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[ODDS and EVENS] Yuichi Fukunaga Nearing the End of a Stellar Career as a Jockey

Veteran jockey Yuichi Fukunaga is planning to retire at the end of February and become a trainer. He was the JRA's winningest jockey in 2011 and 2013.

Published

1 year ago

February 10, 2023

Ed Odeven

Yuichi Fukunaga guides Badenweiler to victory in the 50th Saga Memorial on February 9 at Saga Racecourse. (Photo provided by Saga Prefecture Horse Racing Association/via SANKEI)

Read the full article on SportsLook - [ODDS and EVENS] Yuichi Fukunaga Nearing the End of a Stellar Career as a Jockey

Yuichi Fukunaga, one of Japan's premier jockeys in the 21st century, is days away from competing in his final race before retirement.

Fukunaga, 46, is scheduled to participate in Saudi Cup competition at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Saturday, February 25. Eight races are on the docket for the action-packed day.

The Japan Racing Association recently announced plans for a retirement ceremony for Fukunaga on March 4 at Hanshin Racecourse in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture. It's an appropriate gesture, a chance for the racing community to celebrate Fukunaga's career and give him a proper send-off.

Between the two momentous days in the final chapter of Fukunaga's successful career as a jockey, he's expected to ride in his final JRA race in the Grade 1 February Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday, February 19.

Becoming a Trainer

What's next for Fukunaga?

He said on December 8, 2022, a day before his birthday, that he had passed the JRA's license examination to become a trainer and that he would be retiring in a few months.

But before Fukunaga steps away from the spotlight as a jockey, French jockey Christophe Lemaire paid tribute to his longtime rival.

"Yuichi has been one of the most respected, recognized and prolific [jockeys] in Japanese horse racing history," Lemaire told me on Friday, February 10. "His horse sense at young age, probably because his father was a jockey himself, soon made him a top rider in the country."

Lemaire continued his analysis by saying, "His riding style was soft and smooth, [and] his great knowledge of his rides and the horses around gave him good advantage to get the best from his horses.

"Even at this stage, you can see him every day at the track work and you can feel his passion for his sport. For sure he will become a great trainer and I wish him the best for the future."

A Career of Steady Success

What's next for Fukunaga?

He said on December 8, 2022, a day before his birthday, that he had passed the JRA's license examination to become a trainer and that he would be retiring in a few months.

Fukunaga's career began with a flourish. He collected his first career victory in his first JRA race (4-Saimi Shori) aboard Marbutz Brevest on March 2, 1996, at Chukyo Racecourse in Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture.

As he became an established rider, he enjoyed sustained success. For example, he won a quintet of G1 races three times apiece: the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1999, 2002, 2005), the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (2002, 2010, 2011) the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (2004, 2016, 2019), the Tokyo Yushun (aka the Japanese Derby in 2018, 2020, 2021) and the Yushun Himba (aka the Japanese Oaks in 2004, 2005 and 2007).

In addition, Fukunaga was victorious in the February Stakes, Kikuka Sho, Oka Sho, Satsuki Sho and Yasuda Kinen, all of which are G1 races, twice apiece.

*A commemorative gift presented to Yuichi Fukunaga at Kyoto Racecourse on January 31. It depicts his 13 consecutive seasons with 100 or more wins through 2022. (ⒸSANKEI)*

A Model of Consistency

Since 2010, the Shiga Prefecture native recorded 100 or more victories on the JRA circuit every year through 2022. He was the JRA's winningest jockey in 2011 (133 races) and 2013 (131).

And since 2018, he was fourth, fourth, third, fourth and seventh in total wins among JRA jockeys.

More than a decade ago, Fukunaga showed that he was never satisfied to just stick to what would appear comfortable. Enjoying success in his homeland was nice, of course, but challenging himself against unfamiliar overseas competition was an important measuring stick for him.

In the summer of 2012, Fukunaga tested his riding skills at Del Mar Racetrack near San Diego, California.

His translator at the time, Mikki Tsuge, observed that Fukunaga was hungry for a new challenge.

"He came here knowing it is going to be very difficult for him," Tsuge said in an interview with the Paulick Report, an online racing journal, in July 2012. "In Japan, the fans may think [that] with his skills, he will have the opportunity to ride and win many races in the United States. But he came here with a realistic attitude that he is not well known, and he wants the Japanese fans not to be disappointed and to understand that it is a big challenge. He wants to learn and improve his skills as a rider."

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Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and Twitter ＠ed_odeven.