Do Deuce (Japanese: ドウデュース, foaled 7 May 2019) is a retired Japanese

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

. He was the best two-year-old colt in Japan in 2021 when he was undefeated in three races including the Ivy Stakes and the

Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (朝日杯フューチュリティステークス) is a one-mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred colts two years old in Japan. It is considered the ''de facto'' year-end championship for Japanese thoroughbred racing ...

. The highlight of his second campaign came when he defeated

Equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...

to win the

Tokyo Yushun Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. As a four-year-old in 2023 he won the Kyoto Kinen in February and ended the year by taking the

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Conditions races, Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds three-years-old and above and the world's largest betting horserace. It is run in late December each year, over ...

. He then won the autumn edition of the

Tenno Sho The is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade 1 races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Gr ...

and the

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

as a five-year-old in 2024. He was also voted

Japanese Horse of the Year The Japanese Horse of the Year is the highest honor given to the most outstanding horse in Japanese thoroughbred horse racing. It is awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Since 1987 the honor has been part of the JRA Awards. This ...

and

JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse The is a title awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) to an outstanding horse of that category in Thoroughbred horse racing in Japan. Since 1987 the honor has been part of the JRA Awards. Records Most successful horse (2 wins): * ...

in the same year.

Background

Do Deuce is a bay colt with a white blaze bred in Japan by Northern Farm. During his racing career he was trained by Yasuo Tomomichi and raced in the grey and white of Kieffers Co Ltd. He was from the twelfth crop of foals sired by Heart's Cry a horse whose wins included the

and the

Dubai Sheema Classic The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track a ...

, as well as the only racehorse that was able to defeat Japanese legendary racehorse Deep Impact on Japanese soil. His other foals have included Suave Richard,

Admire Rakti Admire Rakti (20 February 2008 – 4 November 2014) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Diamond Stakes in Japan and the Caulfield Cup in Australia. He died in his stall after competing in the 154th Melbourne Cup on 4 November ...

, Just A Way and Lys Gracieux. Do Deuce's dam Dust And Diamonds was bred in Kentucky and raced with considerable success in the United States where she won the Gallant Bloom Handicap and ran second in the

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint is a 7-furlong (1408 m) Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred fillies and mares three years old and up. As its name implies, it is a part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the ''de facto'' year- ...

. In November 2016 at

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for ...

she was bought for $1,000,000 by Katsumi Yoshida and exported to Japan. She was a great-granddaughter of Darling Lady, a half-sister to the dams of

Dancing Brave Dancing Brave (11 May 1983 – 2 August 1999) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from the autumn of 1985 until October 1986, he ran ten times and won eight races. Dancing Brave ...

and Jolypha.

Racing career

2021: two-year-old season

Do Deuce began his racing career in a contest for previously unraced juveniles over 1800 metres on good to firm ground at Kokura Racecourse on 5 September 2021. Ridden by

Yutaka Take (born March 15, 1969, in Kyoto, Kyoto) is a Japanese jockey. Take made his riding debut in 1987 and currently holds seven all-time records in Japan. He has won at least one Grade 1 race for 23 straight years until 2010, and a graded stakes rac ...

he started the 0.7/1 favourite and won by a neck from Gaia Force. Take was again in the saddle when the colt was stepped up in class to contest the Listed Ivy Stakes over the same distance at

Tokyo Racecourse is located in Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1933 for horse racing, it is considered the "racecourse of racecourses" in Japanese horseracing. It has a capacity of 223,000, with seating for 13,750. Tokyo Racecourse hosts numerous G1 (Grade 1) ...

in the following month. He started second choice in the betting and prevailed by a neck and three quarters of a

length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with Dimension (physical quantity), dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a Base unit (measurement), base unit for length is chosen, ...

from Gran Cielo and Ask Victor More after taking the lead in the straight. On 19 December at

Hanshin Racecourse is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After World War II, GHQ orde ...

