Deep Impact (Jpn)

The 2020 Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) Select Sale catalogue, featuring 13 yearlings from the penultimate crop of the late Deep Impact (Jpn), was released on Monday. Despite the ongoing challenges presented by the coronavirus, the live-format sale at the Northern Horse Park offers 257 yearlings on July 13th, with 239 weanlings catalogued for the day after. The JRHA is also preparing to take bids over the phone, as well. Print catalogues will be available the first week of June. Deep Impact's thirteen yearlings-divided between 10 colts and three fillies-include...

2019 Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), fresh off a solid second in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over yielding ground on Apr. 12, lines up against males for the first time in the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo on Sunday. A winner of the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and G3 Fantasy S. as a juvenile, the U Carrot Farm runner opened her 3-year-old year with a third in the G2 Tulip Sho in March prior to her second in the 1000 Guineas. "The...

Sunday Racing's Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) successfully defended his title and took the G1 Tenno Sho Spring by a nose over Stiffelio (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) at Kyoto on Sunday. He is the fifth horse to take the 3200-metre feature in consecutive years, while granting his trainer Takahisa Tezuka his sixth Japanese Group 1 crown and pilot Christophe Lemaire his 29th. Before empty stands as spectatorless racing continues in Japan from the coronavirus, the even-money favourite stayed well off the fence in midfield from his wide draw. Fierement traveled...

Older horses take center stage at Kyoto Racecourse Sunday in the G1 Tenno Sho, and featured among the entries is last year's winner, Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who has been set as the 2-1 early choice to become the fifth horse in the history to win the spring even in consecutive years. Winless since last year's Tenno Sho, he was third in the G2 Sapporo Kinen in August before finishing 12th in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Most recently, he was fourth behind Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's...

2019 Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) earned a Classic laurel while maintaining his unbeaten record in the 2020 G1 Satsuki Sho over 2000 metres at Nakayama on Sunday. He is the third Japanese 2000 Guineas winner for his late sire. Despite being drawn in the dreaded one hole, the 8-5 crowd's pick overcame that hurdle to win by a half-length over the previously undefeated third choice Salios (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). It was 3 1/2 lengths back to Galore Creek (Jpn) (Kinshasa no Kiseki {Aus}) in...

Sunday Racing's Luftstrom (Jpn) (Kinshasa no Kiseki {Aus}) maintained his unbeaten record with a half-length win in the 1600-metre G2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama on Saturday. Second choice in the wagering at 7-2, the colt raced near the tail of the field one off the fence for the first half-mile. Unleashing a sizzling burst once spun to the outside of all but Win Greatest (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) nearing the final bend, he appeared to clip heels and was steadied. Balanced up by Shu Ishibashi, he regained his momentum and...

While the European Classics look likely to suffer some reshuffling, Japanese racing is continuing behind closed doors and the country is set to stage its first Classic on Sunday, the G1 Oka Sho (1000 Guineas). Final declarations for the Hanshin contest will be made on Thursday, but the 18 likely runners at this stage include no fewer than six daughters of Deep Impact (Jpn), who died last August. At this early stage of the year, it is no surprise to see the late Shadai resident out in front on the...

Des Ailes (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the first foal out of 2014 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches/G1 Prix de Diane heroine Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), graduated at first asking despite blowing the start at Hanshin on Sunday (VIDEO). The 3-year-old raced last barring one rival through the early stages and had improved to fourth-last after the first half-mile. Traveling ominously well despite needing to pass a wall of horses 300 metres from home, she split horses decisively with two furlongs remaining and unleashed a furious turn of foot...

Satono Flag (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) won his third consecutive race in the 2000-metre G2 Hochi Hai Yahoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen at Nakayama on Sunday. The 9-5 second choice's closing effort earned him his first black-type rosette in a race named for his late sire, who passed away last July. Away awkwardly, the bay raced fourth last through the early stages as Win Carnelian (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) set the pace. Positions were largely unchanged through the first 1000 metres in 1:01.10. Oro Adone (Jpn) (Epiphan) made his bid...

2018 Japanese Horse of the Year and six-time Group 1 winner Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is in good form as she prepares to defend her G1 Dubai Turf title at Meydan on Mar. 28. The Silk Racing colourbearer will return to trainer Sakae Kunieda's base at Miho this week before contesting the $6-million 1800-metre feature over the grass in Dubai. Successful in the 2018 Japanese Filly Triple Crown and G1 Japan Cup that same year, the 5-year-old was most recently ninth in the G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama...