Yutaka Take

Yutaka Take (武 豊 , Take Yutaka) (born March 15, 1969 in Kyoto, Kyoto) is a Japanese jockey. A legend in Japan, Yutaka Take made his riding debut in 1987 and currently holds seven all-time records in his native country. Born in 1969, Take followed in his father's footsteps, as Kunihiko Take was also a famed jockey. In 1987, the younger Take notched his first career victory at Hanshin Racecourse aboard a horse named Dyna Bishop. He ended the season as the champion apprentice with 69 winners. Two years later, he was the overall champion jockey, and Take held that title continuously until 1999, with the exception of 1991. As of 27 December 2017, the Japan Racing Association credits him with 3,945 wins, of which 323 came in graded stakes, while 75 have come in Grade 1. Take has won at least one Grade 1 for 23 straight years and a graded stakes race for 31 consecutive years. He also has the most victories in a year: 212. Although Take has ridden a number of champions, he is most associated with legendary racehorse and champion sire Deep Impact. The pair won a total of seven Grade 1 races, including the 2005 Japanese Triple Crown, and Deep Impact has gone to be the premier sire in Japan. Currently, Take is known for riding Kitasan Black, the reigning Japanese Horse of the Year. Take has also shown his abilities abroad. He has 114 wins to his credit in eight different countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. A sampling of his international victories includes Group 1 wins in the Prix d'Ispahan (France) and Hong Kong Cup (Hong Kong), two races timed by Longines, the July Cup (England) and Dubai Duty Free Stakes (UAE).

On March 25, 2007, Yutaka 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. Also in 2007, Take won his fourth Japan Cup Dirt in seven years. Yutaka 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.

In 2005 he achieved the feat of winning the Japanese Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (Satsuki Sho, Tokyo Yushun, Kikuka Sho) with Deep Impact, which is the second undefeated horse that has won the classic.

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.