is a Japanese

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

who has won 29 Grade 1 races in Japan and abroad. He is affiliated with the

Japan Racing Association The Japan Racing Association ( ja, 日本中央競馬会 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai, or JRA) is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba (中央競馬 Central horse racing) and to manage racecourses, betting facilities, and horse-training ...

(JRA) in Rittō. His

father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...

is former jockey Yoichi Fukunaga who was said to be a "genius" during his active career, and his uncle is Takashi Kitamura, also a former jockey. His wife is former Fuji TV announcer Midori Matsuo. Since July 2016, he has a management contract with Horipro, the entertainment production in which his wife is also affiliated. On December 8, 2022, following his trainer license issue 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.

Achievements

Grade 1 race victories

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (朝日杯フューチュリティステークス) is a one mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred colts two years old. It is considered the ''de facto'' year-end championship for Japanese thoroughbred racing in the t ...

- (3) - '' Eishin Preston (1999), Eishin Champ (2002), Fusaichi Richard (2005)'' *

February Stakes The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 8 furlongs) at Tokyo Racecourse in late February. It was first run in 1984 as February Handicap, and wa ...

- (2) - ''Meisho Bowler (2005)'', ''

Cafe Pharoah Cafe Pharoah ( ja, カフェファラオ, link=no foaled 3 March 2017) is an American-bred, Japanese-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2019, he established himself as a top-class dirt performer in the following year, winning t ...

(2022) '' *

Hanshin Juvenile Fillies The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (阪神ジュベナイルフィリーズ) is a one-mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred fillies two years old. It is considered the ''de facto'' year-end championship for Japanese thoroughbred racing in the two-year- ...

- (3) - ''Peace of World (2002), Rêve d'Essor (2010), Joie de Vivre (2011)'' * Japan Breeding farms' Cup Classic - (1) - ''K T Brave (2018)'' *

Japan Breeding farms' Cup Sprint Japan Breeding farms' Cup Sprint (ジャパンブリーディングファームズカップスプリント) is an annual race held on "JBC day", which is usually November 3, or the national holiday Culture Day. This race and the JBC Classic wer ...

- (1) - ''Sterling Rose (2002)'' *

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

- (1) -

Contrail Contrails (; short for "condensation trails") or vapor trails are line-shaped clouds produced by aircraft engine exhaust or changes in air pressure, typically at aircraft cruising altitudes several miles above the Earth's surface. Contrails ar ...

(2021) *

Kawasaki Kinen The Kawasaki Kinen (Kawasaki Memorial) (川崎記念) is a Japanese thoroughbred horse race on dirt track for horses aged four years or older. It was graded as a domestic grade 1 race in 1998. It is held in January, so it is the first (domestic) g ...

- (1) - ''K T Brave (2018)'' * Kikuka Shō - (2) - '' Epiphaneia (2013)'',

(2020) *

NHK Mile Cup The NHK Mile Cup () is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies, run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately one mile) on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse in May. The NHK Mile Cup is sponsored b ...

- (1) - ''Rhein Kraft (2005)'' *

Oka Sho The is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan. The race is restricted to three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies and is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) at the Hanshin Racecourse, Takarazuka, Hyōgo in April. It was ...

- (2) - ''Primo Ordine (1999), Rhein Kraft (2005)'' *

Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup The Queen Elizabeth II Cup (''Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup'' until 2012) is an Graded stakes race, International Grade 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbred Filly, fillies and mar ...

- (1) - ''Fusaichi Pandora (2006)'' *

Satsuki Sho Satsuki is a traditional Japanese name for the month of . It is commonly used as a feminine given name and, more rarely, as a surname or a masculine name. Possible spellings Satsuki can be spelled using different ''kanji'' characters and can mean: ...

- (2) - ''

(2020), ''

Geoglyph A geoglyph is a large design or motif (generally longer than 4 metres) produced on the ground by durable elements of the landscape, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth. A positive geoglyph is formed by the arrangement and alignmen ...

(2022) '' *

Shuka Sho Shuka ( sa, शुक , also Shukadeva ) is a rishi (sage) in Hinduism. He is the son of the sage Vyasa and the main narrator of the scripture ''Bhagavata Purana''. Most of the ''Bhagavata Purana'' consists of Shuka reciting the story to the k ...

- (1) - '' Vivlos (2016)'' *

Sprinters Stakes The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan open to thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres (approximately 6 furlongs) at Nakayama Racecourse, and it takes place annually in late September or earl ...

- (1) - '' Pixie Knight (2021)'' *

Takamatsunomiya Kinen The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres (approximately 6 furlongs) at Chukyo Racecourse in late March. The forerunner of this race was the . It was started ...

- (3) - ''Sunningdale (2004), Big Arthur (2016), Mr Melody (2019)'' *

Teio Sho The Teio Sho (帝王賞) is a Japanese domestic Grade 1 race. This race began in 1978 as a spring championship race of southern Kanto region horseracing. It was later opened to JRA horses in 1986. Then, there were few opportunities for JRA and NA ...

- (1) - ''K T Brave (2017)'' *

Tenno Sho The is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade I races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Gra ...

Autumn - (1) - ''

Just A Way Just A Way (Japanese ジャスタウェイ, foaled 8 March 2009) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After showing useful, but unexceptional form in his early career he emerged as a major talent with a win in the 2013 Autumn edition of the Te ...

(2013)'' *

Spring - (1) - ''

World Premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its firs ...

(2021)'' *

Tokyo Yūshun Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.4 ...

- (3) - ''

Wagnerian Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

(2018)'',

(2020), Shahryar (2021) *

Yasuda Kinen The Yasuda Kinen (English: Yasuda Memorial, Japanese and Chinese language: 安田記念) is a Japanese International Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at the Tokyo Racecourse in Tokyo. Raced annually each June, the Yasuda Kinen is run at a di ...

- (2) - ''Strong Return (2012), Indy Champ (2019)'' *

Yushun Himba The , also known as the is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race for three-year-old thoroughbred fillies run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately 1 mile 4 furlongs) at the Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchū, Tokyo in May. History It was first run ...

- (3) - ''Daiwa el Cielo (2004), Cesario (2005), Robe Decollete (2007)'' ----

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

Hong Kong Mile The Hong Kong Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December ...

- (1) - ''Eishin Preston (2001)'' *

Queen Elizabeth II Cup The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1975 by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, it is run annually in April at a distance of 2,000 metres (ten ...

- (2) - ''Eishin Preston (2002 & 2003)'' ----

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

* American Oaks Invitational Stakes - (1) - ''Cesario (2005)'' ----

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

Dubai Duty Free Stakes The Dubai Turf, known as Dubai Duty Free 1996 to 2014. is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,800 metres (1 mile 1 furlong) on the turf at Meydan Racecourse in Du ...

- (1) - ''Just A Way (2014)''

Riding results

Magazines

*''

Weekly Playboy , also known as or ''WPB'', is a Japanese weekly magazine published by Shueisha since 1966. Although the magazine publishes a variety of news and special interest articles, columns, celebrity interviews, and manga, it is considered an adult mag ...

'' "Keiba no Shinzui" (as 2nd author) → "Yuichi Fukunaga no Leading Itchokusen" (both series ended)

Photo albums

*''Yuichi Fukunaga'' (Shot by Eiko Wada.

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

, 1997)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fukunaga, Yuichi Horipro artists Japanese jockeys Sportspeople from Shiga Prefecture 1976 births Living people