, Do Deuce was stepped up to Grade 1 class to contest

over 1600 metres and went off the 6.8/1 third choice in the betting behind Serifos (winner of the Niigata Nisai Stakes) and

Geoglyph A geoglyph is a large design or motif – generally longer than – produced on the ground by durable elements of the landscape, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth. A positive geoglyph is formed by the arrangement and alignment ...

( Sapporo Nisai Stakes). Take positioned the colt on the outside in mid-division before producing a strong run down the centre of the straight. He got the better of a sustained struggle with Serifos in the last 200 metres to win by half a length. After the race Take, who was winning the race for the first time, said “Do Deuce is an honest colt. 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." In January 2021, at the JRA Awards, Do Deuce was named Best Two-Year-Old Colt, taking 251 of the 296 votes. In the official Japanese rankings Do Deuce was rated the best two-year-old of 2021, one pound ahead of Serifos and the

Hopeful Stakes The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has ...

winner Killer Ability.

2022: three-year-old season

On his first run as a three-year-old, Do Deuce started favourite for the Grade 2 Yayoi Sho over 2000 metres at

Nakayama Racecourse was built in 1990 in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan, for horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for c ...

on 6 March. He tracked the leaders for most of the way and finished strongly but sustained his first defeat as he failed to run down Ask Victor More and was beaten a neck into second place. In the

Satsuki Sho Satsuki is a traditional Japanese name for the month of . It is commonly used as a feminine given name and, more rarely, as a surname or a masculine name. Possible spellings Satsuki can be spelled using different ''kanji'' characters and can mean ...

over the same course and distance on 17 April the colt started the 2.9/1 favourite in an eighteen-runner field but despite producing a strong late charge from the rear of the field he was unable to reel in the leaders and came home third behind Geoglyph and

. On 29 May Do Deuce was one of eighteen three-year-olds to contest the 85th running of the

over 2400 metres at Tokyo Racecourse, and, with Take again in the saddle went off the 3.2/1 third choice in the betting behind Danon Beluga and Equinox. The other contenders included Geoglyph, Ask Victor More, Justin Palace, Killer Ability, Matenro Leo ( Kisaragi Sho) and Ask Wild More ( Kyoto Shimbun Hai). After racing towards the rear of the field he began to make progress and moved up into contention on the wide outside on the final turn. He made relentless progress in the straight, overhauled the leader Ask Victor More 150 metres from the finish and held off the late challenge of Equinox to win by a neck. Yutaka Take, who was winning the race for the sixth time said "This is a truly emotional experience for me... Though my colt isn’t such a good starter, we were able to sit in an ideal position so the fast pace didn’t bother me. He had so much left in the tank at the final corner when I asked him for his run—he responded amazingly and took the lead earlier than planned but held on well." Do Deuce then went to France to run in the

Prix Niel The Prix Niel is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), in September each ...

before running in the

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...

. He finished fourth to Simca Mille for the Prix Niel and finished 19th against Alpinista for the l'Arc de Triomphe, which was the worst out of the four Japanese horses that ran that year. After returning to Japan, it was announced that he would take the remainder of the year off before returning to the races at next year's Kyoto Kinen, with the

Dubai Turf The Dubai Turf is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,800 metres (1 mile 1 furlong) on the turf at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai during the Dubai World Cup Night ...

in mind.

2023: four-year-old season

Do Deuce became the first Derby winner in 75 years to win the Kyoto Kinen, after he became the most favored to win. However, he was ultimately scratched from the Dubai Turf due to his near-fore being lame during a pre-race medical check. He would not return to racing until October 29 when he was entered in to the Autumn Tenno Sho to face Equinox once again. However, Do Deuce finished at 7th in that race, with his usual jockey being injured as a result of being kicked by another horse that day and instead ridden by

Keita Tosaki ; born July 8, 1980) is a Japanese jockey born in Mibu, Tochigi. Profile Tosaki started his career as a jockey for the Ohi Racecourse, part of the National Association of Racing, in 1998. He rode and won his first race on April 12 of that yea ...

