After announcing his retirement in 2016, jockey Justin Stein will resume riding and competing in the sport he loves this weekend at Woodbine Racetrack.
“It had almost gotten to the point where I had fully written off horse racing as something that I would do again,” said Stein, who spent two and half years living off the grid with his family in his native British Columbia. “I tried very hard to convince myself that that was true, but that wasn’t happening. I’m meant to be here.”
A career winner of more than 1,000 races, Stein won the 2012 Queen’s Plate with Strait of Dover and Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes the following year with Phil’s Dream. Stein also enjoyed success riding filly Academic to victories in the Woodbine Oaks and a pair of Western Canadian Derbies during her 2015 Sovereign Award-winning campaign.
Woodbine’s producer Phil McSween and award-winning broadcast department caught up with Stein to discuss his time in the mountains, decision to return to the races and more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCe3s4Ftn14&feature=youtu.be
Stein is scheduled to ride Real Coal in Sunday’s ninth race at Woodbine for trainer Michael Mattine and owner Stacey Van Camp.
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