KYOTO -- Sunday saw the birth of Japan's sixth Triple Crown champion as Deep Impact rocked a record Kikkasho crowd of nearly 137,000 with a race that had hearts in mouths till the very end.
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| Odds-on favorite Deep Impact, ridden by jockey Yutaka Take, comes from behind to beat Admire Japan and win the 66th Kikkasho at Kyoto Racecourse, becoming the sixth horse in Japanese racing history to achieve the Triple Crown. Deep Impact also won the Satsukisho and Nippon Derby earlier this year. |
In his shortest winning margin in the series' three legs, Deep Impact caught and passed Admire Japan with some 80 meters to go to win the 3-year-old classic's 66th running by 2 lengths. Rosenkreuz followed Admire Japan over the line four lengths later in third place, with Six Sense and Fusaichi Auster making the board for fourth and fifth.