Jockey Stein to retire Sunday

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Justin Stein, who won the 2012 Queen’s Plate on Strait of Dover, has announced that he will retire from riding after Sunday’s card at Woodbine.

Stein, a 36-year-old native of New Westminster, British Columbia, said he’s moving back to B.C. to spend more time with his family at his property near Kamloops.

“I’m going to miss riding races,” Stein said. “I’ll miss the horses and the people. It’s a perfect job, really. Not too many people get to go to work every day and be this happy. It’s time to move on. I hate to say I’ll never be back. You never know. The timing is right. No matter what, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished at Woodbine.”

Other career highlights for the diminutive Stein include victories in the Woodbine Oaks, Canadian Derby, and B.C. Derby on Academic, last year’s Canadian champion 3-year-old filly.

Stein has 1,028 career wins, including 60 stakes scores, from 7,691 mounts who earned more than $44 million.

“Winning the B.C. Derby was very special,” Stein said. “I almost won it back in 2006 with Head Chopper, but I dropped my stick, and we got beat a nose. That always haunted me, and going back home with Academic was a chance at redemption.”