Yutaka Take

Yutaka Take
武豊
Yutaka Take; 武豊
	Yutaka Take in 2022
Occupation	Jockey
Born	March 15, 1969 (age 55); Kyoto Racecourse, Kyoto, Kyoto
Nationality	Japanese
Spouse	Ryoko Sano
Height	171 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	50 kg (110 lb)
Career wins	4,549 (JRA); 201 (NAR); As of November 24, 2024
Honors
	JRA Grand Prize Jockey (1997-2000, 2002-2006); JRA Award for Best Jockey (newcomer) (1987); JRA Award for Best Jockey (races won) (1989, 1990, 1992-2000, 2002-2008); JRA Award for Best Jockey (winning average) (1994, 1997-2006, 2008); JRA Award for Best Jockey (money earned) (1989, 1990, 1993, 1995-1999, 2000, 2002-2007, 2009); JRA Special Award (2007, 2013, 2018)
Significant horses
	Air Groove, Deep Impact, Do Deuce, Kane Hikili, Kitasan Black, Kizuna, Mejiro McQueen, Oguri Cap, Silence Suzuka, Smart Falcon, Special Week, Super Creek
Website
	http://www.yutaka-take.com/

Yutaka Take (武豊, Take Yutaka) (born March 15, 1969, in Kyoto, Kyoto)^[1] is a Japanese jockey. Take made his riding debut in 1987 and currently holds seven all-time records in Japan. He has won at least one Grade 1 race for 23 straight years until 2010, and a graded stakes race for 36 consecutive years.^[2] Take has 114 wins to his credit in eight countries,^{[citation needed]} including Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. His international victories includes Group 1 wins in the Prix d'Ispahan (France) and Hong Kong Cup (Hong Kong), the July Cup (England) and Dubai Duty Free Stakes (UAE).

Take has won one of Japan's premier horse races, the Japan Cup, a record five times.^[3]

Early life

Yutaka was born in Kyoto on March 15, 1969, to Kunihiko and Yoko Take. Kunihiko was also a notable jockey, nicknamed "The wizard of the turf" during his prime. Take followed in his father's footsteps, and made his debut as a jockey in 1987.

Career

In 1987, he became the first rookie to ride 69 winners in one season. In the following year he became the youngest jockey to achieve 100 wins and won the GI race. Two years later, he was named the overall champion jockey by the Japan Racing Association (JRA), a title he held continuously until 1999 (apart from in 1991).

In 2005 he won the Japanese Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (Satsuki Sho, Tokyo Yushun, Kikuka Sho) with Deep Impact, the second undefeated horse that has won the classic. That year, Take achieved 212 victories, the most victories for any jockey in a single year.

On March 25 2007, Take won the Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Racecourse aboard Suzuka Phoenix. The win gave Take a Group One victory for the 20th consecutive racing season.^[4] Also in 2007, Take won his fourth Japan Cup Dirt in seven years. Take was the recipient of the 2017 Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit, which recognizes distinguished horsemen and horsewomen for lifelong contributions to Thoroughbred racing. He was the first jockey to win that award.

Take has also made appearances in equine related television shows and commercials, including a collaboration ad between the JRA and Neon Genesis Evangelion;^[5] as well as several commercials for Uma Musume Pretty Derby,^[6]^[7] of which Take has also made a cameo appearance in the anime adaptation.^[8]

Personal life

The Take family is known for horseracing. As well as his father Kunihiko, Take's brother, Koshiro, was also a jockey before transitioning to trainer.

In 1995, Yutaka married Ryoko Sano [ja], a former tarento.

