Month: August 2022

The New Zealand racing industry is in mourning following the death of popular jockey Taiki Yanagida, who passed away in Waikato Hospital on Tuesday evening surrounded by friends and family.

Yanagida had been in intensive care with serious head and spinal injuries he suffered in a race fall at Cambridge last Wednesday.

The Japanese-born rider was aboard the Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Te Atatu Pash when his mount was brought down with 250m left to run and landed heavily. Knocked unconscious in the accident, Yanagida was placed in an induced coma at the track before being transported to Waikato Hospital where he fought bravely over the ensuing six days.

Yanagida's mother Kayano and younger sister Chiaki arrived in New Zealand from Japan last Friday to be by his side.

“Taiki was an excellent jockey but more importantly an exceptional human being,” Yanagida's manager Ted McLachlan said. “Everyone who knew Taiki loved him and respected him.”

A universally-liked member of the racing community, nicknamed Tiger, the 28-year-old had been riding in New Zealand for five seasons, indentured to O'Sullivan and Scott for the majority of that time.

Yanagida made the transition to the senior riding ranks earlier this year and finished the season with a total of 42 wins.

He made a good start to the new season when victorious earlier on the card at Cambridge aboard the Chris Wood-trained Rusavy.

With 162 career wins to his name, Yanagida had three stakes wins this year including Dragon Queen in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m), Bellatrix Black in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m) and Germanicus in the Listed Flying Stakes (1400m).

Yanagida's death is being felt acutely by the tight-knit racing industry, six years after jockey Rebecca Black died following a fall at Gore.

The code's governing body, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has made grief counsellors available, including a Japanese speaking counsellor for Yanagida's immediate family.

“Our deepest sympathies are with Taiki's family – his mother Kayano, sisters Chiaki and Ayano, and his grandmother. We share their grief at the loss of such a talented, friendly, and well-liked young man,” New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing CEO Bruce Sharrock said. “Taiki was recently able to spend a month back at home with his family following a lengthy period where he could not travel home due to Covid, and we hope they take comfort from the memories created during that time.

“Our thoughts are also with those at Wexford Stables, members of the O'Sullivan-Scott team were Taiki's New Zealand family, and they will all be impacted by his death.

“The tragic loss of one of our own always hits hard and we need to be aware of how others might be feeling and processing this loss. We are also particularly conscious of Taiki's fellow jockeys and will be ensuring there is support in place for them.”

The post ‘Exceptional Human Being’: New Zealand-Based Jockey Taiki Yanagida Succumbs To Injuries After Race Fall appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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If there is one thing that remains constant at Saratoga each week, it's Joel Rosario winning more graded stakes races. His three graded stakes wins this week led to Jockey of the Week for Aug. 1 through Aug. 7. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, honors jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

The first graded stakes of Week 4 was the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds. The reigning Eclipse Award winner as Outstanding trainer, Brad Cox tapped Rosario to ride Ready to Purrform for the one mile inner turf test. Breaking from post 5 in the field of eight, Ready to Purrform took the lead and continued to be the one to catch at the top of the stretch and maintained his lead to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:33.99.

“He put in a nice run today,” said Rosario. “He showed a different style by going to the lead, but he was able to keep it going with that speed.”

Riding for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott on Saturday, Rosario was aboard War Like Goddess who was defending her title in the G2 Glens Falls for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. Off as the favorite in the field of seven, War Like Goddess was fourth through the mile. Around the final turn, War Like Goddess moved up on the outside and edged clear holding off pace setter Temple City Terror in the final yards to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 2:29.33 for the 12 furlongs.

“The pace was slow, but the whole time, I had confidence in her, and when I turned her loose and wanted to go, she went,” said Rosario who was riding War Like Goddess for the third time.

In the first of three Grade 1 races on Saturday, trainer Wesley Ward gave Rosario a leg up on Chi Town Lady in the G1 Longines Test for 3-year-old fillies sprinting seven furlongs. Off at odds of 17-1, and breaking from the outer most post 7, Chi Town Lady settled at the back of the field as Hot Peppers led the way. Hot Peppers and race favorite Matareya raced stride-for-stride in the stretch as Chi Town Lady surged from the far outside. The trio battled down the stretch with Chi Town Lady pulling ahead to finish 1 1/2 lengths in front of Hot Peppers and Matareya in the final time of 1:23.87.

“They went fast in front and she came with a run,” said Rosario. “That was an amazing race.”

Amazing could also describe Rosario as he posted his 10th graded stakes win of the Saratoga meet.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Yan Aviles who recorded nine wins between Laurel and Colonial Downs, Edwin Gonzalez who won the G3 WV Derby, Juan J. Hernandez with two stakes wins at Del Mar, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won the G1 Whitney.

The post Jockey Of The Week: Joel Rosario Adds To Graded Stakes Haul At The Spa appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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