Duramente, Satono Rasen lead cast for Japanese Derby

Duramente, the winner of the Japanese 2000 Guineas on April 19, and Satono Rasen, the winner of the Grade 2 Shimbun Hai at Kyoto Racecourse earlier this month, are two leading contenders for Sunday’s $3,351,865 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse.

The Grade 1 Japanese Derby is run at 1 1/2 miles on turf and drew a full field of 18.

The field includes many leading 3-year-olds in Japan this year, including Real Steel and Kitason Black, who were second and third in the 2000 Guineas at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Nakayama Racecourse; Porte d’Auteuil, who was second in the Shimbun Hai; and Reve Mistral, the winner of the Grade 2 Aoba Sho at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Tokyo on May 2.

Top French rider Christophe Lemaire will ride in the Japanese Derby for the first time on Satono Rasen, who won his stakes debut in the Shimbun Hai. Satona Rasen is trained by Yasutoshi Ikee, who won the Japanese Oaks earlier this month with Mikki Queen.