Killer Ability
| Killer Ability | |
|---|---|
 Killer Ability at the Tokyo Yushun | |
| Sire | Deep Impact |
| Grandsire | Sunday Silence |
| Dam | Killer Graces |
| Damsire | Congaree |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 27 January 2019[1] |
| Country | Japan |
| Colour | Brown |
| Breeder | Northern Farm |
| Owner | Carrot Farm |
| Trainer | Takashi Saito |
| Record | 5: 2-1-0 |
| Earnings | ¥83,688,000 |
| Major wins | |
| Hopeful Stakes (2021) Chunichi Shimbun Hai (2022) | |
Killer Ability (Japanese: キラーアビリティ, foaled 27 January 2019) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the best two-year-olds in Japan in 2021 when he won two of his four races including the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes.
Background
[edit]Killer Ability is a brown colt with a white star and snip and white socks on his hind legs bred in Japan by Northern Farm. During his racing career he was trained by Takashi Saito and raced in the green, white and red colours of the Northern Farm associate Carrot Farm.
He was from the twelfth crop of foals sired by Deep Impact, who was the Japanese Horse of the Year in 2005 and 2006, winning races including the Tokyo Yushun, Tenno Sho, Arima Kinen and Japan Cup. Deep Impact's other progeny include Gentildonna, Loves Only You, Kizuna, A Shin Hikari, Contrail and Saxon Warrior.[2] Killer Ability's dam Killer Graces was bred in Kentucky and raced with considerable success in the United States where she won three races including the Hollywood Starlet Stakes and ran second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. In November 2012 she was bought by Katsumi Yoshida and exported to Japan.[3] She was descended from the American broodmare Regal Gleam who also produced Royal Glint and the dam of Caerleon.[4]
Racing career
[edit]2021: two-year-old season
[edit]Killer Ability began his racing career in a contest for previously unraced juveniles over 1800 metres on firm ground at Tokyo Racecourse on 27 June 2021. Ridden by Christophe Lemaire he started the 2.9/1 second favourite but came home fifth of the eleven runners, three lengths behind the winner Red Belle Ame. Mirai Iwata was in the saddle two months later when the colt started 0.5/1 favourite for a maiden race over 2000 metres at Kokura Racecourse and scored his first success as he took the lead early in the straight and drew right away to win by seven lengths from Personal High in a record time of 1:59.5.[5] Iwata took the ride again when Killer Ability was stepped up in class and started favourite for the Listed Hagi Stakes over 1800 metres at Hanshin on 30 October. He took the lead in the straight and looked the likely winner before being run down in the final strides and beaten a neck into second place by Danon Scorpion. His trainer commented "He was tense the whole time... he's still immature and he has a somewhat difficult temperament".[6]
On 28 December at Nakayama Racecourse, Killer Ability was stepped up to Grade 1 class to contest Hopeful Stakes over 2000 metres and went off the 2.1/1 second choice in the betting behind Command Line (winner of the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup) in a fifteen-runner field. Ridden by Takeshi Yokoyama he settled in third place behind Grand Line and Born This Way before switching to the outside approaching the final turn. He gained the advantage from Born This Way entering the last 200 metres and won by one and a half length with a length and a quarter back to Lagulf in third. After the race Yokoyama commented "Sitting in the saddle in his workouts two weeks in a row convinced me that he was going to run and run fast. We sat in a good position and when the colt was able to relax in the backstretch, I had all the confidence I needed that he was going to win. I'm sure he will go on to improve further and become stronger".[7]
In the official Japanese rankings Killer Ability was rated the second-best two-year-old of 2021, one pound behind the top-rated Do Deuce.[8] In January 2022, at the JRA Awards, Killer Ability finished second to Do Deuce in the poll to determine the Best Two-Year-Old Colt.[9]
2022: three-year-old season
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On his first appearance as a three-year-old Killer Ability started the 6.6/1 fourth favourite for the Satsuki Sho over 2000 metres at Hanshin Racecourse on 17 April. He started poorly before settling in mid-division and faded in the closing stages to come home thirteenth of the eighteen runners, beaten just over six lengths by the winner Geoglyph.[10] After the Satsuki Sho, Killer Ability was entered in to the Tōkyō Yūshun held on May 29, where he finished sixth behind Do Deuce.[11]
