Do Deuce

As has been well-documented, Japanese interests have--over the course of many years--accumulated some of the best bloodstock from all corners of the globe, and as evidenced in Riyadh and Dubai in the last couple of months, the Japanese are breeding horses that can compete anywhere at any level. Classics season in the island nation kicked off last weekend with the running of the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), with the colts' equivalent--the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas)--set for this weekend at Nakayama Racecourse. The 3-year-old offspring of some...

Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) became the first 3-year-old since Orfevre (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) in 2011 to be named Japanese Horse of the Year as year-end honors were revealed Tuesday. The Carrot Farm colorbearer received 277 of the 296 possible votes, easily outdistancing the globetrotting Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who received 18 first-place votes for the top prize. Efforia was also unanimously named champion 3-year-old male. A son of the Heart's Cry (Jpn) mare Katie's Heart (Jpn) and from the same family as fellow Horse of the...

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...