno Sho (G1) in October and a fourth-place effort in the Japan Cup (G1) in November, his regular rider Take was unable to take the reins due to injury from another race.

“We did have our struggles after winning the Kyoto Kinen early this year,” Take said, “but I was determined to show his true strength and prove what he was really made of in this big race.”

Do Deuce (4-1) was unhurried out of the gate and rated near the rear. Held back and still well behind the pace along the backstretch, the 4-year-old colt advanced along the outside approaching the far turn of the right-handed turf course and already was joining the front group turning for home while still about four lengths behind front-running Titleholder.

With a furlong to go, Do Deuce and Stars On Earth closed in on Titleholder with a strong, late charge to pin that foe a sixteenth of a mile out and then outdueled Stars On Earth just before the wire for a half-length victory.

“It’s great to come back with Do Deuce to win this race against some really strong opponents,” Take said. “He was in good shape coming into this race, and although the colt was a bit keen, and I had to keep him in hand and maintain a good rhythm and not let him rush and gave him the go from about (seven-sixteenths of a mile) out. His response was very good rounding the last corner and gave a terrific late charge to the wire.”

Take, 54, scored his 81st Japan Racing Association Grade 1 victory and his first since the Osaka Hai with Jack d’Or in April. He previously won the Arima Kinen with Oguri Cap in 1990, Deep Impact in 2006 and Kitasan Black in 2017. With his fourth Arima Kinen victory, Take tied Kenichi Ikezoe for most wins in this race.

Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi, 60, claimed his 18th JRA Grade 1 win, his most recent being the 2022 Champions Cup with Jun Light Bolt.

Stars On Earth (7-1) broke sharply from the widest stall under Christophe Lemaire and tracked the leader off the rail in second. After allowing the Titleholder to open the margin by a wide distance, the Duramente filly maintained her position while joined by Do Deuce on the outside. After being knocked off stride briefly when she hit the rail going into the final turn, she matched Do Deuce down to the wire while outdueled in the end by a half-length to finish second.

Titleholder (7-1) shot out of the gate to dispute the lead with Stars On Earth and eventually assumed command turning the first time past the grandstand. Eventually opening the gap by more than seven lengths along the backstretch, the son of Duramente continued strongly to maintain his lead until finally being caught by the top two finishers after the sixteenth pole and hold off the fast-closing Justin Palace to finish third.

Post-time favorite Justin Palace (5-2) missed a beat coming out of the gate and raced at the very rear, about 20 lengths from Titleholder along the backstretch, before making headway approaching the final turn and circling wide into the homestretch. Under strong urging from Takeshi Yokoyama, the Deep Impact colt closed strongly with a furlong to go. Although he was unable to reach Do Deuce and Stars On Earth, he turned in a strong finishing run, missing third place by a head margin.

The winning time without a run-up was 2:30.9 for the 2,500 meters, 16 yards shy of 1 9/16 miles on the turf course rated good to firm. It was the fastest running of the Arima Kinen since Lys Gracieux’s 2:30.5 in 2019.

Usually attracting the biggest single-race handle in the world every year, the Arima Kinen brought in US$383.3 million, a 4.6 percent increase over 2022. The field was determined by a fan vote.