Ryusei Sakai

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Wikipedia

Ryusei Sakai
Sakai after winning the 40th February Stakes in 2023
Personal information
Native name
坂井瑠星
NationalityJapan
Born (1997-05-31) May 31, 1997 (age 28)
Tokyo, Japan[1]
OccupationJockey
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight48 kg (106 lb)
Horse racing career
SportHorse racing
Significant horses
Danon Pharaoh, Forever Young, Lemon Pop, Mad Cool, Stunning Rose

Ryusei Sakai (Japanese: 坂井瑠星, romanized: Sakai Ryūsei, born May 31, 1997) is a Japanese jockey. He is most known as the jockey of Saudi Cup winner and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young.

Background

Ryusei Sakai was born in 1997 to Hidemitsu Sakai [ja], a jockey and later trainer of Oi Racecourse.[2] He enrolled in The Horse Racing School [ja] in 2013 to earn his jockey license, before graduating in 2016.[3]

Even before graduation, he apprenticed under Yoshito Yahagi, who, like Sakai, has ties to Oi Racecourse.[4] After being issued his jockey license, he became the Yahagi stable's official jockey.

Career

After debuting in March 2016, Sakai won his first race with Grand Prix Accel at a maiden race held at Hanshin Racecourse on April 2, 2016.[5] Two weeks later, he was taken out of the races for a month following a racing accident involving 4 horses including his own which resulted in him breaking one of his ribs.[6][7] In spite of this, he was able to win the most races of any rookie jockies in the Ritto Training Center.[8]

Sakai raced in Australia from late 2017 to 2018 to improve his riding skills.[9][10]

The 2020 Japan Dirt Derby, with Danon Pharaoh [ja], was the first Grade I race Sakai won.[11]

Sakai won his first JRA Grade I race with Stunning Rose in the 2022 Shuka Sho, where they defeated Stars on Earth, who was the favourite for race.[12] Sakai then went on to win his second JRA Grade I race in a year with Dolce More [ja] when they won the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.

In February 2023, Sakai won the February Stakes with Lemon Pop. He and the horse would go on to win the Mile Championship Nambu Hai as well as the Champions Cup later that year. He would also win the JBC Nisai Yushun and the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun with Forever Young.[13]

Following their consecutive wins at that year's Saudi and UAE Derbies,[14] Sakai and Forever Young headed to the 2024 Kentucky Derby, where they were beaten by Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone in a photo finish and finished third.[15][16]

2025 with Forever Young

Sakai and Forever Young produced a ground breaking Saudi Cup win, beating Romantic Warrior by a neck and setting a Cup record time of 1.49.099, winning Forever Young's 4th Grade 1 race.[17] In April 2025, they raced at the Dubai World Cup and came third in the race.

On November 1, 2025, Sakai and Forever Young attended the Breeders' Cup Championship in Del Mar to participate in the Breeders' Cup Classic for the 2nd time if Forever Young's Career (he came 3rd in 2024), the flagship race of the championship and one of the richest races in the world. They came into the week of the race 2nd favourite behind Sovereignty (Who won that years Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes) before Sovereignty was scratched the Tuesday before the race due to a high fever, which meant the odds leaned more towards Forever Young.

Sakai would end up winning the Breeders' Cup Classic with Forever Young, finishing in front of the 2024 Classic winner Sierra Leone, setting a time of 2:00.19, becoming the first Classic winner born and trained in Japan.[18]

Major wins

Japan Japan

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia

United States United States

References

  1. ↑ "坂井瑠星プロフィール" (in Japanese). netkeiba.com. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  2. ↑ Tatsuya, Inoue (2016-03-02). "【栗東通信】新人・坂井騎手に注目". デイリースポーツ online (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  3. ↑ "坂井瑠星、現役騎手の父の助言に感謝". デイリースポーツ online (in Japanese). 2024-06-30. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  4. ↑ Kataoka, Yoshinori (2015-08-05). "【札幌だより】坂井りゅうせいくん". sanspo.com (in Japanese). Sankei Shimbun. Archived from the original on 2015-08-10. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  5. ↑ "坂井瑠星騎手がＪＲＡ初勝利｜競馬実況web｜競馬". Nikkei (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  6. ↑ "阪神3R4人落馬 藤岡康騎手が呼吸困難、肋骨骨折". Nikkan Sports. 2016-04-17. Archived from the original on 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  7. ↑ "3騎手が骨折". Keiba Book. 2016-04-17. Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  8. ↑ "2016年度「中央競馬関西放送記者クラブ賞」は坂井 瑠星騎手が受賞". Japan Racing Association. 2016-12-25. Archived from the original on 2016-12-25. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  9. ↑ "坂井瑠星騎手、来月からオーストラリアへ". Nikkei (in Japanese). 2017-10-25. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  10. ↑ "武者修行帰りの坂井 帰国後初勝利「今週も、来週も、来年も頑張ります」". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). 2018-12-16. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  11. ↑ "【大井・ジャパンダートダービー結果】ダノンファラオが競り合いから抜け出す！上位人気総崩れ". netkeiba (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  12. ↑ "【秋華賞】スタニングローズがG1初制覇！鞍上・坂井もG1初V「最高」スターズオンアースは3冠ならず". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  13. ↑ "【全日本２歳優駿】フォーエバーヤングが無傷３連勝 ７馬身差で圧倒 坂井瑠星騎手「ここまで離すとは」". Umatoku (in Japanese). Hochi Shimbun. 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  14. ↑ Kieckhefer, Bob (2024-03-30). "UAE Derby Score Propels Forever Young Into KY Derby". Bloodhorse. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  15. ↑ Harris, Beth (2024-05-04). "Mystik Dan wins 150th Kentucky Derby by a nose in the closest 3-horse photo finish since 1947". AP News. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  16. ↑ "Kentucky Derby 2024 highlights: Mystik Dan edges Sierra Leone to win Triple Crown's first leg". USA Today. 2024-05-04. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  17. ↑ "【サウジＣ】フォーエバーヤングが海外Ｇ１初制覇！ 香港最強馬とのマッチレース制す 矢作師「信じられない強さ」". Umatoku (in Japanese). 2025-02-23. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  18. ↑ "Forever Young wins the Breeders' Cup Classic over 2024 winner Sierra Leone". Los Angeles Times. 2025-11-01. Retrieved 2025-11-02.