Yuga Kawada

Japanese jockey (born 1985) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yuga Kawada (Japanese: 川田将雅, born October 15, 1985[2]) is a Japanese jockey affiliated with the Japan Racing Association. Born to a family of horse racing, he was the leading jockey of JRA races of 2022.[3]

Nativename
川田将雅
NationalityJapan
Born (1985-10-15) 15 October 1985 (age 40)[1]
Tosu, Saga[2]
Height159 cm (5 ft 3 in)[2]
Quick facts Personal information, Native name ...
Yuga Kawada
Kawada during the post-race interview after winning the 2023 Yushun Himba
Personal information
Native name
川田将雅
NationalityJapan
Born (1985-10-15) 15 October 1985 (age 40)[1]
Tosu, Saga[2]
Height159 cm (5 ft 3 in)[2]
Weight51 kg (112 lb)[2]
Horse racing career
SportHorse racing
Career wins2161 (JRA)
67（NAR）
Major racing wins
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2021)
Dubai World Cup (2023)
Hong Kong Cup (2021)
Osaka Hai (2021)
Kikuka Sho (2010)
Oka Sho (2014, 2022, 2023)
Satsuki Sho (2008)
Takarazuka Kinen (2015)
Tokyo Yushun (2016)
Yasuda Kinen (2015, 2021)
Yushun Himba (2012, 2023)
Significant horses
Lei Papale, Liberty Island, Lovely Day, Loves Only You, Makahiki, Ushba Tesoro, Jantar Mantar
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Since July 2016, Kawada, together with Yuichi Fukunaga, has a management contract with Horipro.[4]

Profile

Kawada debuted on March 7, 2004, and won his first race on the 20th of that same month.[5] Kawada won his first graded race, the Kokura Daishoten, with Mejiro Meyer [ja] in 2006.[6] Kawada won his first Grade I race and classic race with Captain Thule [ja] when they won the Satsuki Sho in 2008.[7] The year before, he became the jockey to have ridden the first white horse to win a JRA race when he rode White Vessel [ja] at a maiden race held at Hanshin Racecourse on April 1, 2007.

Kawada became a Derby jockey in 2016 when he won the race with Makahiki. This race also marked his completion of all classic races in Japan, as he had also won the Kikuka Sho in 2010 with Big Week, the Yushun Himba with Gentildonna, and the Oka Sho with Harp Star by that point.[8] On September 11 of that same year, Kawada became the 31st JRA jockey to have won a total of 1,000 races in his career.[9]

In 2019, Kawada won the World All Star Jockeys that was held at Sapporo Racecourse.[1]

In 2021, Kawada became the 9th JRA jockey ever to have won a total of 100 graded races in his career after winning the Takamatsunomiya Kinen with Danon Smash.[10] That same year, Kawada won two GI races abroad, the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf held at Del Mar, and the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin, together with Loves Only You; with the former win being the first time a Japanese horse ever won that race.[11][12]

In 2022, Kawada won the Oka Sho for the second time with Stars On Earth.[13] That same year, he became the leading jockey in Japan for the first time in his career, as well as the best jockey by win rate and money earned; earning him the Grand Prize.[3]

In 2023, Kawada became the first Japanese jockey to win the Dubai World Cup with Ushba Tesoro, and the first time since Victoire Pisa in 2011 for a Japanese horse to win the same race.[14][15][16] That same year, Kawada became a Triple Tiara jockey after he won the Oka Sho, Yushun Himba, and Shuka Sho with Liberty Island.[17][18][19] The final leg of the Triple Tiara, the Shuka Sho, was held on Kawada's 38th birthday.[20]

Personal life

Kawada's great-grandfather, Wakaya [ja], was a retired jockey and horse trainer, as was his son (Yuga's grandfather) Toshimi [ja]. Toshimi's son and Yuga's father, Takayoshi [ja], is a retired jockey and active horse trainer at Saga Racecourse [ja].[21][22] Masayuki Miyaura [ja], who was the jockey for Inari One before becoming a trainer at Oi Racecourse, is Kawada's uncle.[23]

Kawada married to Rei Otsuka [ja], a tarento, in 2011.[24] The two have a son named Ginji.[25]

Major wins

Japan Japan

Hong Kong Hong Kong

United States United States

United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

References

Bibliography

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