Skip to content
LEGENDSOF JAPANESE RACING
JAEN

REAL RACING ARCHIVE(documented racing history)

JOCKEY · ACTIVE

Yutaka Take

武豊

15 Mar 1969Kyoto, JapanJRA, Ritto (freelance)

Eighteen-time JRA leading jockey and a record six-time winner of the Japanese Derby — a living legend of Japanese racing.

Yutaka Take interviewed after winning the Japanese Derby
Yutaka Take after winning the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), 29 May 2022
Photo: nakashi from Chofu, Tokyo, JAPAN · CC BY-SA 2.0

02

Profile

Born
15 Mar 1969
Birthplace
Kyoto, Japan
Nationality
Japanese
Affiliation
JRA, Ritto (freelance)
Status
ACTIVE
Riding career
Debut 1987

03

Career

JRA leading jockey 18 times (record)

JRA Grand Prize Jockey 9 times (record)

Six Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) wins (record)

The son of former jockey and trainer Kunihiko Take, he debuted in 1987, set the then record for wins by a rookie, and won his first Grade 1 — the Kikuka Sho — in his second season.

His eighteen JRA leading-jockey titles and nine Grand Prize Jockey awards are both records, as are his six Tokyo Yushun wins. He has chaired the Japan Jockeys Association since 2010.

04

Major victories

Counted only within the race records of horses held in this archive.

  1. 13 May 1990

    Yasuda Kinen

    安田記念

    Oguri Cap

  2. 23 Dec 1990

    Arima Kinen

    有馬記念

    Oguri Cap

  3. 28 Apr 1991

    Tenno Sho (Spring)

    天皇賞（春）

    Mejiro McQueen

  4. 26 Apr 1992

    Tenno Sho (Spring)

    天皇賞（春）

    Mejiro McQueen

  5. 13 Jun 1993

    Takarazuka Kinen

    宝塚記念

    Mejiro McQueen

  6. 07 Jun 1998

    Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)

    東京優駿

    Special Week

  7. 02 May 1999

    Tenno Sho (Spring)

    天皇賞（春）

    Special Week

  8. 31 Oct 1999

    Tenno Sho (Autumn)

    天皇賞（秋）

    Special Week

  9. 28 Nov 1999

    Japan Cup

    ジャパンC

    Special Week

  10. 17 Apr 2005

    Satsuki Sho

    皐月賞

    Deep Impact

  11. 29 May 2005

    Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)

    東京優駿

    Deep Impact

  12. 23 Oct 2005

    Kikuka Sho

    菊花賞

    Deep Impact

  13. 30 Apr 2006

    Tenno Sho (Spring)

    天皇賞（春）

    Deep Impact

  14. 25 Jun 2006

    Takarazuka Kinen

    宝塚記念

    Deep Impact

  15. 26 Nov 2006

    Japan Cup

    ジャパンC

    Deep Impact

  16. 24 Dec 2006

    Arima Kinen

    有馬記念

    Deep Impact

  17. 02 Nov 2008

    Tenno Sho (Autumn)

    天皇賞（秋）

    Vodka

  18. 17 May 2009

    Victoria Mile

    ヴィクトリアM

    Vodka

  19. 07 Jun 2009

    Yasuda Kinen

    安田記念

    Vodka

  20. 01 May 2016

    Tenno Sho (Spring)

    天皇賞（春）

    Kitasan Black

  21. 27 Nov 2016

    Japan Cup

    ジャパンC

    Kitasan Black

  22. 02 Apr 2017

    Osaka Hai

    大阪杯

    Kitasan Black

  23. 30 Apr 2017

    Tenno Sho (Spring)

    天皇賞（春）

    Kitasan Black

  24. 29 Oct 2017

    Tenno Sho (Autumn)

