is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Tokyo Yushun in 2013.
Background Kizuna is a brown horse with a small white star and white socks on his hind legs, bred in Japan by the North Hills Co Ltd. He was sired by the outstanding Japanese racehorse Deep Impact out of the Canadian-bred mare Catequil. Deep Impact was the Japanese Horse of the Year in 2005 and 2006, winning races including the Tokyo Yushun, Tenno Sho, Arima Kinen and Japan Cup. Catequil had previously produced the Japanese champion filly Phalaenopsis. She was also a half-sister of Pacificus, the dam of Narita Brian and Biwa Hayahide, both of whom were named Japanese Horse of the Year.
Koji Maeda, head of North Hills, named the horse Kizuna, which is a Japanese word meaning "bond", after he was touched by the warm words he was given by others around him when he was visiting Dubai for the 2011 Dubai World Cup that was held two weeks after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, which coincided with Kizuna just turning 1 year old.運命の馬で“夢”を叶えた名物馬主。キズナ産駒と武豊でダービーを。（1/5）（2/5）（3/5）（4/5）（5/5） - Sports Graphic Number Web (Japanese). Visited 2022-12-17.
Racing career 2012: two-year-old season Kizuna began his racing career on 7 October 2012 when he won a race for newcomers over 1800 metres at Kyoto Racecourse. He won another race over the same course and distance on 11 November. The colt was then moved up in class for the Grade 3 Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai Stake over 2000 metres at Hanshin Racecourse, where he finished third, beaten half a length and a neck by Epiphaneia and Bad Boy.
2013: three-year-old season Kizuna made his three-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho at Nakayama Racecourse on 3 March. In a blanket finish, he took fifth place in a field of twelve runners, less than three-quarters of a length behind the winner Camino Tassajara. Three weeks later, Kizuna started the 1/2 favourite for the Grade 3 Mainichi Hai at Hanshin. Ridden by Yutaka Take, he won by three lengths from Geyersworth, with Bad Boy three and a half lengths back in third. Despite being eligible the Satsuki Sho, the first leg of Japanese Triple Crown, Kizuna's connection decided not to field him in the race, but to focus on the Tokyo Yūshun, the Japanese derby.
On 4 May Kizuna entered one of the preparation races, the Kyoto Shimbun Hai over 2200 metres at Kyoto. He started the 2/5 favourite and won by one and a half lengths from Peptide Amazon. Kizuna was one of eighteen colts to contest the 80th running of the Tokyo Yūshun at Tokyo Racecourse and started the 19/10 favourite ahead of the Satsuki Sho winner Logotype. Take produced the colt with a strong late run on the outside to take the lead in the final strides and win by half a length from Epiphaneia in a time of 2:24.6.
Kizuna was sent to Europe in the autumn of 2013 to be prepared for a run the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. On 15 September he contested the Prix Niel at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris where he faced a strong field of European colts including The Derby winner Ruler of the World and the Grand Prix de Paris winner Flintshire. Take restrained the colt towards the back of the field before making his challenge on the outside in the straight. He took the lead inside the last 100 metres and held off the late challenge of Ruler of the World to win by a head. After the race Kizuna's trainer Shozo Sasaki said "This was his first run abroad so I'm very pleased. He was about 80% compared with the Japanese Derby, so we will work hard to get the final 20% before the Arc." On 6 October started the third favourite in a field of seventeen runners in the Arc de Triomphe. Date held the colt up at the back of the field before moving up on the outside approaching the turn into the straight. He stayed on well in the closing stages to finish fourth behind Treve, Orfevre and Intello.
In January 2014 Kizuna won the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt taking 238 of the 280 votes.
2014: four-year-old season Kizuna began his third season with an easy win in the Grade 2 Sankei Osaka Hai at Hanshin on 6 April. On 4 May Kizuna started 7/10 favourite for the two-mile Tenno Sho at Kyoto. He was held up at the back of the eighteen runner field before switching to the wide outside in the straight. He finished strongly, but was unable to catch the leaders and finished fourth behind Fenomeno, Win Variation and Hokko Brave. Shortly after the race, it was announced that Kizuna had sustained a small fracture to his left hind leg and would be off the track for most of the year. Sasaki suggested that his next run might be the Arima Kinen in December.
