Jockey Nanako Fujita (27) has submitted her resignation to the Japan Racing Association (JRA), as revealed by her trainer, Yasuhiro Nemoto, on the morning of October 11th.

Fujita was found to have brought communication devices, including a smartphone, into the jockeys' quarters on multiple occasions up until around April 2023. This violation of JRA rules led to her being suspended from racing, pending a final decision by the JRA's disciplinary committee, as her actions were deemed serious misconduct for a jockey.

Fujita debuted under trainer Yasuhiro Nemoto's stable in 2016, alongside peers like Ryusei Sakai and Kiwamu Ogino. She secured her first career win on April 10th of that year at Fukushima Racecourse, riding Sunny Days in Race 9. In 2019, Fujita became the first female jockey to compete in a JRA Grade 1 race when she partnered with Copano Kicking in the February Stakes. That same year, she achieved a historic victory in the Capella Stakes aboard Copano Kicking, becoming the first female jockey to win a JRA-graded flat race. Known for her exceptional starting ability, she also topped the Niigata summer meet leaderboard in 2019, solidifying her status as a trailblazer for women in Japanese horse racing.

Fujita actively pursued international competition, participating in events such as the Shergar Cup and racing in the Middle East. Her success inspired the rise of many female jockeys, including Naho Futukawa, Manami Nagashima, Seina Imamura, Nana Kawaharada, Miku Kobayashi, and Hiro Oehara.

In July of this year, she announced her marriage to a JRA employee in his 20s, whom she had been dating since the previous autumn. At the time, she expressed her desire to continue racing under the name "Fujita," writing on Instagram, "I will continue my career as a jockey and remain dedicated to horse racing."