Yuichi Fukunaga

Nativename

福永祐一

NationalityJapanese

Born (1976-12-09) 9 December 1976 (age 49)

Rittō-chō (now Rittō), Kurita District, Shiga

Occupation(s)Jockey (retired)
Horse trainer

Yuichi Fukunaga

Fukunaga at the 2025 Turquoise Stakes
Personal information
Native name	福永祐一
Nationality	Japanese
Born	(1976-12-09) 9 December 1976 (age 49) Rittō-chō (now Rittō), Kurita District, Shiga
Occupation(s)	Jockey (retired) Horse trainer
Height	160.0 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Weight	51.0 kg (112 lb)
Spouse	Midori Matsuo (m. 2013)
Children	3
Horse racing career
Sport	Horse racing
Career winnings	2636
Racing awards
JRA Award for Best Jockey (winning average) (2011) JRA Award for Best Jockey (races won) (2013) JRA Award for Best Jockey (money earned) (2013) JRA Award for Best Jockey (newcomer) (1996) Most Valuable Jockey (2013)
Significant horses
King Halo, Eishin Preston, Rhein Kraft, Cesario, Epiphaneia, Just A Way, Wagnerian, Indy Champ, Contrail, Pixie Knight, Shahryar, Geoglyph

Yuichi Fukunaga (福永 祐一, Fukunaga Yūichi; born 9 December 1976^[1]) is a Japanese horse trainer and former jockey who has won 29 Grade 1 races in Japan and abroad. He is affiliated with the Japan Racing Association (JRA) in Rittō. His father is former jockey Yoichi Fukunaga [ja] who was said to be a "genius" during his active career,^[2] and his uncle is Takashi Kitamura, also a former jockey.^[3] His wife is former Fuji TV announcer Midori Matsuo [ja].^[3] Since July 2016, he has a management contract with Horipro together with Yuga Kawada, the entertainment production with which his wife is also affiliated.^[4]

On December 8, 2022, following his trainer license being issued by the JRA, Fukunaga announced that he would retire as a jockey at the end of February next year and make a transition in to becoming a horse trainer.^[5][6] Two months later, Fukunaga rode his final races in Japan at the February Stakes on 19 February,^[7][8] and finished his racing career at the Riyadh Dirt Sprint on February 25, 2023, where he rode Remake which finished 3rd behind Elite Power.^[9][10] Retirement ceremonies of Fukunaga were held at Tokyo Racecourse on 19 February and on the Hanshin Racecourse on March 4.^[11]

Fukunaga officially opened his stable on 6 March 2024.^[12] Upon opening his stable, he received a number of horses from outgoing trainers, including Danon Scorpion and Dualist [ja] from Takayuki Yasuda [ja].^[13]