Deep Impact Japan's Horse Of The Year
By Racenet - 24 January 2006
Japan’s Triple Crown hero Deep Impact has been named the near-unanimous winner of the Japan Racing Association’s 2005 Horse of the Year award.
The son of Sunday Silence polled 285 out of 291 votes. His sole opposition came from Heart’s Cry, named Best Older Colt Or Horse, who defeated Deep Impact, by a half-length in the Arima Kinen (G1).
Deep Impact was also the unanimous selection as Best Three-Year-Old.
Cesario (Special Week), the historic winner of the American Oaks (G1) was named Best Three-Year-Old Filly and also won the award for Best Horse by Home-Bred Sire.
From an Australian perspective, two former Arrowfield stallions featured in the awards.
Kane Hekili (Fuji Kiseki) received the Champion Dirt Horse award while Champion Older Female Horse went to Sweep Tosho (End Sweep).
First season sire Kurofune, a stallion that was slated to stand at Arrowfield but did not make the trip, is the sire of Champion 2-Year Old Colt, Fusaichi Richard.
Japanese legend Yutaka Take won his eighth Grand Prize Jockey award. The regular partner of Deep Impact established a single-season record for Group I titles with 11, and reached 200 wins for the third consecutive year.
- Horse Of The Year Deep Impact (Sunday Silence)
- 2-Year Old Colt Fusaichi Richard (Kurofune)
- 2-Year Old Filly T M Precure (Paradise Creek)
- 3-Year Old Colt Deep Impact (Sunday Silence)
- 3-Year Old Filly Cesario (Special Week)
- Older Male Heart’s Cry (Sunday Silence)
- Older Female Sweep Tosho (End Sweep)
- Sprinter/Miler Hat Trick (Sunday Silence)
- Dirt Horse Kane Hekili (Fuji Kiseki)
- Steeplechase T M Dragon (Admire Vega)