Woodbine’s third leading rider and reigning Sovereign Award winner for Outstanding Apprentice Rider (and he will win it again for 2019) KAZUSHI KIMURA is a finalist for Apprentice Rider of the Year in the United States.
Several Canadian-based apprnetices have won the Eclipse Award including, most recently, Omar Moreno, 2010, and Emma-Jayne Wilson, 2005.
Kimura was the top apprentice by earnings on the continent. He won 117 races and reached $3.7 million in mount earnings from Jan. 1 through the final date of his apprentice allowance, Oct. 26. Julio Correa won 126 races and $3.5 million.
Angel Diaz won 244 races in Puerto Rico and $1.5 million.
Kimura, who has improved his riding since he won his first race in early summer, 2018, has shown incredible athletic ability (twice in 2019 he almost fell off in races but got back on, one of those he won) and he has a high rate of wins on the new inner turf course at Woodbine.
His agent is Jordan Miller.
The ECLIPSE AWARDS, to be handed out Jan. 23 in Florida, have a rich list of finalists from racing in 2019. The Horse of the Year candidates are turf star BRICKS AND MORTAR, sprint star MITOLE and 3-year-old star MAXIMUM SECURITY.
GARY BARBER, a leading owner at Woodbine, is nominated for Outstanding Owner.
Here are the nominees, in alphabetical order:
Horse of the year: Bricks and Mortar, Maximum Security, Mitole.
2-year-old male: Maxfield, Storm the Court, Structor.
2-year-old filly: Bast, British Idiom, Sharing.
3-year-old male: Code of Honor, Maximum Security, Omaha Beach.
3-year-old filly: Covfefe, Guarana, Serengeti Empress.
Older dirt male: McKinzie, Mitole, Vino Rosso.
Older dirt female: Blue Prize, Elate, Midnight Bisou.
Male sprinter: Imperial Hint, Mitole, World of Trouble.
Female sprinter: Belvoir Bay, Come Dancing, Covfefe.
Male turf horse: Bricks and Mortar, Mo Forza, World of Trouble.
Female turf horse: Got Stormy, Sistercharlie, Uni.
Steeplechase horse: Brain Power, Scorpiancer, Winston C.
Owner: Gary Barber, Peter Brant, Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence.
Breeder: Calumet Farm, Godolphin, George Strawbridge Jr.
Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Brad Cox.
Jockey: Javier Castellano, Irad Ortiz, Jr., Jose Ortiz.
Apprentice Jockey: Julio Correa, Angel Diaz, Kazushi Kimura.
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