The reigning 2-year-old male champion in Japan, Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) will try to avenge two losses this season in the central jewel of Japan’s triple crown on Sunday, the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) over 2400 meters.

Perfect in three starts last season, including a half-length success in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. in running the metric mile last December, Do Deuce just couldn’t pick up the pace. Ask Victor for more (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the 10-stadium Group 2 event named for the 2005 Triple Crown hero on March 6. , the bay colt found himself much further in the race than he had ever been before and was forced to cover ground, but launched his last 600 meters in a fastest run: 33.8 to finish an excellent third, beaten a little more than two lengths, before galloping strongly. He has another double-digit gate to clear in 13, but is in the capable hands of six-time Derby winner Yutaka Take.

“He’s got good running sense, and I don’t think the state of the pitch matters,” Take said. “I always had the turn on him, so I could see him develop, including when he was good enough to become the champion 2-year-old. He has a lot of abilities. »

Do Deuce has an interesting mix of endurance and speed in his pedigree. His sire represented 2014 Derby winner One and Only (Jpn), while his dam Dust and Diamonds (Vindication) was a two-time winning sprinter and GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint runner-up before selling to Katsumi Yoshida for $1 million in full from Pioneerof the Nile at Keeneland in November 2016.

3c DO DEUCE (Heart’s Cry x Dust and Diamonds 🇺🇸 (Vindication)) fast final ahead of the Derby

Worked the Ritto Poly track to complete it. I didn’t need much else judging by the pictures from yesterday!

JRA 2yo Colt 2021, cutting 3rd Satsuki Sho LS, Yutaka Take ridespic.twitter.com/L0COGzgcOh

— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) May 25, 2022

Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong), who suffered his first defeat when he was fifth in the Asahi Hai, resumed with a second to Danon Beluga (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) at Group 3 level in February, but had a better trip than the midfielder in the Satsuki Sho and did his best on the line to defeat the bald and the outpost Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) by a length.

“It was a tough race last time out so he deserved his break,” coach Tetsuya Kimura said. “He came back to the stable in very good shape and full of energy. He is in a similar state to what he was for the Satsuki Sho.

Danon Beluga enjoyed a comfortable trip inside the only Guineas hole, but is pulled further this time, while Equinox, who did it hard in the Guineas and ran admirably, once again the widest aisle to navigate. Christophe Lemaire was able to complete a course of 18 during last week’s G1 Yushun Himba aboard Stars on Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) over the same course and the same distance.

Pradaria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is likely to be the best backed to give his legendary sire a fifth straight Derby winner and eighth overall. After finishing second in a pair of 10 furlong trials to start his career, Bay was a seven-length winner of a maiden 2400 meters at Hanshin on March 19 and proved it was no stroke of luck with a half-length defeat of Lord of Wings (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G2 Aoba Sho, a Derby trial at this track and travels on April 30. The latter has the services of Visitor Damian Lane, but is also clumsily lured into Barrier 17.

WATCH: Many Sunday participants quit G1 Satsuki Sho