Tetsuya Kimura

Kimura graduated from Kanagawa University before becoming a groom at the Seisuke Sato stable in 2000.^[6] He would then become an assistant trainer at the Yutaka Takahashi [ja] stable, before moving to Kazuhiro Seishi [ja]'s stable and later Tadashige Nakagawa [ja]'s stable before obtaining his own trainer license in December 2010.^[4][5]

After becoming a stable, he inherited the stable managed by Masakazu Akiyama in June 2011.^[7] Kimura would win his first race in August of that year, when Red Planet won an allowance race at Niigata Racecourse.^[8]

In March 2015, Kimura had won his first-grade race when he won the Flower Cup with Albiano [ja].^[9]

On August 14, 2016, Kimura became the 149th trainer to win his 100th Japan Racing Association (JRA) race when he won an allowance race at Sapporo Racecourse with La Californie.^[10][11]

Kimura won his first Grade I race when he won the Mile Championship in 2018 with Stelvio [ja].^[12] Kimura also won the JRA Awards for Best Trainer for both winning average and training technique that same year.^[1]

Kimura won his 200th JRA race when he won an allowance race at Nakayama Racecourse with Rimondi on April 7, 2019.^[13]

On October 6, 2024, he won his 12th race at the Tokyo Racecourse, becoming the 39th trainer to achieve 400 JRA wins in his 2,796th race.^[14]

In January 2021, Kimura was sued by his retained jockey, Kaito Otsuka [ja], who accused him of engaging in power harassment towards him. In a press conference, Otsuka's father and lawyer also told the press that they filed charges for two counts of assault to the Inashiki Police Station [ja] of the Ibaraki Prefectural Police Department [ja].^[15] Kimura was indicted by the Tsuchiura branch of the Mito District Public Prosecutors Office [ja] on June 30, 2021, and was subsequently fined 100,000 yen on July 12, 2021.^[16]

After the criminal charges were settled, the JRA suspended him until further notice on July 28, 2021.^[17][18] This also resulted in all 67 horses of the Kimura stable, including Fairy Stakes winner Fine Rouge [ja] as well as both Geoglyph and Equinox, to be transferred to Takaki Iwato [ja]'s stable for the time being.^[19] After a deliberation by the stewards committee on August 18, it was decided that Kimura would be suspended from training until October 31, 2021.^[20] Following the end of suspension, 62 of the horses that were transferred to the Iwato stable were transferred back to Kimura's stable.^[21] In the meantime, the lawsuit between Kimura and Otsuka was settled on October 8, 2021, with Kimura apologizing and paying 800,000 yen in damages to Otsuka.^[22]

Japan

• Arima Kinen - (2) - Equinox (2022), Regaleira (2024)
• February Stakes - (1) - Costa Nova (2025)
• Hopeful Stakes - (1) - Regaleira (2023)
• Japan Cup - (1) - Equinox (2023)
• Mile Championship - (1) - Stelvio (2018)
• Queen Elizabeth II Cup - (1) - Regaleira (2025)
• Satsuki Shō - (1) - Geoglyph (2022)
• Shūka Sho - (1) - Cervinia (2024)
• Takarazuka Kinen - (1) - Equinox (2023)
• Tennō Shō (Autumn) - (2) - Equinox (2022, 2023)
• Tennō Shō (Spring) - (1) - Redentor (2025)
• Yushun Himba - (1) - Cervinia (2024)

United Arab Emirates

• Dubai Sheema Classic - (1) - Equinox (2023)