Deep Bond
Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 2017)
Deep Bond (Japanese: ディープボンド, Dīpu Bondo; foaled 18 February 2017) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He competed from 2019 to 2024, recording five wins from thirty-one starts, including the Kyoto Shimbun Hai (GII) in 2020, the Hanshin Daishoten (GII) in 2021 and 2022, and the Prix Foy (G2) in France in 2021. He is notable for finishing second in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (GI) for three consecutive years (2021-2023) and for holding the record for the most career prize money earned by a horse without a top-level (GI/G1) victory.
01Background
Deep Bond is a dark bay stallion bred in Niikappu, Hokkaido, by Murata Farm. He was sired by Kizuna, a son of Deep Impact, and his dam was Zephyranthes (ゼフィランサス), a mare by King Halo. Zephyranthes is a descendant of the Mogami Hime family, which also produced the dual GI winner Laurel Guerreiro. Deep Bond was purchased for ¥17,820,000 at the 2018 Hokkaido Selection Sale by Shinji Maeda, owner of the North Hills syndicate. He was trained by Ryuji Okubo at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.
He would be nicknamed "Pubo-kun (Japanese: プボくん)" by fans, which is a shortened form of the horse's name.
02Racing career
2019: two-year-old season
Deep Bond debuted on 13 October 2019 in a maiden race at Kyoto Racecourse, finishing third. He won his second start over 2000 metres at Kyoto on 3 November.
2020: three-year-old season
After an unplaced run in an allowance race, Deep Bond finished second in the Azalea Sho and tenth in the Satsuki Shō (GI). On 9 May, he won the Kyoto Shimbun Hai (GII), defeating Man of Spirit in a tight finish to secure his first graded stakes victory and complete a father-son double in the race with his sire Kizuna. He subsequently finished fifth in the Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby), fifth in the Kobe Shimbun Hai, and fourth in the Kikuka Shō (GI) behind the undefeated Contrail.
2021: four-year-old season
Deep Bond began his season with a fourteenth-place finish in the Nakayama Kimpai (GIII). On 21 March, he won the Hanshin Daishoten (GII) by 0.9 seconds. He was made the favourite for the Tenno Sho (Spring) (GI) on 2 May, where he finished second to World Premiere.
In autumn, Deep Bond travelled to France. On 12 September, he won the Prix Foy (G2) at Longchamp Racecourse, becoming the first Japanese-trained horse to win the race since Orfevre in 2012 and 2013. He finished fourteenth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) on heavy ground. Returning to Japan, he finished second in the Arima Kinen (GI) on 26 December, narrowly missing out to Efforia.
2022: five-year-old season
Deep Bond won his second consecutive Hanshin Daishoten (GII) on 20 March. He finished second in the Tenno Sho (Spring) for the second year in a row, beaten by Titleholder. After finishing fourth in the Takarazuka Kinen (GI), he travelled to France again but finished eighteenth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He ended the season with an eighth-place finish in the Arima Kinen.
2023: six-year-old season
Deep Bond attempted to become the first horse since Gold Ship to win three consecutive Hanshin Daishotens but finished fifth behind T O Royal. On 30 April, he finished second in the Tenno Sho (Spring) for a historic third consecutive year, a rare feat in Japanese racing. This result also made him the highest-earning horse in JRA history without a Group I victory, surpassing the previous record held by Kyoto City and Nice Nature. He later finished fifth in the Takarazuka Kinen, third in the Kyoto Daishoten (GII), tenth in the Japan Cup (GI), and fifteenth in the Arima Kinen.
2024: seven-year-old season
Deep Bond finished seventh in the Hanshin Daishoten and third in the Tenno Sho (Spring). On 6 October, he finished second in the Kyoto Daishoten (GII) to Chevalier Rose. He contested his final race in the Arima Kinen on 22 December, finishing thirteenth. He was officially retired on 25 December 2024.