Killer Ability took the summer off before returning to the turf by being entered in his first race with older horses, which was the GII Copa Republica Argentina held on November 6, but finished 8th.[12] The following month, Killer Ability was entered in to the GIII Chunichi Shimbun Hai with Taisei Danno as his jockey. At that race, Killer Ability was able to make his way through a small gap in the pack, passing over Matenro Leo just before the finishing line, clinching his second group race victory.[13]
2023-25: four-to-six-year-old seasons
[edit]Killer Ability was entered in to multiple graded races as an older horse. However, he was unable to win any single one of them. His best showing was at the 2024 Neom Turf Cup, held at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Saudi Arabia, where he finished second behind the English Spirit Dancer.[14][15]
In May 2025, after returning from that year's Neom Turf Cup whre he finished last, his owner, Carrot Farm, announced that the horse would be retired to stand stud in India.[16][17]
Racing Form
[edit]The following form is based on information available on JBIS-Search, netkeiba.com, and Racing Post.[5][18][19]
| Date | Track | Race | Grade | Distance (Condition) | Entry | HN | Odds
（Favored） |
Finish | Time | Margin | Jockey | Winner (Runner-Up) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 – two-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| June 27 | Hanshin | 2YO Debut Race | Turf 1800m（Firm） | 11 | 10 | 3.9（2） | 5th | 1:48.4 | 0.5 | Christophe Lemaire | Red Belle Ame | |
| Aug 28 | Kokura | 2YO Maiden | Turf 2000m（Firm） | 9 | 7 | 1.5（1） | 1st | R1:59.5（34.2） | -1.1 | Mirai Iwata | （Personal High） | |
| Oct 30 | Hanshin | Hagi Stakes | L | Turf 1800m（Firm） | 6 | 4 | 1.5（1） | 2nd | 1:48.5（33.6） | 0.0 | Mirai Iwata | Danon Scorpion |
| Dec 28 | Nakayama | Hopeful Stakes | GI | Turf 2000m（Firm） | 15 | 5 | 3.1（2） | 1st | R2:00.6（35.8） | -0.2 | Takeshi Yokoyama | （Justin Palace） |
| 2022 – three-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Apr 17 | Nakayama | Satsuki Shō | GI | Turf 2000m（Firm） | 18 | 4 | 7.6（4） | 13th | 2:00.6（35.0） | 0.9 | Takeshi Yokoyama | Geoglyph |
| May 29 | Tokyo | Tōkyō Yūshun | GI | Turf 2400m（Firm） | 18 | 16 | 33.4（8） | 6th | 2:22.9（34.5） | 1.0 | Takeshi Yokoyama | Do Deuce |
| Nov 6 | Tokyo | Copa Republica Argentina | GII | Turf 2500m（Firm） | 18 | 6 | 3.8（2） | 8th | 2:31.6（33.8） | 0.5 | Cristian Demuro | Breakup |
| Dec 10 | Chukyo | Chunichi Shimbun Hai | GIII | Turf 2000m（Firm） | 18 | 1 | 7.6（5人） | 1st | 1:59.4（34.0） | 0.0 | Taisei Danno | （Matenro Leo） |
| 2023 – four-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 12 | Hanshin | Kyōto Kinen | GII | Turf 2200m（Firm） | 13 | 9 | 6.8（3） | 5th | 2:11.8（35.0） | 0.9 | Bauyrzhan Murzabayev | Do Deuce |
| Apr 2 | Hanshin | Ōsaka Hai | GI | Turf 2000m（Firm） | 16 | 12 | 41.1（11） | 13th | 1:58.3（35.2） | 0.9 | Taisei Danno | Jack d'Or |
| May 7 | Niigata | Niigata Daishoten | GIII | Turf2000m（Heavy） | 16 | 10 | 13.4（7） | 5th | 2:05.8（37.1） | 2.0 | Yuichi Kitamura | Karate |
| Oct 21 | Tokyo | Fuji Stakes | GII | Turf 1600m（Firm） | 12 | 10 | 32.9（10） | 12th | 1:33.1（34.3） | 1.7 | Takeshi Yokoyama | Namur |
| Dec 9 | Chukyo | Chunichi Shimbun Hai | GIII | Turf 2000m（Firm） | 17 | 12 | 14.9（8） | 4th | 1:59.0（34.3） | 0.2 | Bauyrzhan Murzabayev | Yamanin Salvum |
| 2024 – five-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 24 | King Abdulaziz | Neom Turf Cup | GII | Turf 2100m（Firm） | 13 | 8 | 6.8（8） | 2nd | 2:07.10（35.0） | 0.1 | Cristian Demuro | Spirit Dancer |
| Mar 31 | Hanshin | Ōsaka Hai | GI | Turf 2000m（Firm） | 16 | 12 | 82.4（14） | 15th | 2:00.2（36.0） | 2.0 | Yuichi Kitamura | Bellagio Opera |
| Sep 22 | Nakayama | Sankei Sho All Comers | GII | Turf 2200m（Firm） | 15 | 9 | 56.6（11） | 10th | 2:12.4（34.3） | 0.6 | Taisei Danno | Lebensstil |
| Nov 15 | Bahrain | Bahrain International Trophy | GII | Turf 2000m（Firm） | 12 | 4 | 8th | 2:04.4 | Oisin Murphy | Spirit Dancer | ||
| 2025 – six-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 22 | King Abdulaziz | Neom Turf Cup | GII | Turf 2100m（Firm） | 10 | 5 | 33.0（7人） | 10th | 2:09.49 | 1.75 | Oisin Murphy | Shin Emperor |
- The "R" indicates that a track record had been set by the horse.
