Yutaka Take (武 豊, Take Yutaka) (born March 15, 1969, in Kyoto, Kyoto)[1] is a Japanese jockey. Take made his riding debut in 1987 and currently holds seven all-time records in Japan. He has won at least one Grade 1 race for 23 straight years until 2010, and a graded stakes race for 36 consecutive years.[2] Take has 114 wins to his credit in eight countries,[citation needed] including Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. His international victories includes Group 1 wins in the Prix d'Ispahan (France) and Hong Kong Cup (Hong Kong), the July Cup (England) and Dubai Duty Free Stakes (UAE).

Yutaka Take
武豊
Yutaka Take in 2022
OccupationJockey
Born (1969-03-15) March 15, 1969 (age 55)
Kyoto Racecourse, Kyoto, Kyoto
NationalityJapanese
SpouseRyoko Sano
Height171 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight50 kg (110 lb)
Career wins4,549 (JRA)
201 (NAR)
As of November 24, 2024
Honors
JRA Grand Prize Jockey (1997-2000, 2002-2006)
JRA Award for Best Jockey (newcomer) (1987)
JRA Award for Best Jockey (races won) (1989, 1990, 1992-2000, 2002-2008)
JRA Award for Best Jockey (winning average) (1994, 1997-2006, 2008)
JRA Award for Best Jockey (money earned) (1989, 1990, 1993, 1995-1999, 2000, 2002-2007, 2009)
JRA Special Award (2007, 2013, 2018)
Significant horses
Air Groove, Deep Impact, Do Deuce, Kane Hikili, Kitasan Black, Kizuna, Mejiro McQueen, Oguri Cap, Silence Suzuka, Smart Falcon, Special Week, Super Creek
Website
http://www.yutaka-take.com/

Take has won one of Japan's premier horse races, the Japan Cup, a record five times.[3]

Early life

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Yutaka Take on the Deep Impact

Yutaka was born in Kyoto on March 15, 1969, to Kunihiko and Yoko Take. Kunihiko was also a notable jockey, nicknamed "The wizard of the turf" during his prime. Take followed in his father's footsteps, and made his debut as a jockey in 1987.

Career

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In 1987, he became the first rookie to ride 69 winners in one season. In the following year he became the youngest jockey to achieve 100 wins and won the GI race. Two years later, he was named the overall champion jockey by the Japan Racing Association (JRA), a title he held continuously until 1999 (apart from in 1991).

In 2005 he won the Japanese Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (Satsuki Sho, Tokyo Yushun, Kikuka Sho) with Deep Impact, the second undefeated horse that has won the classic. That year, Take achieved 212 victories, the most victories for any jockey in a single year.

On March 25 2007, Take won the Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Racecourse aboard Suzuka Phoenix. The win gave Take a Group One victory for the 20th consecutive racing season.[4] Also in 2007, Take won his fourth Japan Cup Dirt in seven years. Take was the recipient of the 2017 Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit, which recognizes distinguished horsemen and horsewomen for lifelong contributions to Thoroughbred racing. He was the first jockey to win that award.

Take has also made appearances in equine related television shows and commercials, including a collaboration ad between the JRA and Neon Genesis Evangelion;[5] as well as several commercials for Uma Musume Pretty Derby,[6][7] of which Take has also made a cameo appearance in the anime adaptation.[8]

Personal life

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The Take family is known for horseracing. As well as his father Kunihiko, Take's brother, Koshiro, was also a jockey before transitioning to trainer.

In 1995, Yutaka married Ryoko Sano [ja], a former tarento.

Major wins

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  Great Britain


  France


  Hong Kong


  Japan


  United Arab Emirates

Year-end charts in the United States

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Chart (2007–present) Peak
position
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2007 93

References

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  1. ^ "Yutaka Take". NTRA. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved Dec 28, 2018.
  2. ^ "【愛知杯】武豊騎手、ルビーカサブランカで36年連続重賞V 歴代1位独走に「年がバレちゃいますね」". スポーツ報知 (in Japanese). 2022-01-16. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  3. ^ Angst, Frank (24 November 2024). "Do Deuce Shows Top Form in Rallying to Japan Cup Win". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Takamatsunomiya Kinen - Suzuka Phoenix wins his first Group 1!". JAIR. 2007-03-25. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  5. ^ Loo, Egan (2012-10-09). "Evangelion Horse Hybrid Unveiled in New Horse-Racing TV Ads". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  6. ^ "スマートフォン用ゲーム『ウマ娘 プリティーダービー』は2018年冬配信開始予定。TVCM第2弾・トレーラー第3弾を公開". moca-news.net (in Japanese). 2018-07-02. Archived from the original on 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  7. ^ "中村倫也&吉田鋼太郎、レジェンド2人と共演「光栄」「お会いしたかった」". マイナビニュース (in Japanese). 2022-04-09. Archived from the original on 2022-04-09. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  8. ^ "「ウマ娘 プリティーダービー」第5話に武豊騎手が本人役で登場". コミックナタリー (in Japanese). 2018-04-23. Archived from the original on 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
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