Kazushi Kimura came to California 2½ years ago already possessing the talent and drive to achieve his impressive ambitions.
What he didn’t have yet was a horse capable of carrying him closer to the top.
But that’s changing. The 25-year-old jockey from Japan by way of Canada is getting the chance to show off his skill by riding Kopion, the 4-year-old filly who’s the best female sprinter in North America.
Kimura and Kopion are 3-5 favorites on the morning line for the $200,000, Grade II Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos on Saturday. A win would be a step toward the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
Is Kopion the best horse Kimura has ridden?
“So far, yes,” Kimura said, making it clear he plans to ride many good ones. “She has the potential to be a Breeders’ Cup winner. She might be the best of the best.”
Being the best of the best is Kimura’s goal for himself.
A native of Hokkaido, where he started riding at age 3 on his father’s horse farm, Kimura moved to Canada because it was easier to break into racing there. Three riding titles at Woodbine, in Toronto, helped to earn him awards as Canada’s outstanding jockey in 2021 and 2022, following an award as that country’s top apprentice rider in 2018 and an Eclipse Award as North America’s top apprentice in 2019.
He realized he’d achieved all he could in Canada, and began splitting time between there and California when he rode the first part of the 2022-23 Santa Anita winter-spring season. Encouraged by trainer Bob Baffert, he completed the move to the United States by buying a house in Azusa in 2024. Kimura climbed the jockey standings here, tying for fourth in wins (behind Juan Hernandez, Umberto Rispoli and Antonio Fresu) at the 2024 Del Mar fall meet. Then he rose to a tie for fourth (behind Hernandez, Flavien Prat and Rispoli) in the first month of this year’s Santa Anita Classic Meet.
The rise was interrupted. A claiming-level gelding named Rogue Son acted up before a Jan. 16 sprint at Santa Anita and pinned Kimura’s lower left leg against the inflexible frame of the starting gate. Rogue Son was scratched and Kimura missed the rest of the afternoon’s races. He hoped to return to action in a couple of days, in part because his mother was visiting and hoped to see him ride. But after the pain didn’t subside, a fracture was found and Kimura didn’t compete again until March 21.
His response to the injury showed his dedication. After surgery to implant two screws, Kimura flew to Costa Rica to receive stem-cell therapy. Once home, he worked out on a gym he’d installed in his garage, and used the down time to watch races, studying top rivals’ techniques.
“I might be better than before the injury, physically and mentally,” Kimura said, sitting on a sofa outside the Los Alamitos jockeys’ room between races last Saturday.
Riding regularly at Los Alamitos for the first time, Kimura leads in wins with six (29% of starts) going into the final three days. It wouldn’t be like winning a title at the bigger tracks, because most of the top jockeys rest during Los Al’s less-lucrative meet, but it would be a signal Kimura is in form after his injury, and a springboard to moving up the standings at the Del Mar summer season July 18-Sept. 7.
Which could be a springboard to the loftiest of goals.
“I just want to, you know, become the best jockey in the world. (For) everybody (to) say, ‘Who’s the best jockey?’, and everybody (to) say, ‘That’s Kazushi,’” said Kimura, an athletic 5-foot-6 and 118 pounds. “Right now I just want to prove I’m the best jockey in California.”
Kopion is key.
Kimura rode the daughter of Omaha Beach for the first time in the Grade I La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26 after Prat, her regular jockey, took a better-regarded mount. Kimura and Kopion won by nearly three lengths at 37-1 odds.
“He did a great job,” trainer Richard Mandella said of Kimura after the race.
Fresu rode Kopion to her swift win in the Santa Monica Stakes while Kimura was injured. Mandella’s decision to put Kimura back on Kopion for the Grade I Derby City Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs on May 3 showed the Hall of Fame trainer’s confidence in the young jockey.
Kopion was farther off the lead than usual on a sloppy track and appeared stuck on the inside going into the far turn. But Kimura coolly picked out a path to the outside, and they outfinished Hope Road and Hernandez to win by three lengths.
Kopion put herself on the national radar; she’s No. 8 in this week’s National Thoroughbred Racing Association poll, second among females behind 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (No. 4) and first among female sprinters.
Kimura too. It was the jockey’s first U.S. Grade I victory outside California.
His agent, Brian Beach – who has booked mounts for Hall of Famers Gary Stephens, Julie Krone, Mike Smith, Kent Desormeaux, Alex Solis and Corey Nakatani – said horses like Kopion are important to building Kimura’s reputation.
“We can get into the national spotlight,” Beach said. “You’ve got to perform under those circumstances. Those are the kind of moments that propel you forward.”
“I hope this type of chances come every single year,” Kimura said.
Winning at Los Alamitos on Saturday will be another big step.
Follow horse racing correspondent Kevin Modesti at X.com/KevinModesti.