Freshman Sire Duramente's First Starter Scores on Debut

Breeding enthusiasts in Europe might have been starved of first-season sire action with the cancellation of racing due to government restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19, but Japan has witnessed an explosive start from the freshman class of 2020.

Tosen Warrior, the first runner for dual classic winner Duramente, blew away the opposition to land a four-furlong race for newcomers on the dirt at Urawa by five lengths April 24.

He turned back Hoyo Crystal, a colt from the first Japanese-conceived crop of Stanjames.com Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Makfi, who formerly stood at Tweenhills and Haras de Bonneval but was sold by Qatar Bloodstock to stand at the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association for the 2017 breeding season.

Tosen Warrior is trained by Satoshi Kokubo for Japan Health Summit, which purchased the colt for ¥42 million (US$378,840) as a foal at the Japan Race Horse Association Select Sale in 2018.

He is one of 191 foals from the first crop of Duramente, the result of the sire covering 284 mares in his first season at Shadai Stallion Station in 2017, then a record book size in Japan.

Duramente's popularity was due to his outstanding race record and pedigree.

The son of King Kamehameha was an impressive winner of the Satsuki Sho (Two Thousand Guineas, G1) and Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) but sat out the rest of his classic season due to bone chips in his front legs.

Nevertheless, he was crowned Japan's champion 3-year-old colt.

He returned at 4 with a victory in a grade 2 at Nakayama Kinen before finding only Postponed too good in the Dubai Sheema Classic Presented by Longines (G1) at Meydan and finishing a neck second to Marialite in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin.

Duramente is out of Admire Groove, a daughter of Sunday Silence who was champion older mare in Japan in 2004. Admire Groove was out of another champion in Air Groove—also the dam of dual grade 1 scorer Rulership—and Air Groove was in turn out of champion 2-year-old Dyna Carle.

Duramente was advertised for the 2020 breeding season at a fee of ¥7 million.

Tosen Warrior, out of the listed-placed French Deputy mare Anzuchan, is inbred 3x4 to both Kingmambo and Sunday Silence as Duramente is by a son of Kingmambo out of a Sunday Silence mare, and so is Anzuchan's dam, Paradise Bird, whose sire is El Condor Pasa.

There was only one 2-year-old race held in Britain and Ireland before racing was put on hold due to the lockdown, and it featured two first-season sire runners, with The Blue Panther, by Buratino, finishing third, and Boasting, by Prince of Lir, running fifth behind the winner, the Dawn Approach colt Poetic Flare.