07 August, 2019
The racing world mourns after the news broke that leading sire and champion racehorse Deep Impact(JPN) passed away on July 30th. Earlier in the breeding season, he was sidelined due to a neck injury, and surgery was performed on July 28th. The operation was considered a success, and they were hopeful for a full recovery. However, the top sire was found unable to stand the morning of July 29th, and a scan confirmed he had a cervical fracture. With no hope of recovery, the 17-year-old son of Sunday Silence(USA) was humanely euthanized.
The legacy he leaves behind is one of true greatness. As a foal, he was considered small, but Makoto Kaneko saw something special in the small foal and purchased him for ¥73,500,000(US$622,881) at the 2002 Select Sale. The colt was put into the stable of top conditioner Yasuo Ikee, and top jockey Yutaka Take was in the irons of all of fourteen races. He debuted on December 19th, 2004 and impressed everyone by winning by a comfortable four lengths. A month later he won the open class Wakaba Stakes before winning his first graded stakes, the G2 Yayoi Sho in March 2005. While he had only won that G2 by a neck, he proved much the best in the G1 Satsuki Sho(Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April, winning by two and a half lengths. With the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown under his belt, he moved onto the G1 Japanese Derby in his first attempt over a mile and a half. The distance proved no problem at all for the brilliant closer, and he won by daylight, putting five lengths between him and the second-place finisher as he crossed the finish line. After a summer break, he extended his win streak to six, winning the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai by two and a half lengths as his prep for the final leg of the Triple Crown. On October 23rd, 2005 Deep Impact(JPN) became the first horse in eleven years to capture the Japanese Triple Crown, winning the G1 Kikuka Sho(Japanese St. Leger) by two lengths and undefeated, cementing his legacy as one of the best racehorses in Japanese history.
He suffered his first and only domestic defeat in the 2005 G1 Arima Kinen when Heart's Cry(JPN) outran the champ by half a length to end his undefeated streak. It didn't take him long to get back to his winning ways in March of 2006 capturing the G2 Hanshin Daishoten by three and a half lengths. He used it as a prep for the 3200m G1 Tenno Sho Haru, where he literally blew the competition away by another three and a half lengths by a record-setting 3:13.4. He was back in the summer for the G1 Takarazuka Kinen where he won by a stellar four lengths. His next start was his first and only run abroad, and his regular rider, a legend in his own right Yutaka Take joined him in what was hoped to be Japan's big chance to win the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. However, he finished third but was later disqualified when he failed a drug test due to remnants of a medication that had not passed through his system. He quickly shook off that embarrassment with a stunning two-length victory in the G1 Japan Cup. He closed out his racing career a champion in December of 2006 by capturing the G1 Arima Kinen in fantastic style by an easy three lengths after showing his classic closing kick. He retired a national hero with 12 wins from 14 starts, 7 G1 titles and two-time Horse of the Year with ¥1,454,551,000(US$12,223,117) in earnings.
From the spring of 2007, he received some of the best broodmares a stallion could hope to cover. He had 215, and 232 covers his first two seasons and between 2007 and 2018, he covered 2771 mares. The matings from 2007-2017 resulted in 1701 foals and 1252 runners. From those runners as of July 30th, 932 are winners, and he has 110 different graded stakes winners and over ¥51,000,000,000(US$472,222,222) in earnings. Of Deep Impacts(JPN) 43 individual G1 winners he produced many champions over the years including two-time Horse is the Year Gentildonna(JPN); globe trotters A Shin Hikari(JPN), Vivlos(JPN), Real Steel(JPN), Real Impact(JPN); foreign runners at the highest level Tosen Stardom(JPN) in Australia, Beauty Parlour(GB) and Study of Man(IRE) in France, and Saxon Warrior(JPN) in England. Just this year he sired both the G1 Japanese Oaks winner Loves Only You(JPN) and G1 Japanese Derby winner Roger Barows(JPN). His offspring have headlined the Select Sale's foal sale for over a decade, routinely being the sale toppers for millions of dollars. As of 2019, his stud fee had risen from ¥12,000,000(US$100,000) in 2007 to ¥40,000,000 (US$370,370) making him the most expensive stallion in Japan and one of the most expensive stallions in the world.
Deep Impact was leading freshman sire in 2010 when his first crop debuted and rose to fourth on the general leading sire list in 2011. Since 2012 he has been leading sire every year, with multiple graded stakes winner every year. His streak is likely to continue for a few more years as his many progenies continue to dominate the Japanese racing scene. He has had over 37 sons go to stud all over the world, while most are in Japan, he has sons in Australia, America, South America, Turkey, New Zealand, and Ireland. Kizuna(JPN), one of his most recent sons to debut on the turf, just scored his first graded stakes winner early in his first crop, giving hope that the legacy will continue. Deep Impact(JPN) was a legend on the turf and will go down as a legend in the breeding shed as well. He has truly left a deep impact on the world of horse racing that won't soon be forgotten or equaled.
2002: US$1 = ¥118
2006: US$1 = ¥119
2019: US$1 = ¥108
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Satomi Oka (Ms)
Satomi Oka Bloodstock Pty Ltd
E-mail : satomi@bloodstock.jp
Tel : +61 414 414 450