Duramente wins Japanese 2000 Guineas

Duramente won the first stakes of his career in Sunday’s $1,700,824 Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse, giving international jockey Mirco Demuro his first Grade 1 win in Japan since he began riding regularly in the country last month.

Duramente, the 7-2 third choice, closed from the back of the field of 15 to win by 1 1/2 lengths over the 5-2 second choice Real Steel, who led in the stretch in the race at 1 1/4 miles on turf. Duramente was timed in 1:58.20.

The previously unbeaten Kitasan Black finished third, while Danon Platina, the champion 2-year-old colt of 2014, finished 11th. Bright Emblem was fourth. Nakayama drew an on-track crowd of 52,105.

The first four finishers of Sunday’s race received automatic starting berths in the $3,499,915 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse on May 31.

The win was not without a measure of controversy. Duramente ducked to the outside entering the stretch of the right-handed track, causing trouble for a few runners who finished down the field, including the 2-1 favorite Satono Crown, who was sixth.

The Italian-born Demuro was suspended from Japan Racing Association tracks until May 3 for the incident. Demuro, 36, is best known for winning the 2011 Dubai World Cup on Victoire Pisa. He has 11 career Grade 1 wins in Japan.

Duramente, by the Kingmambo stallion King Kamehameha, is trained by Noriyuki Hori for Sunday Racing. Duramente has won 3 of 5 starts in his career.

The Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas, also known as the Satsuki Sho, is a quarter-mile longer than most 2000 Guineas races around the world, which are run at a mile. The Japanese 2000 Guineas is the first leg of the Triple Crown, followed by the Japanese Derby and the Japanese St. Leger on Oct. 25.