Pedigree
[edit]| Sire Deep Impact (JPN) 2002 |
Sunday Silence (USA) 1986 |
Halo | Hail to Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmah | |||
| Wishing Well | Understanding | ||
| Mountain Flower | |||
| Wind in Her Hair (IRE) 1991 |
Alzao (USA) | Lyphard | |
| Lady Rebecca (GB) | |||
| Burghclere (GB) | Busted | ||
| Highclere | |||
| Dam Killer Graces (USA) 2009 |
Congaree (USA) 1998 |
Arazi | Blushing Groom (FR) |
| Danseur Fabuleux | |||
| Mari's Sheba | Mari's Book | ||
| Sheba Little (GB) | |||
| Heatherdoesntbluff (USA) 12003 |
Old Trieste | A.P. Indy | |
| Lovelier Linda | |||
| Michigan Bluff | Skywalker | ||
| Middlefork Rapids (Family: 1-x)[4] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Killer Ability pedigree". JBIS.
- ^ "Deep Impact – Stud Record". Racing Post.
- ^ "Killer Graces profile". Equibase.
- ^ a b "La Troienne – Family 1-x". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
- ^ a b "Race Records:Lifetime Starts Killer Ability(JPN)". JBIS.
- ^ "Hopeful Stakes (G1) - Comments from runners' connections". Horse Racing in Japan. 27 December 2021.
- ^ "Killer Ability Marks Race-Record Win in Year-End Hopeful Stakes". Horse Racing in Japan. 28 December 2021.
- ^ "JPN Thoroughbred Rankings". Horse Racing in Japan. 23 January 2022.
- ^ "2021 JRA Awards". Horse Racing in Japan. 8 January 2022.
- ^ "Geoglyph Rules in Satsuki Sho". Horse Racing in Japan. 17 April 2022.
- ^ "【日本ダービー】横山武史が意地見せキラーアビリティが６着奮闘「今日はゲートもしっかり出て、うまく折り合った」". 東スポ競馬 (in Japanese). 2022-05-29. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "【アルゼンチン共和国杯】3歳馬キラーアビリティは展開向かず8着 Cデムーロ「（直線は）ジリジリという感じでした」". サンスポZBAT! (in Japanese). 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "【中日新聞杯】2歳G1馬キラーアビリティ復活V！斉藤崇師&団野の師弟で初重賞制覇". スポニチ競馬Web (in Japanese). 2022-12-11. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "【ネオムターフC】中東転戦のスピリットダンサーが快勝、キラーアビリティは2着に善戦". JRA-VAN Ver.World (in Japanese). 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "Spirit Dancer powers home to give Ferguson victory in Neom Turf Cup". At The Races. 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "21年のホープフルS優勝馬キラーアビリティが引退 インドで種牡馬入りへ". スポーツ報知 (in Japanese). 2025-05-13. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "Japanese star Killer Ability signed up for stud duties in India". Racing Post. 2025-05-13. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "Killer Ability Race Record and Form". netkeiba. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "Killer Ability | Race Record & Form". Racing Post. Retrieved 2025-05-25.