Kimura Kicks Down a New Door at Old Del Mar

Kazushi Kimura had been a professional jockey for just two weeks when he entered the starting gate for the second race at Woodbine June 9, 2018, aboard the $9,500 claimer Tornado Cat for trainer and co-owner/breeder Shelley Fitzgerald. Kimura was 18, Tornado Cat was 5. She hopped in the air at the start, after which Kimura sat quietly at the back of the field, moved into midpack entering the far turn, and then skimmed the rail through the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length at odds of 70-1. The teenager from Hokkaido, northernmost of Japan's major islands, returned to the winner's circle all smiles, fully anticipating the traditional hazing by fellow jockeys in celebration of a maiden victory. Instead, they were on their best behavior, lined up neatly behind Emma-Jayne Wilson, who was being presented with the track's prestigious Avelino Gomez Award. That's Kimura, second row to the right, having dodged the whipped cream, raw eggs, and bucket of ice water. History has been kind to both riders in the spotlight that day. Wilson has gone on to continued success in her native Canada, now approaching 2,000 wins along with record mount earnings of $90.2 million for a female rider. Kimura has followed that spectacular first score with 887 more, three Canadian Sovereign Awards, and an Eclipse Award as the outstanding apprentice of 2019. The last two years, Kimura has spent his winters out West, dipping his toe in Santa Anita Park's waters during Woodbine's idle time. This summer, however, the rider has thrown caution to the wind, leaving Canada less than three months into its long season to make his debut at Del Mar. His motivation is simple and to the point. "I'm only 24, I want to ride with the best jockeys, hopefully find mounts for the Breeders' Cup, and try a new challenge," he said a few days before the July 20 opener. As an independent pro athlete unbound by family, schedules, or contracts, Kimura sees the world as his oyster. "I had been to the racing school in Japan from 14 to 16," Kimura said. "I took the exam twice to get in. My year, there were 151 people who applied and only five who got in. But Japan racing is very strict. A license is hard to get." Kimura describes the Japanese jockey scene as a tightly controlled environment in which both access and opportunity are difficult. He did his research and settled on eastern Canada as a place where his passion to ride could be given a free rein. "When I left Japan, my friends wondered why," he said. "I did not know English. I had very little money. Yes, it was lonely. But people there showed me a lot of kindness, and everything went very smooth in Canada, very straightforward. My family was more surprised than me." Kimura cut his riding teeth on his family's farm near the town of Hidaka, on the southern coast of Hokkaido, and a short drive to the heart of Japan's Thoroughbred country. His father, Tadayuki Kimura, prepares 2-year-olds for a clientele of owners and trainers. Kazushi was on horseback by the time he was 3, then graduated to show jumping and pony racing as he grew. Now he is a lean, natural lightweight who has already found a local gym to keep him occupied on the three dark days of the Del Mar racing week. That is, when he's not enjoying the summer diversions of Petco Park, the San Diego Zoo, and a 30-mile stretch of aesthetically pleasing beaches. Now in his seventh year of competition, Kimura has defied the trend that befalls many Eclipse Award-winning apprentices who find the transition to full journeyman status a challenge. Kimura was wise to establish a level of stardom in Canada before seeking fresh horizons. But he has a home there. He has applied for permanent resident status, and he plans to return to Canada for major stakes opportunities once the Del Mar meet ends in September. "I'm still learning," Kimura said. "I look at other riders to see what they are doing well—how they break, how they finish—and see if what they do technically can work for me. In Japan, riding style is more like Europe. They settle the horse early and concentrate on a finish. Some riders you even see bounce in the saddle. They learn this because some courses are uphill last part and that can help the horse go forward." Kimura's style, though, is very American. When in California, he also enjoys the break from the underhand whip rules imposed in Canada, although tracks under the jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority are stricter when it comes to jockey health protocols. Kimura sustained a concussion in a fall at Woodbine one year ago. "I've been lucky so far," he said. "I've never been out for more than two weeks." Who knows what could have happened to the rider June 30, 2019, in the midst of his Eclipse Award-winning season when his mount clipped heels on the backstretch of a sprint at Woodbine. The horse stumbled but kept his feet, while Kimura found himself hanging off the right side of the horse's neck, both irons lost for more than a dozen strides. Somehow, he hoisted himself back in the saddle, retrieved his stirrups, and finished the race. With veteran agent Brian Beach handling his book, Kimura figures to be in the thick of the race for riding honors at Del Mar, surrounded by veterans Juan Hernandez, Victor Espinoza, Umberto Rispoli, Antonio Fresu, Tyler Baze, and Kyle Frey. And although he's not a regular on the circuit, Kimura is a known commodity. He won 16 races to finish in the top 10 during the Santa Anita meet ending in April, then returned from Canada in late May to win the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G2) aboard Mr Fisk for Bob Baffert. Kimura has 17 calls for a dozen different trainers opening weekend, riding for such owners as Coolmore, Eclipse Thoroughbreds, Mike Pegram, Ramona Bass, and the SF Racing/Starlight Racing group of heavyweight investors. For the featured San Clemente Stakes (G2T) Saturday, Kimura will be aboard the Irish filly Loterie (IRE) for the Phil D'Amato barn. The daughter of Ten Sovereigns (IRE), who has never been worse than third in five starts, finished second in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes last fall and comes off her maiden win at Santa Anita in late May. "I hope I can get off to a good start," Kimura said. "I know California racing pretty good. Now I want to know San Diego."