Kentucky Derby jockey profile: Kazushi Kimura
Woodbine-based Kazushi Kimura had a successful winter/spring meet at Santa Anita (Photo by Benoit Photo)
May 4th, 2023
Who is Kazushi Kimura?
Kazushi Kimura has enjoyed abundant success riding in the United States and Canada. The young jockey from Hokkaido, Japan has repeatedly won acclaim, not to mention hundreds of races.
Kimura got started in 2018 at Woodbine and Fort Erie and quickly won 104 races from 663 rides, earning Canada’s Sovereign Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. The following year he won another 148 races and picked up the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey.
The wins have come in bunches ever since. Kimura won his first four graded stakes in 2020, including the Summer (G1) aboard Gretzky the Great. Nine more graded wins followed in 2021-22. In both years, Kimura ranked as the runaway leading jockey by wins at Woodbine and earned back-to-back Sovereign Awards for Outstanding Jockey.
Kimura widened his horizons during the winter of 2022-23, choosing to ride at Santa Anita on the competitive Southern California circuit. Along the way he picked up the mount on Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful Mandarin Hero of Japan, guiding the talented colt to a runner-up finish in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Mandarin Hero was initially an also-eligible entrant for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, but following the scratches of Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move and Wood Memorial (G2) winner Lord Miles, Mandarin Hero is officially in the field. Kimura is slated to retain the mount and ride for the first time in the Run for the Roses.
More than 600 of Kimura’s 670+ career victories have come over the synthetic and turf courses at Woodbine. Nine more wins have come over the synthetic track at Turfway, as we’ve outlined below. But since the Kentucky Derby takes place on dirt at Churchill Downs, we’ll also analyze Kimura’s record on dirt at tracks that host two or more Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races:
| Track | Starts | Wins | Places | Shows | Win % | ITM % | ROI % | Earnings |
|---|
Aqueduct | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Churchill Downs | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Fair Grounds | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Gulfstream Park | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13% | 13% | 50% | $30,810 |
Keeneland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | -100% | $2,737 |
Oaklawn Park | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Santa Anita | 46 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9% | 33% | -55% | $568,540 |
Tampa Bay Downs | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Turfway Park | 68 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 13% | 46% | -62% | $405,884 |
All stats listed above from Jan. 1, 2018 through May 3, 2023. Generated by STATSMASTER, Powered by TrackMaster, an Equibase Company.
| Lifetime record in the Kentucky Derby: | ||||||
| Starts | Wins | Places | Shows | Win % | ITM % | ROI % |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | -100% |
Kimura at Gulfstream Park
Kimura rode 16 dirt races at Gulfstream in February and March of 2020, winning a maiden claimer aboard 11-1 longshot Pink Lemonade and a claimer guiding 10-1 outsider Lapochka.
Kimura at Keeneland
Kimura has ridden only once over the Keeneland main track, finishing fifth aboard 7-1 shot Highly Flammable in a seven-furlong maiden special weight.
Kimura at Santa Anita
Since Dec. 26, Kimura has compiled a 4-for-46 (9%) record riding on dirt at Santa Anita. Despite being a newcomer to the Southern California circuit, Kimura picked up a graded victory in the 1 1/16-mile La Canada (G3), guiding Kirstenbosch from three lengths off the early pace to win by a nose.
Kimura at Turfway Park
Just like Woodbine, Turfway Park has a synthetic Tapeta track over which Kimura has enjoyed success. In 2022, Kimura went 9-for-68 (13%) at Turfway, and while all of his victories came in minor events, he also finished second in the Queen S. aboard Club Car and third in the Serena’s Song S. aboard 17-1 longshot Howdyoumakeurmoney.
