Deep Impact (horse) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deep Impact
Deep Impact winning Kikuka Sho 2005 on October 23
Sire	Sunday Silence
Grandsire	Halo
Dam	Wind in Her Hair
Damsire	Alzao
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	(2002-03-25)25 March 2002
Died	30 July 2019(2019-07-30) (aged 17)
Country	Japan
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Northern Farm
Owner	Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co.
Trainer	Yasuo Ikee
Record	14: 12–1–0
Earnings	1,454,551,000 Yen
Major wins
Yayoi Sho (2005) Satsuki Sho (2005) Tokyo Yushun (2005) Kobe Shimbun Hai (2005) Kikuka Sho (2005) Tenno Sho (Spring) (2006) Takarazuka Kinen (2006) Japan Cup (2006) Arima Kinen (2006)
Awards
JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt (2005) Japanese Horse of the Year (2005, 2006) JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse (2006)
Honours
Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame (2008) Yayoi Sho (Deep Impact Kinen)

Deep Impact (Japanese: ディープインパクト, March 25, 2002 – July 30, 2019) was a super famous Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the special Japanese Triple Crown in 2005. This means he won three very important races for young horses. He also won the Japan Cup in 2006 and three other big races in Japan.

Deep Impact's Family History

Deep Impact came from a family of champions. His father, named Sunday Silence, was a top horse who won many races. Sunday Silence was the best father horse in Japan for 12 years!

Deep Impact's mother was named Wind in Her Hair. She was also a great racehorse and won important races. She even came in second in a big race called The Oaks. Her mother, Burghclere, was related to horses owned by Queen Elizabeth II herself! This shows that Deep Impact had a very strong family tree of winners.

Deep Impact's Racing Adventures

Deep Impact racing in the 2005 Arima Kinen. This was one of only two races he didn't win.

2005: His Three-Year-Old Races

In 2005, when Deep Impact was three years old, he did something amazing. He won the Kikuka Sho race on October 23. By winning this race, he completed the Japanese Triple Crown! He was the first horse in 11 years to do this. Even more special, he was the first horse in 21 years to win the Triple Crown without losing any race before it.

However, in his very next race, the Arima Kinen, Deep Impact was beaten by another horse named Heart's Cry. This was his first time losing a race.

2006: His Four-Year-Old Races

In 2006, Deep Impact came back strong. He easily won the Hanshin Daishōten race.

Then, he won the spring Tenno Sho race. He even set a new world record for a 3200-meter race!

After that, he won another big race called the Takarazuka Kinen.

In October, Deep Impact traveled to France to race in the famous Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Many people thought he would win, and lots of Japanese fans traveled to watch him. But he only finished third in that race.

A couple of weeks later, news came out that a special check after the race showed something unusual. Because of this, his third-place finish was changed to last place. After this, it was announced that Deep Impact would stop racing and become a father horse.

But before he retired, Deep Impact won two more huge races: the Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen. What a way to finish his career!

Deep Impact winning the Tenno Sho in 2006.

Here are some of the big races Deep Impact won:

• 2005 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho (a Grade 2 race)
• 2005 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (a Grade 1 race)
• 2005 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (a Grade 1 race)
• 2005 Kobe Shimbun Hai (a Grade 2 race)
• 2005 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) (a Grade 1 race)
• 2006 Hanshin Daishoten (a Grade 2 race)
• 2006 Tenno Sho (Spring) (a Grade 1 race)
• 2006 Takarazuka Kinen (a Grade 1 race)
• 2006 Japan Cup (a Grade 1 race)
• 2006 Arima Kinen (a Grade 1 race)

Deep Impact's Children (Stud Record)

After he stopped racing, Deep Impact became a stallion (a father horse) at a place called Shadai Stallion Station in Japan. He became one of the best father horses in the world!

He was named the best father horse in Japan for nine years in a row, from 2012 to 2020. Many of his children became famous racehorses too, like Gentildonna, Real Steel, and A Shin Hikari. In 2020, his son Contrail also won the Japanese Triple Crown, just like his dad! His very last group of children born included Auguste Rodin, who won big races in Europe like the Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby.

Deep Impact's daughters also had champion children. For example, Kiseki, Blowout, Geraldina, and Dolce More are all champions whose mothers were daughters of Deep Impact.

Famous Children of Deep Impact

Here are some of Deep Impact's most famous children and the big races they won: c = male horse, f = female horse

Deep Impact's Passing

Deep Impact passed away on July 30, 2019. To honor him, the 2019 Japan Cup race was named the Deep Impact Memorial.

More About Horses

• List of historical horses
• List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
• St Lite (Japanese first Triple Crown winner in 1941)
• Shinzan (Japanese Triple Crown winner in 1964)
• Mr. C.B. (Japanese Triple Crown winner in 1983)
• Symboli Rudolf (Japanese first undefeated Triple Crown winner in 1984)
• Narita Brian (Japanese Triple Crown winner in 1994)
• Orfevre (Japanese Triple Crown winner in 2011)

Images for kids

• 

  Tosen Ra (2008)

• 

  Danon Shark (2008)

• 

  Real Impact (2008)

• 

  Marcellina (2008)

• 

  Gentildonna (2009)

• 

  Deep Brillante (2009)

• 

  Spielberg (2009)

• 

  Verxina (2009)

• 

  Joie de Vivre (2009)

• 

  Kizuna (2010)

• 

  Ayusan (2010)

• 

  Lachesis (2010)

• 

  Shonan Pandora (2011)

• 

  A Shin Hikari (2011)

• 

  Harp Star (2011)

• 

  Mikki Isle (2011)

• 

  Marialite (2011)

• 

  Satono Aladdin (2011)

• 

  Tosen Stardom (2011)

• 

  Mikki Queen (2012)

• 

  Real Steel (2012)

• 

  Shonan Adela (2012)

• 

  Danon Platina (2012)

• 

  Makahiki (2013)

• 

  Dee Majesty (2013)

• 

  Satono Diamond (2013)

• 

  Sinhalite (2013)

• 

  Vivlos (2013)

• 

  Jour Polaire (2013)

• 

  Satono Ares (2014)

• 

  Al Ain (2014)

• 

  Ange Desir (2014)

• 

  Danon Premium (2015)

• 

  Keiai Nautique (2015)

• 

  Wagnarian (2018)

• 

  Fierement (2015)

• 

  Glory Vase (2015)

• 

  Danon Fantasy (2016)

• 

  Gran Alegria (2016)

• 

  Loves Only You (2016)

• 

  Roger Barows (2016)

• 

  World Premiere (2016)

• 

  Danon Kingly (2016)

• 

  Contrail (2017)

• 

  Lei Papale (2017)

• 

  Potager (2017)

• 

  Shahryar (2018)

• 

  Akaitorino Musume (2018)

• 

  Killer Ability (2019)

• 

  Ask Victor More (2019)