03Statistics
The following table details all 31 starts of Deep Bond's racing career. Record current as of 22 December 2024.
| Date | Distance (Condition) | Race | Class | Course | Odds (Favourite) |
Field | Finish | Time | Jockey | Winning (Losing) Margin |
Winner (2nd Place) |
Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 , two-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Oct 13 | Turf 2000 m (Heavy) | 2-Y-O Newcomer | Maiden | Kyoto | 9.6 (4th) | 15 | 3rd | 2:03.5 | Ryuji Wada | 0.4 | Kimuken Dream | |
| Nov 3 | Turf 2000 m (Good) | 2-Y-O Maiden | Maiden | Kyoto | 3.6 (2nd) | 10 | 1st | 2:01.1 | Ryuji Wada | , 0.5 | (Iron Barows) | |
| 2020 , three-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Jan 5 | Turf 2000 m (Good) | Fukujuso Tokubetsu | Allowance | Kyoto | 5.1 (4th) | 7 | 6th | 2:04.9 | Ryuji Wada | 1.4 | L'Excellence | |
| Apr 4 | Turf 2400 m (Good) | Azalea Sho | Allowance | Hanshin | 12.7 (4th) | 8 | 2nd | 2:27.5 | Ryuji Wada | 0.1 | Fly Like Bird | |
| Apr 19 | Turf 2000 m (Yielding) | Satsuki Shō | GI | Nakayama | 360.9 (18th) | 18 | 10th | 2:02.1 | Norihiro Yokoyama | 1.4 | Contrail | |
| May 9 | Turf 2200 m (Good) | Kyoto Shimbun Hai | GII | Kyoto | 10.7 (4th) | 13 | 1st | 2:11.7 | Ryuji Wada | 0.0 | (Man of Spirit) | |
| May 31 | Turf 2400 m (Good) | Tōkyō Yūshun | GI | Tokyo | 61.6 (8th) | 18 | 5th | 2:25.0 | Ryuji Wada | 0.9 | Contrail | |
| Sep 27 | Turf 2200 m (Good) | Kobe Shimbun Hai | GII | Chukyo | 23.5 (4th) | 18 | 5th | 2:13.0 | Ryuji Wada | 0.5 | Contrail | |
| Oct 25 | Turf 3000 m (Good) | Kikuka Shō | GI | Kyoto | 51.6 (7th) | 18 | 4th | 3:06.2 | Ryuji Wada | 0.7 | Contrail | |
| 2021 , four-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Jan 5 | Turf 2000 m (Good) | Nakayama Kimpai | GIII | Nakayama | 4.3 (2nd) | 17 | 14th | 2:02.0 | Ryuji Wada | 1.1 | Hishi Iguazu | |
| Mar 21 | Turf 3000 m (Heavy) | Hanshin Daishoten | GII | Hanshin | 10.3 (3rd) | 13 | 1st | 3:07.3 | Ryuji Wada | , 0.9 | (You Can Smile) | |
| May 2 | Turf 3200 m (Good) | Tenno Sho (Spring) | GI | Hanshin | 3.6 (1st) | 17 | 2nd | 3:14.8 | Ryuji Wada | 0.1 | World Premiere | |
| Sep 12 | Turf 2400 m (Good) | Prix Foy | G2 | Longchamp | 12.0 (5th) | 6 | 1st | 2:31.82 | Cristian Demuro | , 0.24 | (Broome) | |
| Oct 3 | Turf 2400 m (Heavy) | Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe | G1 | Longchamp | 18.0 (6th) | 14 | 14th | 2:44.83 | Mickael Barzalona | 7.21 | Torquator Tasso | |
| Dec 26 | Turf 2500 m (Good) | Arima Kinen | GI | Nakayama | 20.9 (5th) | 16 | 2nd | 2:32.1 | Ryuji Wada | 0.1 | Efforia | |
| 2022 , five-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Mar 20 | Turf 3000 m (Good) | Hanshin Daishoten | GII | Hanshin | 1.2 (1st) | 13 | 1st | 3:05.0 | Ryuji Wada | , 0.1 | (Iron Barows) | |
| May 1 | Turf 3200 m (Yielding) | Tenno Sho (Spring) | GI | Hanshin | 2.1 (1st) | 18 | 2nd | 3:17.3 | Ryuji Wada | 1.1 | Titleholder | |
| Jun 26 | Turf 2200 m (Good) | Takarazuka Kinen | GI | Hanshin | 5.6 (3rd) | 17 | 4th | 2:10.3 | Ryuji Wada | 0.6 | Titleholder | |
| Oct 2 | Turf 2400 m (Soft) | Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe | G1 | Longchamp | 46.0 (14th) | 20 | 18th | 2:42.88 | Yuga Kawada | 7.17 | Alpinista | |
| Dec 25 | Turf 2500 m (Good) | Arima Kinen | GI | Nakayama | 37.3 (8th) | 16 | 8th | 2:33.6 | Yuga Kawada | 1.2 | Equinox | |
