Deep Impact, the 2005 Japanese Triple Crown winner who won five of his six starts last season, has been voted the Japanese Racing Association’s Horse of the Year for the second straight year.
A Sunday Silence horse out of German high weight Wind in Her Hair (Ire), by Alzao, Deep Impact received 287 out of 289 possible votes, exceeding the 285 of 291 votes he earned in 2005. Deep Impact joins Hoyo Boy (1980-’81), Symboli Rudolf (Jpn) (1984-’85), and Symboli Kris S (2002-’03) as repeat winners.
Prior to retiring to a stud career at Shadai Stallion Station, Deep Impact earned $12,825,285 over three years. Trained by Yasuo Ikee for Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd., the bay horse was ridden by Yutaka Take in all 14 of his career starts over three seasons and earned 12 wins and one runner-up finish.
The bay horse also received 288 of 289 votes for best older horse honors and was named champion three-year-old colt in 2005.
Deep Impact opened his previous campaign by winning the Hanshin Daishoten prior to earning consecutive victories at Kyoto in the Tenno Sho and Takarazuka Kinen. He also captured the Japan Cup on November 26 at Tokyo Racecourse prior to winning the Arima Kinen in his final career start on December 24 at Nakayama.
Five-year-old Deep Impact suffered his lone defeat last season in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1), a race on October 1 at Longchamp that he was disqualified from third and placed eighth in after testing positive for a banned breathing medication.
Take was named the grand prize jockey and also earned top rider honors in terms of races won, winning percentage, and money earned. The 37-year-old rider won 184 of his 828 starts in 2006.
Trainer Tsutomu Setoguchi, who retired at the conclusion of last season, conditioned Meisho Samson, the top three-year-old colt, and Maruka Rascal, the top steeplechase horse.
Other award winners included:
*Two-year-old colt—Dream Journey
*Two-year-old filly—Vodka
*Three-year-old filly and best horse by homebred sire—Kawakami Princess
*Older filly or mare—Dance in the Mood (Jpn)
*Sprinter or miler—Daiwa Major
*Dirt horse—Alondite
*Best trainer, training technique—Hideyuki Mori
*Best trainer, winning percentage—Yasutoshi Ikee
*Best trainer, money earned—Hiroyoshi Matsuda
*Steeplechase jockey—Makoto Nishitani