Woodbine’s third-leading rider KAZUSHI KIMURA is in Saudi Arabia to ride predominently for owner Prince Sultan bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz this winter.
Kimura’s first two mounts at King Abdulaziz racecourse in Riyadh came on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2 finishing unplaced on G K Chesterton for owner Nawa Faihaan Almundeel and 13th on the Commissioner colt Shuman for Prince Sultan bin Mishal on Saturday.
Kimura told Thoroughbred Daily News, “I’m gonna ride in Saudi Arabia until the middle of March, then I will be back to Woodbine before the opening day.”
Kimura, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice in 2019 and two-time Sovereign Award winner for Canada’s Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2018 and 2019, rode four graded winners in 2020 led by Gretzky the Great (Nyquist) in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes. His other graded victories include Lady Grace (Kantharos) and Artie’s Princess (We Miss Artie) at Grade 2 level and Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) in the Grade 3 Ontario Derby. From 2,152 total mounts, the Japanese-born reinsman has booted home 337 winners (16%) with an in-the-money percentage of 44%. His mounts earnings stand at $11,163,055 in North America.
In 2020 Kimura won 83 races in a shortened Woodbine season to land third in the standings behind Rafael Hernandez and Justin Stein.
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