Duramente bursts clear in Satsuki Sho

Sunday Racing's Duramente (King Kamehameha) had displayed talent in his four

previous outings at Tokyo Racecourse, never finishing worse than second, but the

bay showed a new dimension Sunday when rolling down the middle of the Nakayama

track to dominate his Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas) (Jpn-G1) foes

while earning his first stakes victory.

Dispatched as the bettors' third choice, Duramente dropped back to near last

soon after the break and had just one trailing as he galloped along the rail

around the first bend. Biding his time down the backstretch under Mirco Demuro,

Duramente improved a few positions on the run into the final bend, but as the

field swung into the straight he faced a wall of horses in front of him.

Duramente caused some drama when, angled out by Demuro, he swerved

dramatically, causing some interference, but that mishap was overshadowed by his

sparkling turn of foot once in the clear. He swept past fellow Sunday Racing

colorbearer Real Steel (Deep Impact) in the closing strides to post a clear-cut

1 1/2-length victory. Kitasan Black (Black Tide) failed to show his usual fire

but stuck on for third, while favored Satono Crown was sixth.

Demuro, who was suspended until May 3 for his mount's stretch antics, said,

"He felt good in his workout before this race and I thought he felt very much

like Neo Universe (with whom he won the 2003 Satsuki Sho). He was easy to ride

early in the race but he's very highly strung; it was his first time going

right-handed and the crowd was very loud too so he may have over-reacted

(swerving in the stretch) -- he gave me a bit of a fright. We'll have to work on

that towards the Derby (Yokyo Yushun [Jpn-G1] on May 31) but he certainly is a

very strong colt."

Prior to Sunday, all of Duramente's races had come over 1800 meters going

left-handed at Tokyo. He debuted with a second under Fran Berry last October,

and went one better to graduate the following month under Ryan Moore. Victorious

in his three-year-old debut in allowance company February 1, Duramente slipped

to second behind Real Steel in the Tokinominoru Kinen (Jpn-G3) two weeks later,

and was making his first start since on Sunday.

This victory was the first Grade 1 score for Demuro since he gained his

full-time JRA license in March, although he has won 11 Grade 1s in Japan

previously, including four runnings of this classic. It was the first Grade 1 in

Japan for trainer Noriyuki Hori since the 2012 Yasuda Kinen, although the

conditioner saddled Real Impact (Deep Impact) to win the George Ryder S.

(Aus-G1) in Australia last month.

Duramente's first three dams are all Japanese champions: champion older mare

Admire Groove; Horse of the Year and champion older mare Air Groove; and

champion two- and three-year-old filly Dyna Carle. Air Groove and Dyna Carle

both won the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks).

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com