Woodbine jockey DAISUKE FUKUMOTO guided Majestic Wind to an 11-to-1 victory in a maiden race at Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, CA on January 28 for his 200th career win in North America.
One of Canada’s rising stars in the rider ranks, Fukumoto took his time with Majestic Wind, who broke a bit slowly in the six-furlong dash, before angling the grey gelding out for a 1 3/4 length win for trainer Daniel Dunham.
Fukumoto, who won the 2020 Queen’s Plate aboard the one-eyed Mighty Heart for owner Larry Cordes and trainer Josie Carroll, was winning his first race at Santa Anita where he has been wintering in 2022. He is represented at Santa Anita by agent Patty Sterling.
The rider was seventh in the Woodbine standings in 2021 with 38 victories following a breakout season in 2020 when he won 69 races.
Daisuke Fukumoto won his 200th race in North America and his first at Santa Anita on Jan. 28; Santa Anita photo
*LUIS CONTRERAS has had a solid Oaklawn Park winter meeting and he currently rides a top contender for the Kentucky Oaks (G1), SECRET OATH, for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Contreras guided Secret Oath (Arrogate) to an easy win in the Martha Washington Stakes on Jan. 29, earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure. The filly was coming off a 93 Beyer when she won an allowance race on Dec. 31. Secret Oath is owned by Briland Farm.
Contreras also rode the 3-year-old colt ETHEREAL ROAD to a stunning victory on Jan. 29 for Lukas and owner Aaaron Sones. This Quality Road fellow hesitated at the start of the 1 1/16 mile maiden race and was almost 20 lengths behind early before motoring past all his rivals to win by four lengths. He earned a 79 Beyer Figure.
Woodbine trainers STEVEN CHIRCOP and MIKE WRIGHT have collected recent wins. Chircop is 10-for-27 since he moved to Penn National for the winter. He is currently on a two-race winning streak with Legs Like Shack and Little Miss Cat, the latter who won an optional claiming event by 6 3/4 lengths on Jan. 26.
Wright, who had a six-race winning streak going, saw that streak end but was back in the winner’s circle with Colebrook Farms’ DECIMATOR, who won an allowance/optional claiming race on Jan. 29.
MARTIN DREXLER, who has his first string of horses in Florida, has a record of 16-2-3-5 at Gulfstream Park. He recently won with Jim Ensom’s 10-year-old RECONFIGURE and Bruno Schickedanz’s Ontario-bred PERFECT PICTURE, a son of Klimt.
JAMES BROWN, formerly based in British Columbia but now a leading trainer in Alberta, has three wins in 2022 at Turf Paradise and all were ridden by Woodbine jockey SAHIN CIVACI, who was on a hot streak in the late stages of the 2021 Woodbine season.
NORM MCKNIGHT, who is once again stabled at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, won his first race of 2022 when TOWN CHAMP took a claiming sprint on Jan. 29 for Mario Forgione’s Henley Thoroughbreds.
RAFAEL HERNANDEZ has won six races in 2022 including his latest on American Tap for Woodbine’s leading trainer Mark Casse, who has 16 wins in 2022.
Ontario-bred SECRET PATH (Old Forester) has won two straight races on the dirt at Parx for Over the Moon Stable and trainer Louis Linder. The grey 6-year-old posted a career-best Beyer Figure of 75 in his most recent win in an allowance/optional claiming event at 1 mile and 70 yards.
Also at Parx, PERFECT DAY, bred in Ontario by Denny Andrews and Northern Dawn Stable, won an allowance race/optional dash at six furlongs to remain unbeaten in two starts. The son of Competitive Edge – Galavant by Awesome Again won by 8 3/4 lengths for a 73 Beyer Figure. He is owned by Vintage Thoroughbreds and Ben Lynch.
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