Ryusei Sakai and Yutaka Take reveal plans for upcoming fall and winter racing season
Thursday, 01 August, 2024 15:33
Ryusei Sakai (right) and Yutaka Take (left)
On July 31st, the 45th Santa Anita Trophy was held at the NAR Oi Racecourse, with Yutaka Take and Ryusei Sakai appearing as guests on the "JRA Jockeys Talk Stage."
Eager fans began flocking to the racecourse as early as 10 AM, well before the gates opened at 1:30 PM. By the time the stage event started at 5:55 PM, a large crowd, including many young female fans, had gathered.
During the event, hosted by announcer Naohide Fukuhara, Yutaka Take reflected on the first half of the year. "I didn't win any G1 races, but I reached 4,500 career wins," he said with a smile. When Fukuhara mentioned the possibility of reaching 5,000 wins, including overseas races, Take responded enthusiastically, "That's definitely a goal."
Sakai, whose father is a former jockey and current trainer at Oi Racecourse, greeted the crowd with a warm "I'm back," to which the audience responded with cheers of "Welcome back!" Reflecting on a busy first half of the year that included rides in Dubai and Hong Kong, Sakai said, "It was so hectic I didn't even have time for jet lag, but winning the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen made it all worthwhile."
He also recalled his third-place finish with Forever Young in the G1 Kentucky Derby, a race marked by intense competition in the final stretch. "Hands were coming from everywhere. It was a whole new level of racing, more overwhelming than I had imagined," he said. Take echoed his sentiments, adding, "It's a spectacular event, truly a big sports event. All the Japanese jockeys were cheering. We almost won, but it showed that Japanese horses can compete on American soil."
Take, who had ridden Ski Captain in the 1995 Kentucky Derby, noted the coincidence that both he and Sakai attempted the race in their ninth year as jockeys.
Sakai announced that Forever Young would aim for the Jpn 1 Japan Dirt Classic and the G1 Breeders' Cup, which was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience. Not to be outdone, Take shared his plans for Awesome Result, who is undefeated in six starts and won the Jpn 2 Empress Cup. "If all goes well, we'll target the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff, starting with the Jpn 3 Breeders' Gold Cup at Monbetsu Racecourse," he said, garnering another round of applause.
Take also mentioned Yamanin Ours, who won the G3 Procyon Stakes after five consecutive victories from debut. "While it's not finalized, he's a horse we're considering for the G1 Champions Cup and G1 Tokyo Daishoten," he said. The atmosphere reached its peak with the crowd's excitement and anticipation.
Eager fans began flocking to the racecourse as early as 10 AM, well before the gates opened at 1:30 PM. By the time the stage event started at 5:55 PM, a large crowd, including many young female fans, had gathered.
During the event, hosted by announcer Naohide Fukuhara, Yutaka Take reflected on the first half of the year. "I didn't win any G1 races, but I reached 4,500 career wins," he said with a smile. When Fukuhara mentioned the possibility of reaching 5,000 wins, including overseas races, Take responded enthusiastically, "That's definitely a goal."
Sakai, whose father is a former jockey and current trainer at Oi Racecourse, greeted the crowd with a warm "I'm back," to which the audience responded with cheers of "Welcome back!" Reflecting on a busy first half of the year that included rides in Dubai and Hong Kong, Sakai said, "It was so hectic I didn't even have time for jet lag, but winning the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen made it all worthwhile."
He also recalled his third-place finish with Forever Young in the G1 Kentucky Derby, a race marked by intense competition in the final stretch. "Hands were coming from everywhere. It was a whole new level of racing, more overwhelming than I had imagined," he said. Take echoed his sentiments, adding, "It's a spectacular event, truly a big sports event. All the Japanese jockeys were cheering. We almost won, but it showed that Japanese horses can compete on American soil."
Take, who had ridden Ski Captain in the 1995 Kentucky Derby, noted the coincidence that both he and Sakai attempted the race in their ninth year as jockeys.
Sakai announced that Forever Young would aim for the Jpn 1 Japan Dirt Classic and the G1 Breeders' Cup, which was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience. Not to be outdone, Take shared his plans for Awesome Result, who is undefeated in six starts and won the Jpn 2 Empress Cup. "If all goes well, we'll target the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff, starting with the Jpn 3 Breeders' Gold Cup at Monbetsu Racecourse," he said, garnering another round of applause.
Take also mentioned Yamanin Ours, who won the G3 Procyon Stakes after five consecutive victories from debut. "While it's not finalized, he's a horse we're considering for the G1 Champions Cup and G1 Tokyo Daishoten," he said. The atmosphere reached its peak with the crowd's excitement and anticipation.
Article Creds:Daily Sports