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LEGENDSOF JAPANESE RACING
JAEN
Deep Impact racing down the straight at Kyoto in the Tenno Sho (Spring)

REAL RACING ARCHIVE(documented racing history)

LEGEND · 2000s

Deep Impact

ディープインパクト

2002–2019THOROUGHBRED

In 2005 he became the second horse, after Symboli Rudolf, to win the Japanese Triple Crown unbeaten.

Deep Impact — Tenno Sho (Spring), Kyoto Racecourse, 30 April 2006 — Photo: Goki / CC BY-SA 3.0

02

Horse profile

Fields that could not be verified are omitted.
Sex
Colt / Horse
Coat
Bay
Foaled
25 Mar 2002
Died
30 Jul 2019
Sire
Sunday Silence
Dam
Wind in Her Hair
Damsire
Alzao
Breeder
Northern Farm
Owner
Makoto Kaneko → Kaneko Makoto Holdings
Trainer
Yasuo Ikee
Career
14 starts, 12 wins — 13 starts and 12 wins in Japan; one start in France

03

Career overview

14
Starts
12
Wins
7
G1 wins
13
Top-three finishes

Racing career 2004–2006

04

Major victories

Grades as printed for each year’s running.

  1. 01 · 17 Apr 2005

    Satsuki Sho

    皐月賞

    GI · Nakayama · Turf 2000m · Yutaka Take · 1:59.2

  2. 02 · 29 May 2005

    Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)

    東京優駿

    GI · Tokyo · Turf 2400m · Yutaka Take · 2:23.3

  3. 03 · 23 Oct 2005

    Kikuka Sho

    菊花賞

    GI · Kyoto · Turf 3000m · Yutaka Take · 3:04.6

  4. 04 · 30 Apr 2006

    Tenno Sho (Spring)

    天皇賞（春）

    GI · Kyoto · Turf 3200m · Yutaka Take · 3:13.4

  5. 05 · 25 Jun 2006

    Takarazuka Kinen

    宝塚記念

    GI · Kyoto · Turf 2200m · Yutaka Take · 2:13.0

  6. 06 · 26 Nov 2006

    Japan Cup

    ジャパンC

    GI · Tokyo · Turf 2400m · Yutaka Take · 2:25.1

  7. 07 · 24 Dec 2006

    Arima Kinen

    有馬記念

    GI · Nakayama · Turf 2500m · Yutaka Take · 2:31.9

FILM

On film

Films published by the JRA official YouTube channel, shown through YouTube’s embedded player.
Deep Impact photographed at Shadai Stallion Station
Deep Impact at Shadai Stallion Station, 13 August 2009Photo: Goki · CC BY-SA 4.0

06

The story

By Sunday Silence out of Wind in Her Hair, he debuted at Hanshin in December 2004 and went through the 2005 Satsuki Sho, Tokyo Yushun and Kikuka Sho without defeat.

In 2006 he added the Tenno Sho (Spring), Takarazuka Kinen, Japan Cup and Arima Kinen, and was Japanese Horse of the Year for a second straight season. At stud he was Japan’s leading sire for eleven consecutive years, 2012–2022.

07

Career timeline

Race records are taken from the “Racing record” tables of each horse’s Japanese Wikipedia article (which cite netkeiba.com and JBIS-Search) and cross-checked against the career start count. Grades are shown as printed for that year’s running — current grades are never applied retroactively. “R” marks a record time at the time.

2004

  1. 19 DecNewcomer raceHanshin · Turf 2000m · Yutaka Take1st2:03.8

2005

  1. 22 JanWakagoma StakesOPKyoto · Turf 2000m · Yutaka Take1st2:00.8
  2. 06 MarYayoi ShoGIINakayama · Turf 2000m · Yutaka Take1st2:02.2
  3. 17 AprSatsuki ShoGINakayama · Turf 2000m · Yutaka Take1st1:59.2
  4. 29 MayTokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)GITokyo · Turf 2400m · Yutaka Take1st2:23.3
  5. 25 SepKobe Shimbun HaiGIIHanshin · Turf 2000m · Yutaka Take1st1:58.4 R
  6. 23 OctKikuka ShoGIKyoto · Turf 3000m · Yutaka Take1st3:04.6
  7. 25 DecArima KinenGINakayama · Turf 2500m · Yutaka Take2nd2:32.0

2006

  1. 19 MarHanshin DaishotenGIIHanshin · Turf 3000m · Yutaka Take1st3:08.8
  2. 30 AprTenno Sho (Spring)GIKyoto · Turf 3200m · Yutaka Take1st3:13.4 R
  3. 25 JunTakarazuka KinenGIKyoto · Turf 2200m · Yutaka Take1st2:13.0
  4. 01 OctPrix de l'Arc de TriompheG1Longchamp · Turf 2400m · Yutaka TakeDisqualified
  5. 26 NovJapan CupGITokyo · Turf 2400m · Yutaka Take1st2:25.1
  6. 24 DecArima KinenGINakayama · Turf 2500m · Yutaka Take1st2:31.9

08

Pedigree

Source: the pedigree table in Japanese Wikipedia, which cites JBIS-Search.

Horse

Parents

Grandparents

Great-grandparents

Sunday Silenceサンデーサイレンス1986
Wind in Her Hairウインドインハーヘア1991
Halo1969
Wishing Well1975
Alzao1980
Burghclere1977
Hail to Reason1958
Cosmah1953
Understanding1963
Mountain Flower1964
Lyphard1969
Lady Rebecca1971
Busted1963
Highclere1971

Sire lineDam lineIn this archive (linked)Family 2号族

09 — MAJOR RACES

Great races contested

10 — JOCKEYS

Riders

11 — RIVALS

Grade 1 opponents

  • シックスセンスSatsuki Sho 2005
  • インティライミTokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) 2005
  • アドマイヤジャパンKikuka Sho 2005
  • ハーツクライArima Kinen 2005
  • リンカーンTenno Sho (Spring) 2006
  • ナリタセンチュリーTakarazuka Kinen 2006

Recorded as the winner (in defeat) or runner-up (in victory). Names as recorded in Japanese.

12

Gallery

13

Legacy

  1. 2005Japanese Triple Crown
  2. 2005, 2006Japanese Horse of the Year
  3. 2008JRA Hall of Fame

SOURCES & REFERENCES

Sources & References

Race records are taken from the “Racing record” tables of each horse’s Japanese Wikipedia article (which cite netkeiba.com and JBIS-Search) and cross-checked against the career start count. Grades are shown as printed for that year’s running — current grades are never applied retroactively.

  1. 01
    ディープインパクト (競走馬) — Wikipedia（日本語版）

    Wikipedia · Reference · Accessed 2026-09-26

  2. 02
    Deep Impact (horse) — Wikipedia (English)

    Wikipedia · Reference · Accessed 2026-09-26

  3. 03
    ディープインパクト｜JBISサーチ

    公益社団法人 日本軽種馬協会（JBIS-Search） · Racing record · Accessed 2026-09-26

  4. 04
    ディープインパクト：名馬の殿堂（顕彰馬）｜JRA

    日本中央競馬会（JRA） · Official · Accessed 2026-09-26

IMAGE CREDITS

Image credits

Each photograph was checked on its individual Wikimedia Commons file page for author and licence.