| 2023 , six-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Mar 19 | Turf 3000 m (Good) | Hanshin Daishoten | GII | Hanshin | 5.1 (3rd) | 14 | 5th | 3:06.6 | Ryuji Wada | 0.5 | Justin Palace | |
| Apr 30 | Turf 3200 m (Yielding) | Tenno Sho (Spring) | GI | Kyoto | 22.5 (5th) | 17 | 2nd | 3:16.5 | Ryuji Wada | 0.4 | Justin Palace | |
| Jun 25 | Turf 2200 m (Good) | Takarazuka Kinen | GI | Hanshin | 16.6 (5th) | 17 | 5th | 2:11.6 | Ryuji Wada | 0.4 | Equinox | |
| Oct 9 | Turf 2400 m (Heavy) | Kyōto Daishōten | GII | Kyoto | 4.0 (1st) | 14 | 3rd | 2:25.4 | Ryuji Wada | 0.1 | Pradaria | |
| Nov 26 | Turf 2400 m (Good) | Japan Cup | GI | Tokyo | 83.8 (8th) | 18 | 10th | 2:23.6 | Ryuji Wada | 1.8 | Equinox | |
| Dec 24 | Turf 2500 m (Good) | Arima Kinen | GI | Nakayama | 47.4 (9th) | 16 | 15th | 2:32.4 | Tom Marquand | 1.5 | Do Deuce | |
| 2024 , seven-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Mar 17 | Turf 3000 m (Yielding) | Hanshin Daishoten | GII | Hanshin | 9.0 (5th) | 15 | 7th | 3:08.1 | Mirai Iwata | 1.3 | T O Royal | |
| Apr 28 | Turf 3200 m (Good) | Tenno Sho (Spring) | GI | Kyoto | 27.5 (6th) | 17 | 3rd | 3:14.6 | Hideaki Miyuki | 0.4 | T O Royal | |
| Jun 23 | Turf 2200 m (Heavy) | Takarazuka Kinen | GI | Kyoto | 25.4 (8th) | 13 | 7th | 2:12.9 | Hideaki Miyuki | 0.9 | Blow the Horn | |
| Oct 6 | Turf 2400 m (Good) | Kyoto Daishoten | GII | Kyoto | 9.9 (4th) | 11 | 2nd | 2:22.9 | Hideaki Miyuki | 0.0 | Chevalier Rose | |
| Dec 22 | Turf 2500 m (Good) | Arima Kinen | GI | Nakayama | 49.7 (12th) | 15 | 13th | 2:33.3 | Hideaki Miyuki | 1.5 | Regaleira | |
04Post-retirement
Following his retirement on 25 December 2024, Deep Bond was retrained as a lead pony (ouma) at Kyoto Racecourse. He made his debut as a lead pony on 3 May 2025 and led the field for the Tenno Sho (Spring) the following day. On 26 April 2026, he carried the field for the Yomiuri Milers Cup with his former jockey Ryuji Wada riding him, as his retirement ceremony would be held after the races of that day concluded.
05Pedigree
| Sire Kizuna (JPN) 2010 |
Deep Impact (JPN) 2002 |
Sunday Silence | Halo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wishing Well | |||
| Wind in Her Hair | Alzao | ||
| Burghclere | |||
| Catequil (CAN) 1990 |
Storm Cat | Storm Bird | |
| Terlingua | |||
| Pacific Princess | Damascus | ||
| Fiji | |||
| Dam Zephyranthes (JPN) 2008 |
King Halo (JPN) 1995 |
Dancing Brave | Lyphard |
| Navajo Princess | |||
| Goodbye Halo | Halo | ||
| Pound Foolish | |||
| Mogami Hime (JPN) 1992 |
Cacoethes | Alydar | |
| Careless Notion | |||
| Mogami Point | Maruzensky | ||
| Point Maker |
- Deep Bond is inbred 4 × 4 to Halo and 5 × 4 to Lyphard.
- His sire Kizuna won the 2013 Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby).
- His dam Zephyranthes is a half-sister to the dam of Laurel Guerreiro, winner of the 2009 Takamatsunomiya Kinen and Sprinters Stakes.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Deep Bond”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Deep Bond Hanshin Daishoten 2022.jpg by Nadaraikon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Deep Bond Hanshin Daishoten 2021.jpg by Nadaraikon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- DeepBond-2022-6-26.jpg by TRJN, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ryuji Wada and Deep Bond-2026-4-26.jpg by TRJN, CC BY-SA 4.0
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