Kazushi Kimura © Benoit Photo
KAZUSHI KIMURA: NEW KID ON THE BLOCK IN DEL MAR JOCKEY COLONY
In 2021, Japan horse racing made a splash at the Breeders’ Cup here at Del Mar. They won two of the races, the Filly & Mare Turf with Loves Only You and the Distaff with Marche Lorraine, quickly capturing the attention of racing fans worldwide. Japanese-based racing outfits began winning big races at other major venues, too, taking down the prestigious Dubai World Cup with Ushba Tesoro in 2023, for instance.
The emergence of Japanese racing in the U.S. wasn’t limited to the horses they were bringing overseas. A couple of jockeys took the plunge and not since the legendary Yutaka Take has any Japanese rider made more of an instant impact than Kazushi Kimura. The 24-year-old took Woodbine by storm and two winters ago he decided to give Santa Anita a try. Now he’s riding daily at Del Mar. He stands 5’ 3”* and tacks 118 pounds.
“Two years ago I joined California racing for the winter time,” Kimura says. “It seems like it offered more options. Many people said I was better to stay in addition to finding nice horses for the Breeders’ Cup races. Everything worked out well.”
One of those ‘people’ advising Kimura to stay in California was Bob Baffert.
“I told him to come out here,” Baffert says. “He’ll pick up nice horses. That’s how he’s going to get the better horses, they’re out here. He’s getting there slowly.”
Kimura is an ambitious young man who hopes to achieve greatness in the sport he loves. He’s well on his way. Six years into his career and Kimura is just seven wins away from 900.
“In my situation,” he says, “if I want to stay high on the leaderboard, anyplace I go it’s going to be a difficult move. But at my age, I wanted to try something different.”
In Canada, Kimura was cleaning up. Beginning in 2021 he won three straight riding titles at Woodbine, the country’s premiere track in Toronto. He collected three Sovereign Awards, Canada’s equivalent to America’s Eclipse Awards. One was for Top Apprentice Jockey in 2018. The other two were for top jockey in 2021 and 2022. He also won the Eclipse Award for top apprentice jockey in 2019.
“They have their Oaks, a half a million dollar race, but I said ‘No.’ I have to remain focused and stay here. Maybe I’ll go back for the King’s Plate but just for the one day.”
Born in Hokkaido, Kimura is native Japanese.
“My father owned a farm for training baby horses and when I was three I would jump on the baby horses,” he remembers. “I started with pony racing and then quarter (horse) riding and eventually equestrian and show jumping. I did everything upon a horse. I went to racing school in Japan for about 2 ½ years learning the process of becoming a jockey.”
Breaking into racing in Japan is difficult. Not so much because of the talented riders there but because of government restrictions. So Kimura moved to Canada. He was only 18 when he got his first license to ride. Kimura’s first winner was a horse named Tornado Cat that he booted home at 72-1.
“I was interested in North American racing and at the time I thought Canada was a better option for immigration,” he said.
Now fast forward six years and Kimura is beginning to get a foothold in Southern California. Last Sunday he had mounts on all but one of the 11 races that day.
“This racing colony is one of the best in the world,” Kimura notes. “Good people, they are so nice and a beautiful location. I’m really happy with the quality and everything. I was here in the wintertime so I know some people.”
It’s only a matter of time before everyone will know Kazushi Kimura.
WARD FILLY TO TAKE ON THE BOYS IN G3 BEST PAL
The local prep for the G1 Del Mar Futurity, the G3 Best Pal, will be run Sunday with four colts and one filly entered in the six-furlong sprint on the main track. They have a combined five victories from seven starts and four of them are undefeated in their young careers.
The filly White Sands has won both of her races, breaking her maiden at Belterra Park in Cincinnati by 9 ½ lengths and then a stakes at Prairie Meadows in Iowa by 13 ¾ lengths. The daughter of Into Mischief hails from the Wesley Ward barn.
Initially she was entered in both today’s Sorrento Stakes against the fillies and also the Best Pal. The latter was the call.
“She is a good filly but we’ll see how good she is now,” says Blake Heap, Ward’s assistant trainer. “Wesley’s not afraid of (running against the) boys with babies. She beat the boys last time.”
Del Mar will be White Sands third racetrack in three races but Ward does that with all of his horses.
“He moves them around all the time,” Heap points out. “He takes his babies to Florida. They’ve been to Keeneland. He works them at Turfway Park. Most of them have seen five or six different racetracks.”
White Sands is not a very big filly but when you see her out of her stall, she can be quite imposing.
“Even the state vet said ‘They ain’t going to beat her.’,” Heap says. “She said ‘I love this filly. She gives me goosebumps.’”
Bob Baffert’s lone entry in the Best Pal is Getaway Car, a $700,000 yearling purchase who broke his maiden at first asking on opening day at Del Mar. He’s positioned on the outside of the five-horse field, giving jockey Juan Hernandez the advantage of gauging the speed inside of him and sitting off of a blistering pace if one develops. Four of the five runners were on or just off the lead in their respective victories.
A win by Getaway Car would be Baffert’s record eleventh Best Pal victory and third in a row.