    天皇賞（秋）

    Kitasan Black

  25. 24 Dec 2017

    Arima Kinen

    有馬記念

    Kitasan Black

05

Career timeline

  1. 13 May 1990

    Oguri Cap—Yasuda KinenGI#1

  2. 23 Dec 1990

    Oguri Cap—Arima KinenGI#1

  3. 10 Mar 1991

    Mejiro McQueen—Hanshin DaishotenGII#1

  4. 28 Apr 1991

    Mejiro McQueen—Tenno Sho (Spring)GI#1

  5. 09 Jun 1991

    Mejiro McQueen—Takarazuka KinenGI#2

  6. 06 Oct 1991

    Mejiro McQueen—Kyoto DaishotenGII#1

  7. 24 Nov 1991

    Mejiro McQueen—Japan CupGI#4

  8. 22 Dec 1991

    Mejiro McQueen—Arima KinenGI#2

  9. 15 Mar 1992

    Mejiro McQueen—Hanshin DaishotenGII#1

  10. 26 Apr 1992

    Mejiro McQueen—Tenno Sho (Spring)GI#1

  11. 04 Apr 1993

    Mejiro McQueen—Sankei Osaka HaiGII#1

  12. 25 Apr 1993

    Mejiro McQueen—Tenno Sho (Spring)GI#2

  13. 13 Jun 1993

    Mejiro McQueen—Takarazuka KinenGI#1

  14. 10 Oct 1993

    Mejiro McQueen—Kyoto DaishotenGII#1

  15. 26 Nov 1995

    Narita Brian—Japan CupGI#6

  16. 24 Dec 1995

    Narita Brian—Arima KinenGI#4

  17. 09 Mar 1996

    Narita Brian—Hanshin DaishotenGII#1

  18. 19 May 1996

    Narita Brian—Takamatsunomiya HaiGI#4

  19. 29 Nov 1997

    Special Week—Newcomer race#1

  20. 14 Dec 1997

    Silence Suzuka—Hong Kong International CupG2#5

  21. 06 Jan 1998

    Special Week—Shiraume Sho#2

  22. 08 Feb 1998

    Special Week—Kisaragi ShoGIII#1

  23. 14 Feb 1998

    Silence Suzuka—Valentine StakesOP#1

  24. 08 Mar 1998

    Special Week—Yayoi ShoGII#1

  25. 15 Mar 1998

    Silence Suzuka—Nakayama KinenGII#1

  26. 18 Apr 1998

    Silence Suzuka—Kokura DaishotenGIII#1

  27. 19 Apr 1998

    Special Week—Satsuki ShoGI#3

  28. 30 May 1998

    Silence Suzuka—Kinko ShoGII#1

  29. 07 Jun 1998

    Special Week—Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)GI#1

  30. 11 Oct 1998

    Silence Suzuka—Mainichi OkanGII#1

  31. 18 Oct 1998

    Special Week—Kyoto Shimbun HaiGII#1

  32. 01 Nov 1998

    Silence Suzuka—Tenno Sho (Autumn)GIDid not finish

  33. 08 Nov 1998

    Special Week—Kikuka ShoGI#2

  34. 21 Mar 1999

    Special Week—Hanshin DaishotenGII#1

  35. 02 May 1999

    Special Week—Tenno Sho (Spring)GI#1

  36. 11 Jul 1999

    Special Week—Takarazuka KinenGI#2

  37. 10 Oct 1999

    Special Week—Kyoto DaishotenGII#7

  38. 31 Oct 1999

    Special Week—Tenno Sho (Autumn)GI#1

  39. 28 Nov 1999

    Special Week—Japan CupGI#1

  40. 26 Dec 1999

    Special Week—Arima KinenGI#2

  41. 19 Dec 2004

    Deep Impact—Newcomer race#1

  42. 22 Jan 2005

    Deep Impact—Wakagoma StakesOP#1

  43. 06 Mar 2005

    Deep Impact—Yayoi ShoGII#1

  44. 17 Apr 2005

    Deep Impact—Satsuki ShoGI#1

  45. 29 May 2005

    Deep Impact—Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)GI#1

  46. 25 Sep 2005

    Deep Impact—Kobe Shimbun HaiGII#1

  47. 23 Oct 2005

    Deep Impact—Kikuka ShoGI#1

  48. 25 Dec 2005

    Deep Impact—Arima KinenGI#2

  49. 19 Mar 2006

    Deep Impact—Hanshin DaishotenGII#1

  50. 30 Apr 2006

    Deep Impact—Tenno Sho (Spring)GI#1

  51. 25 Jun 2006

    Deep Impact—Takarazuka KinenGI#1

  52. 01 Oct 2006

    Deep Impact—Prix de l'Arc de TriompheG1Disqualified

  53. 26 Nov 2006

    Deep Impact—Japan CupGI#1

  54. 24 Dec 2006

    Deep Impact—Arima KinenGI#1

  55. 29 Mar 2008

    Vodka—Dubai Duty FreeG1#4

  56. 18 May 2008

    Vodka—Victoria MileJpnI#2

  57. 12 Oct 2008

    Vodka—Mainichi OkanGII#2

  58. 02 Nov 2008

    Vodka—Tenno Sho (Autumn)GI#1

  59. 05 Mar 2009

    Vodka—Jebel HattaG2#5

  60. 28 Mar 2009

    Vodka—Dubai Duty FreeG1#7

  61. 17 May 2009

    Vodka—Victoria MileGI#1

  62. 07 Jun 2009

    Vodka—Yasuda KinenGI#1

  63. 11 Oct 2009

    Vodka—Mainichi OkanGII#2

  64. 01 Nov 2009

    Vodka—Tenno Sho (Autumn)GI#3

  65. 03 Apr 2016

    Kitasan Black—Sankei Osaka HaiGII#2

  66. 01 May 2016

    Kitasan Black—Tenno Sho (Spring)GI#1

  67. 26 Jun 2016

    Kitasan Black—Takarazuka KinenGI#3

  68. 10 Oct 2016

    Kitasan Black—Kyoto DaishotenGII#1

  69. 27 Nov 2016

    Kitasan Black—Japan CupGI#1

  70. 25 Dec 2016

    Kitasan Black—Arima KinenGI#2

  71. 02 Apr 2017

    Kitasan Black—Osaka HaiGI#1

  72. 30 Apr 2017

    Kitasan Black—Tenno Sho (Spring)GI#1

  73. 25 Jun 2017

    Kitasan Black—Takarazuka KinenGI#9

  74. 29 Oct 2017

    Kitasan Black—Tenno Sho (Autumn)GI#1

  75. 26 Nov 2017

    Kitasan Black—Japan CupGI#3

  76. 24 Dec 2017

    Kitasan Black—Arima KinenGI#1

06

Iconic horses

07

Gallery

SOURCES & REFERENCES

Sources & References

  1. 01
    武豊 — Wikipedia（日本語版）

    Wikipedia · Reference · Accessed 2026-09-26

  2. 02
    Yutaka Take — Wikipedia (English)

    Wikipedia · Reference · Accessed 2026-09-26

IMAGE CREDITS

Image credits

Each photograph was checked on its individual Wikimedia Commons file page for author and licence.