Major wins

Great Britain

July Cup - (1) - Agnes World (2000)

France

Prix d'Ispahan - (1) - A Shin Hikari (2016)
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp - (2) - Agnes World (1999), Imperial Beauty (2001)
Prix du Moulin de Longchamp - (1) - Ski Paradise (1994)
Prix Maurice de Gheest - (1) - Seeking the Pearl (1998)

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Cup - (1) - A Shin Hikari (2015)
Hong Kong Vase - (1) - Stay Gold (2001)

Japan

Arima Kinen - (4) - Oguri Cap (1990), Deep Impact (2006), Kitasan Black (2017), Do Deuce (2023)
Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes - (1) - Do Deuce (2021)
Derby Grand Prix - (2) - Gold Allure (2002), Kane Hekili (2005)
February Stakes - (5) - Gold Allure (2003), Kane Hekili (2006), Vermillion (2007), Copano Rickey (2015), Inti (2019)
Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes - (1) - Yamanin Paradise (1994)
Japan Breeding farm's Cup Classic - (8) - Time Paradox (2005), Vermillion (2007 & 2008 & 2009), Smart Falcon (2010 & 2011), Copano Rickey (2015), Awardee (2016)
Japan Breeding farm's Cup Sprint - (1) - Meiner Select (2004)
Japan Cup - (5) - Special Week (1998), Deep Impact (2006), Rose Kingdom (2010), Kitasan Black (2016), Do Deuce (2024)
Japan Cup Dirt - (4) - Kurofune (2001), Time Paradox (2004), Kane Hekili (2005), Vermillion (2007)
Japan Dirt Derby - (4) - Gold Allure (2002), Big Wolf (2003), Kane Hekili (2005), Notturno (2022)
Kawasaki Kinen - (3) - Time Paradox (2005), Vermillion (2010), Smart Falcon (2012)
Kashiwa Kinen - (2) - Copano Rickey (2016 & 2017)
Kikuka Shō - (5) - Super Creek (1988), Dance in the Dark (1996), Air Shakur (2000), Deep Impact (2005), World Premiere (2019)
Mile Championship - (2) - Sadamu Patek (2012), Tosen Ra (2013)
Mile Championship Nambu Hai - (1) - Nihon Pillow Jupiter (1999)
NHK Mile Cup - (3) - Seeking the Pearl (1997), Kurofune (2001), Logic (2006)
Oka Sho - (5) - Shadai Kagura (1989), Vega (1993), Oguri Roman (1994), Phalaenopsis (1998), Dance in the Mood (2004)
Osaka Hai - (2) - Kitasan Black (2017), Jack d'Or (2023)
Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup - (4) - To the Victory (2001), Fine Motion (2002), Admire Groove (2003 & 2004)
Satsuki Shō - (3) - Narita Taishin (1993), Air Shakur (2000), Deep Impact (2005)
Shuka Sho - (3) - Phalaenopsis (1998), Fine Motion (2002), Air Messiah (2005)
Sprinters Stakes - (2) - Bamboo Memory (1990), Believe (2002)
Takamatsunomiya Kinen - (2) - Admire Max (2005), Suzuka Phoenix (2007)
Takarazuka Kinen - (4) - Inari One (1989), Mejiro McQueen (1993), Marvelous Sunday (1997), Deep Impact (2006)
Teio Sho - (5) - Time Paradox (2005), Vermillion (2009), Smart Falcon (2011), Wonder Acute (2014), Copano Rickey (2016)
Tenno Sho Autumn - (7) - Super Creek (1989), Air Groove (1997), Special Week (1999), Meisho Samson (2007), Vodka (2008), Kitasan Black (2017), Do Deuce (2024)
Tenno Sho Spring - (8) - Inari One (1989), Super Creek (1990), Mejiro McQueen (1991 & 1992), Special Week (1999), Deep Impact (2006), Kitasan Black (2016 & 2017)
Tokyo Daishōten - (5) - Gold Allure (2002), Star King Man (2003), Vermillion (2007), Smart Falcon (2010 & 2011)
Tokyo Yūshun - (6) - Special Week (1998), Admire Vega (1999), Tanino Gimlet (2002), Deep Impact (2005), Kizuna (2013), Do Deuce (2022)
Victoria Mile - (1) - Vodka (2009)
Yasuda Kinen - (3) - Oguri Cap (1990), Heart Lake (1995), Vodka (2009)
Yushun Himba - (3) - Vega (1993), Dance Partner (1995), Air Groove (1996)
Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun - (1) - Admire Hope (2003)