2015: five-year-old season After a nine-month absence, Kizuna returned in the Grade 2 Kyoto Kinen on 15 February 2015 and finished third, beaten a nose and a neck by Lovely Day and Suzuka Devious with Harp Star in fifth. In April he started odds-on favourite for the Sankei Osaka Hai but was beaten into second place by the five-year-old mare Lachesis. On 3 May Kizuna was made the 2.3/1 favourite for the Tennō Shō but finished seventh of the seventeen runners behind Gold Ship. He was retired from racing after sustaining a training injury in September 2015.Racing Post
Racing form Kizuna won seven races and placed in another three out of 14 starts. This data is available in JBIS, netkeiba and racingpost. DateTrackRaceGradeDistance(Condition)EntryHNOdds(Favored)FinishTimeMarginsJockeyWinner(Runner-up)2012 – two-year-old seasonOct 7Kyoto2yo Newcomer1,800 m (Firm)752.0 (1)1st1:51.6–0.3Tetsuzo Sato(Regeneration)Nov 11KyotoKigiku ShoALW (1W)1,800 m (Good)1042.0 (1)1st1:49.8–0.6Tetsuzo Sato(Tosen Powerful)Dec 22HanshinRadio Nikkei Hai Nisai Stakes32,000 m (Good)762.9 (2)3rd2:05.50.1Yutaka TakeEpiphaneia2013 – three-year-old seasonMar 3NakayamaYayoi Sho22,000 m (Firm)1266.4 (3)5th2:01.10.1Yutaka TakeCamino TassajaraMar 23HanshinMainichi Hai31,800 m (Firm)1361.5 (1)1st1:46.2–0.5Yutaka Take(Geyersworth)May 4KyotoKyoto Shimbun Hai32,200 m (Firm)1651.4 (1)1st2:12.3–0.2Yutaka Take(Peptide Amazon)May 26TokyoTokyo Yushun12,400 m (Firm)1812.9 (1)1st2:24.3–0.1Yutaka Take(Epiphaneia)Sep 15LongchampPrix Niel22,400 m (Soft)1086/1 (5)1st2:37.60.0Yutaka Take(Ruler Of The World)Oct 6LongchampPrix de l'Arc de Triomphe12,400 m (Soft)17147/1 (3)4th2:33.41.4Yutaka TakeTreve2014 – four-year-old seasonApr 6HanshinSankei Osaka Hai22,000 m (Firm)872.4 (2)1st2:00.3–0.2Yutaka Take(Tokai Paradise)May 4KyotoTenno Sho (Spring)13,200 m (Firm)18141.7 (1)4th3:15.20.1Yutaka TakeFenomeno2015 – five-year-old seasonFeb 15KyotoKyoto Kinen22,200 m (Firm)1142.3 (2)3rd2:11.50.0Yutaka TakeLovely DayApr 5HanshinSankei Osaka Hai22,000 m (Heavy)1471.4 (1)2nd2:03.20.3Yutaka TakeLachesisMay 3KyotoTenno Sho (Spring)13,200 m (Firm)17133.3 (1)7th3:15.20.5Yutaka TakeGold Ship Legend:
Stud career
Kizuna was retired to the Shadai Stallion Station and has a current stud fee of ¥20,000,000. He ranked first on the Japanese Leading Sire list in 2024 and 2025.
Notable progeny Below data is based on JBIS Stallion Reports.
c = colt, f = filly, g = geldingbold = grade 1 stakes
Foaled Name Sex Major Wins2017Akai ItofQueen Elizabeth II Cup2018SonglinefYasuda Kinen (2022, 2023), Victoria Mile2021Justin MilanocKyodo Tsushin Hai, Satsuki Shō2021W Heart BondfMiyako Stakes, Champions Cup2021SixpencecSpring Stakes, Mainichi Ōkan, Nakayama Kinen, Yasuda Kinen2017AblazefFlower Cup2017Bien FaitcHakodate Sprint Stakes, Aoi Stakes, Hakodate Nisai Stakes2017Crystal BlackcKeisei Hai2017Deep BondcKyoto Shimbun Hai, Hanshin Daishoten (2021, 2022), Prix Foy2017Maltese DiosafTulip Sho, Shion Stakes2017Shamrock HillfMermaid Stakes2017Hagino AlegriascSirius Stakes (2023, 2024)2017Teleos BellfQueen Sho, Breeders' Gold Cup2017Chimera VeritecHokkaido Nisai Yushun2018Bathrat LeoncNew Zealand Trophy, Godolphin Mile2018Fine RougefFairy Stakes, Shion Stakes2018StellariafFukushima Himba Stakes2019Ask Wild MorecKyoto Shimbun Hai2019Parallel VisioncLord Derby Challenge Trophy2019Meisho GekirincAll Comers2020Conch ShellfNakayama Himba Stakes2020Alice VeritefMermaid Stakes2021Queen's WalkfQueen Cup, Rose Stakes, Kinko Sho2021June TakecKyoto Shimbun Hai, Kyōto Kinen2021Sunrise ZipangucKozukata Sho, Miyako Stakes2021Stinger GlasscDiamond Stakes2021Kazeno RunnercSaga Kinen, Kawasaki Kinen2022Magic SandscSapporo Nisai Stakes2022Brown RatchetfArtemis Stakes2022Eri KingcKyoto Nisai Stakes, Kobe Shimbun Hai2022Lila EmblemcShinzan Kinen2022Satono ShiningcKisaragi Sho2022Shonan XanadufFillies' Revue2022LesedramafFlower Cup2022Natural RisecKeihin Hai, Haneda Hai, Tokyo Derby2023 Dream CorefQueen Cup2023AudaciacSpring Stakes2023Monroe WalkfRose Stakes
Pedigree
References