Corey Nakatani

Corey Nakatani
Occupation	Jockey
Born	(1970-10-21) October 21, 1970 Covina, California, United States
Career wins	3,653 [1] (through 11/12/13)
Major racing wins
Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (1990, 1998, 2010) Hollywood Derby (1990, 1993, 1996) Coaching Club American Oaks (1991) Kentucky Oaks (1991, 1996) Del Mar Futurity (1993) Miesque Stakes (1993, 2001, 2004) Yellow Ribbon Stakes (1993) Lane's End Stakes (1995) Beverly D. Stakes (1995, 2001) John C. Mabee Handicap (1995, 1996, 1998, 2006) Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap (1996) San Felipe Stakes (1996, 2006) Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (1997) Beldame Stakes (1998) Champagne Stakes (1998) Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap (1998, 2001) Super Derby (1998) Royal Heroine Stakes (1999, 2003) Landaluce Stakes (1997, 2000, 2009) Santa Anita Handicap (2000, 2006, 2007) Sir Beaufort Stakes (2003) Frizette Stakes (2004) Generous Stakes (2004, 2006, 2010) Sunshine Millions Fillies & Mares Sprint (2004) Del Mar Breeders' Cup Mile (2006) Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap (2006) Hollywood Gold Cup (2006, 2007) Sunshine Millions Classic (2006) Fair Grounds Oaks (2007) First Lady Stakes (2007) San Rafael Stakes (2007) Sunshine Millions Turf (2007) Commonwealth Breeders' Cup Stakes (2007) Suwannee River Handicap (2007) Santa Anita Derby (2008) Princess Rooney Handicap (2008) Gallant Bloom Handicap (2008) Eddie Read Handicap (1994, 1996, 2002, 2006, 2009) Shoemaker Mile Stakes (2010) Regret Stakes (2010) Oak Tree Derby (2010) CashCall Futurity (2010) Chicago Handicap (2011) International race wins: Molson Export Million (1994) Dubai Golden Shaheen (2001) Canadian International Stakes (2005) Breeders' Cup wins: Breeders' Cup Distaff (1996) Breeders' Cup Sprint (1996, 1997, 1998, 2006) Breeders' Cup Mile (1999) Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (2004, 2011) Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (2011)
Racing awards
Riding Titles Del Mar: 1994, 1998, 2004 Oak Tree: 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006 Hollywood Park: 1995 Santa Anita: 1996, 2000
Significant horses
Jackson Bend, Nehro, Colonel John, Lava Man, Thor's Echo, Aragorn, Indian Blessing, Lit de Justice, Lite Light, Relaxed Gesture, Sandpit, Serena's Song, Silic

Corey S. Nakatani (born October 21, 1970 in Covina, California, United States) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He got his big break in 1990 when he rode Itsallgreektome to win big stakes races.

Nakatani currently resides on the Southern California circuit of Santa Anita, Hollywood, and Del Mar. On October 8, 2011, he won 6 races in one day including two grade one victories.

As of November 2013, Nakatani has won more than 3,600 races including the Kentucky Oaks twice, one time on Lite Light and the other riding Pike Place Dancer, the Canadian International Stakes, the Strub Stakes four times, the Dubai Golden Shaheen, and ten Breeders' Cups, three of which were won consecutively between 1996 and 1998 in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Although he has won ten Breeders' Cups, he has never won the Kentucky Derby in fifteen tries, his closest finish being 2nd on Nehro in 2011. In 2006, he ranked sixth among United States jockeys with 145 wins on 738 mounts, with earnings of $14,001,900.

Corey Nakatani is married to his second wife, Lisa, and has two daughters, Lilah and Brittany, and two sons, Matthew, who currently plays football for the University of Louisville, and Austin. Brittany, Matthew, and Austin are from a previous marriage to Michele Dollase, daughter of trainer Wallace Dollase. His late father Roy Nakatani, a Japanese American, was born in a World War II internment camp and spent time at Santa Anita Park when it was a relocation camp. Corey's mother is Marie Nakatani and he is one of ten children. Corey was a champion high school wrestler who became intrigued by racing after visiting Santa Anita with his father after a wrestling tournament at the age of sixteen. Nakatani eventually approached horse trainer Roger Stein for work. After three days of mucking out stalls and walking horses, he decided he wanted to ride even though he had never been on a horse before. Stein then suggested that he get some experience on a working farm, so he learned the ropes on the Thoroughbred farm of Tony Matos. He then went on and broke and galloped horses for Johnny Longden and Longden’s son, Eric Longden before starting his career as a jockey. He graduated from jockey school in Castaic, California, and won his first race, a dead heat, in Caliente, Mexico in 1988 aboard Blue King. He moved to Southern California in April 1989, and became the leading apprentice jockey that same year. His current residence is Southern California.^[2][3]

Corey Nakatani won his 3,500th race at Aqueduct Racetrack on November 17, 2011 aboard Grand Strategy in the eighth race of the day.^[3]

Nakatani has ridden a number of notable horses including Jackson Bend, Nehro, Colonel John, Lava Man, Thor's Echo, Aragorn, Rock Hard Ten, Sarafan, Indian Blessing, Lite Light, Relaxed Gesture, Sandpit, Serena's Song, Silic, and Lit de Justice.^[3]

He also is a golfer who carries a three handicap. His role models are Tiger Woods and Freddy Couples. His favorite horse of all-time is Lava Man. Nakatani's current agent is Tony Matos.

References

Year-end charts