Canada’s OUTSTANDING JOCKEY at the 2024 Sovereign Awards, SAHIN CIVACI, is planning on moving his tack to the Belmont-at-Aqueduct meeting in Ozone Park, New York, as soon as next week, according to his agent Leroy Trotman. Civaci rode at Aqueduct this past winter, winning with 15 of his 88 mounts for trainers such as Bill Mott, Wesley Ward, Christophe Clement, Fernando Abreu and Ilkay Kantamarci.
Currently a close third in the Woodbine rider standings with 88 wins, just nine behind Rafael Hernandez and seven behind apprentice Pietro Moran, Civaci won two stakes races last weekend on the Woodbine inner turf, boosting his seasonal earnings to over $3.9 million.
One of those stakes wins was on BREATH AWAY (GB) for US trainer Miguel Clement, a filly who came from far off the pace to win the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes on Oct. 4, earning that filly a free berth to the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf in January at Gulfstream Park.
Civaci also just missed winning the Canadian International on the Clement trainee Tawny Port, who was second by a nose.
“We used him a bit in New York this winter,” said Miguel Clement in an interview before the Dance Smartly. “It was before he was injured. I think he’s a very good rider.”
Civaci, who was popular with trainers in New York, had a minor back injury in the spring and took a bit of time off before he returned to riding at Woodbine. While his numbers are a bit short of last year’s statistics (apprentice Moran has ridden more races than any other rider in 2025), Civaci is 33 wins clear of the fourth-place rider, Ryan Munger.
Born in British Columbia, Civaci grew up in his native Turkey where he learned to ride. He began his jockey career in western Canada and also rode at Turf Paradise before he joined the Woodbine colony in 2019.
Civaci’s main clients in recent years have been leading trainers Mark Casse and Martin Drexler. Civaci did not answer a query from Canadian Thoroughbred about his relocation on Tuesday.
Two years ago, leading Woodbine jockey Kazushi Kimura left Ontario to ride permanently in California, where he is doing well.
WOODBINE LEADING JOCKEYS BY WINS – 2025
1 – Rafael Hernandez 424 – 97 – 61 – 51 – $4,576,822 23% – 17 stakes wins* (ties his career best)
2 – Pietro Moran 557 – 95 – 73 – 94 – $4,309,243 17%
3 – Sahin Civaci 414 -88 – 86 – 59 – $3,922,474 21%
4 – Ryan Munger 357 – 55 -59 – 56 – $2,389,858 15%
5 – Fraser Aebly 394 – 54 – 57 – 53 $3,113,401 14%
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