, who was a last minute replacement. Tosaki would reprise his role as Do Deuce's jockey in the following

, as Take was still recovering from his injuries at the time, but finished fourth behind Equinox. Take returned to race with Do Deuce for the

, held on December 24, where he was the second favorite. At the race, the horse managed to run past the pack at the final corner, overtaking the likes of Stars on Earth and Titleholder, winning his third Grade I race with a half length lead. After the Arima Kinen; Take, Tomomichi, and Matsushima (head of Kieffers) expressed their desires to return to Dubai and France once again.

2024: five-year-old season

Do Deuce was entered into the

as planned, and finished 5th to Facteur Cheval after a late start. Back in Japan, he entered the

Takarazuka Kinen The Takarazuka Kinen (宝塚記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan for Thoroughbreds aged three and over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately miles) at Hanshin Racecourse (阪神競馬場) in late June. It is one of the two "All-Sta ...

as the most favored horse, but suffered due to the heavy turf and finished 6th to Blow the Horn. After the Takarazuka Kinen, Kieffers Co. announced that he would not be participating in the arc as originally planned, and would retire in the year after racing in the Autumn Tenno Sho,

and

. Do Deuce returned to the racetrack as planned for the Fall Tenno Sho on the 27th of October, and was the second most favored horse after Liberty Island (horse). He won the race from behind, overtaking the runner Ho O Biscuits and holding off a late challenge from Tastiera (horse) to take his 4th Group 1 title, with a new JRA record speed of 32.5 seconds for the final three furlongs. With this win, he also became the first male racehorse in JRA history to have won a Group 1 title each year from age 2 to age 5. On 24 November, Do Deuce entered the 44th

which attracted a group of international racers, such as multiple Group 1 winner

Auguste Rodin (horse) Auguste Rodin (foaled 26 January 2020) is a multiple-Group 1 winning Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2022 he won three of his four races, including the Vertem Futurity Trophy. In the following year he won the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby, I ...

and Goliath, the winner of the 2024

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot ...

, and was the most popular horse in the race. He showed his chasing ability once again and overtook the leaders at the final straight, holding off a sustained challenge from the leaders Durezza (horse) and Shin Emperor to win by a nose. After the race, the horse was entered into the

as his retirement race in an attempt to become the first horse to win the Japanese Autumn Older Horse Triple Crown (Autumn Tenno Sho, Japan Cup, Arima Kinen) since

Zenno Rob Roy (27 March 2000 – 2 September 2022) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. In a racing career which lasted from February 2003 until December 2005, he ran twenty times, winning seven races and being placed on ten further occasi ...

did in 2004. He received a record-breaking 478,415 votes in the Arima Kinen poll and was planned to start at gate 2 for the race, but was diagnosed with lameness after training and withdrew from the race 2 days before it started. He retired on the next day with the Japan Cup becoming his final start. Do Deuce now stands stud at

Shadai Stallion Station is a thoroughbred breeding facility located in Abira on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. The farm was begun in the late 1970s to early 1980s by the late Zenya Yoshida, and is now run jointly by his sons (Katsumi, Haruya, and Teruya Yoshida), know ...

for a fee of 10,000,000JPY.

Racing form

Below data is based on JBIS Search, netkeiba.com, and the

France Galop France Galop is the governing body of flat and steeplechase horse racing in France. It was founded on May 3, 1995, as the result of the amalgamation of four different industry organizations. Prominent owner/breeder Jean-Luc Lagardère was elected ...

. ''Legend:''

;''Notes:''

Pedigree

*Do Deuce in

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders an ...

4 × 4 to

Lyphard Lyphard (10 May 1969 – 10 June 2005) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and an important Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. Background American bred in Pennsylvania, Lyphard was a son of Northern Dancer ...

, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

Footnotes

Notes

References

{{Reflist 2019 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Japan Racehorses trained in Japan Thoroughbred family 3-d Tokyo Yūshun winners Arima Kinen winners