Trainer Doug O’Neill brings a pair of runners to the race. Ivan the Great is still a maiden after two starts that resulted in a tough loss by a nose in his maiden debut and then a respectable third-place finish out of 12 horses in the $200,000 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs last out.
“We ran Raging Torrent back there and he (Ivan the Great) belongs to the same connections,” assistant trainer Leandro Mora explains as to why they shipped back east. “He ran really good in that race and we were happy with it. We were hoping to go longer but this race popped up very light and that’s why Doug entered him.”
Mora says Ivan the Great handled the trip to and from Kentucky very well even though the logistics of such a trip are tricky nowadays.
“Right now there are no direct flights,” Mora says, “and so the amount of time between California and any other racetrack back east could take up to 18 hours. So when you know the plane is going to take six hours, that’s when you go. Any longer and it’s not good for the horse.”
O’Neill’s second entry is Tiz Happy, a son of Runhappy, who broke his maiden at first asking in a five-furlong sprint on the turf at Santa Anita in June, winning by a nose.
“We got a little surprise because we thought the other horse we entered, Dr Ruben M, could win,” Mora notes. “We’re happy he won that race and now we’re back in a stake.”
Mora and O’Neill find both of their horses starting from the inside, posts one and two.
“The way the track is playing now,” Mora says, “Doug is probably going to tell one of the riders to go. We have no choice. Baffert is usually a killer so we’ll try to beat him on the jump.”
The 54th running of the G3 Best Pal goes off as race three on the 10-race Sunday program. Probable post is 3 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and morning line odds: Ivan the Great (Antonio Fresu, 12-1); Tiz Happy (Edwin Maldonado, 5-1); White Sands (Kazushi Kimura, 3-1); Mischief River (Cesar Ortega, 8-1) and Getaway Car (3/5).
JOCKEY KARAOKE RETURNS TO THE BELLY UP SUNDAY NIGHT
Sure they can ride racehorses, but can they sing?
We’ll find out Sunday night at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach at the annual Jockey Karaoke. Riders from the Del Mar jockey colony will compete for the title of best singer with all proceeds going to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
A recent Riders Up Jockey Karaoke contest at Saratoga raised $140,000. Former rider Shane Sellers took the prize for top performance for his rendition of Lionel Ritchie’s “Deep River Woman.” John and Leona Velazquez were winners for best duet for their version of “You’re the One That I Want” from Grease, the John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John song. Now it’s up to the West Coast to step up and not be outdone by their East Coast counterparts.
Jockey’s Umberto Rispoli and Armando Ayuso are ready to show off their chops. Kyle Frey gave us a preview Friday when he sang “Where the Surf Meet the Turf” for everyone in attendance at the races Friday. In addition to some surprisingly good vocal talents, you’ll get to see some of the jockeys like you’ve never seen them before, many dressed in outrageous costumes.
Results will be posted throughout the night on PDJF social media platforms including Twitter (@PDJFund), Facebook (www.facebook.com/jockeysfund) and Instagram. After the judges name their favorite performance, the public will get to vote online for their favorite via Facebook and Twitter. Then fans will get to vote between the winners of East Coast and the West Coast. A final determination of the Coast with the Most.
Silent and live auctions will accompany the performances which begin at 8 p.m. You must be 21 and up to attend. Tickets are $75 a person and include a drink coupon. Doors open at 7:45 unless you want to buy a VIP ticket for $175 that will get you in at 6 p.m. and includes two drink coupons, open reserve seats and a buffet dinner with the jockeys.
Since it was founded in 2006, the PDJF has raised more than $10 million to help support injured riders.
COOLING OUT: The Chosen Vron put in his first work since his win in the G1 Bing Crosby last month. The Cal-bred Horse of the Year went 3-furlongs in :36 seconds, fourth best of 16 works at that distance Saturday. Trainer J. Eric Kruljac is pointing his prized gelding to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with a possible prep in between now and November…R Heisman came out of his win in the Graduation Stakes Friday in good order according to trainer Peter Miller, who says they are considering the G1 Del Mar Futurity, the I’m Smokin’ Stakes for Cal-breds or shipping to Kentucky Downs for the colt’s next race…Horse and jockey are okay after a scary spill in Friday’s opener. Veronica’s Gem went down in mid-stretch when she appeared to hit the rail, unseating jockey Abel Cedillo. But a short time later, trainer Brian Koriner reported his horse was back at the barn doing fine and Cedillo, after missing the next race, returned to ride the rest of his mounts on the Friday card…Notable works for Saturday: Dirt – Forbidden Kingdom (3f, :35.20); Dr. Venkman (4f, :47.60); First Peace (4f, :48.80); Grand Slam Smile (4f, :48.80); Katonah (4f, :47.40); Medoro (4f, :47.40); Midnight Mammoth (4f, :48.00); Endlessly (5f, 1:00.60); Newgrange (5f, 1;01.00), and Reincarnate (5f, 1:01.40). 191 horses put in official workouts on the main track at Del Mar Saturday.
*corrected from 5' 6"