Ryusei Sakai

 ( 1997 Births ) 

Ryusei Sakai (, born May 31, 1997) is a Japanese jockey.

---

Background Ryusei Sakai was born in 1997 to , a jockey and later Horse trainer of Oi Racecourse. He enrolled in in 2013 to earn his jockey license, before graduating in 2016.

Even before graduation, he apprenticed under Yoshito Yahagi, who, like Sakai, has ties to Oi Racecourse. After being issued his jockey license, he became the Yahagi stable's official jockey.

---

Career After debuting in March 2016, Sakai won his first race with Grand Prix Accel at a maiden race held at Hanshin Racecourse on April 2, 2016. Two weeks later, he was taken out of the races for a month following a racing accident involving 4 horses including his own which resulted in him breaking one of his Rib cage. In spite of this, he was able to win the most races of any rookie jockies in the Ritto Training Center.

Sakai raced in Australia from late 2017 to 2018 to improve his riding skills.

The 2020 Japan Dirt Derby, with , was the first Grade I race Sakai won.

Sakai won his first JRA Grade I race with Stunning Rose in the 2022 Shuka Sho, where they defeated Stars on Earth, who was the favourite for race. Sakai then went on to win his second JRA Grade I race in a year with when they won the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.

In February 2023, Sakai won the February Stakes with Lemon Pop. He and the horse would go on to win the Mile Championship Nambu Hai as well as the Champions Cup later that year. He would also win the JBC Nisai Yushun and the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun with Forever Young.

Following their consecutive wins at that year's Saudi Derby and UAE Derby, Sakai and Forever Young headed to the 2024 Kentucky Derby, where they were beaten by Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone in a photo finish and finished third.

---

Major wins

'''[[Japan]]'''
     

• Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes - (1) - Dolce More (2022)
• Champions Cup - (1) - Lemon Pop (2023, 2024)
• February Stakes - (1) - Lemon Pop (2024)
• Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Nisai Yushun - (1) - Forever Young (2023)
• Japan Dirt Classic - (1) - Forever Young (2024)
• Japan Dirt Derby - (1) - Danon Pharaoh (2020)
• Mile Championship Nambu Hai - (2) - Lemon Pop (2023, 2024)
• Sakitama Hai - (1) - Lemon Pop (2024)
• Shuka Sho - (1) - Stunning Rose (2022)
• Takamatsunomiya Kinen - (1) - Mad Cool (2024)
• Tokyo Daishōten - (1) - Forever Young (2024)
• Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun - (1) - Forever Young (2023)

'''[[KSA]]'''
     

• Saudi Cup - (1) - Forever Young (2025)

---

External links

Post Comment