Kimura not slowing down as Los Alamitos meet begins
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The Del Mar summer meeting ended on Monday with a flurry of activity for jockey Kazushi Kimura.
In the final five racing days, Kimura had mounts in 42 of 49 races. He rode five winners, including the Generous Portion for California-bred 2-year-old fillies aboard the promising filly Daytona Diamond.
Friday’s program at Los Alamitos, the opening day of the track’s two-week September meeting, is the next live day of racing following Del Mar. Kimura is not slowing down. He is booked to ride six of the eight races on Friday’s program, which consists entirely of races for claiming horses.
“It’s always better to keep busy,” Kimura said.
At Del Mar, Kimura finished sixth in the standings with 23 wins, well behind Joel Rosario, who won the riding title with 42 victories.
“We had a decent winning number, but far away from the leading title,” Kimura said.
Kimura has had widespread success at Los Alamitos for more than a year. He has won or tied for leading rider at the track’s last four daytime meetings, beginning in the summer of 2025.
Extending that streak this month will be difficult. Kimura is scheduled to ride through Sunday, but will serve a three-day suspension during the second and final week of racing from Sept. 18-20, according to his agent, Brian Beach.
At the Los Alamitos summer meeting in late June and early July, Kimura tied atop the standings with Armando Ayuso and Edgar Payeras, with nine wins. They benefited from the absence of some of the circuit’s leading riders – such as Rosario, Juan Hernandez, and Umberto Rispoli – who rode sparingly, if at all, at Los Alamitos during that three-week meeting.
For the next two weeks, Hernandez will ride on occasion at Los Alamitos. Rosario is scheduled to ride outside of California for the next two weeks, while Rispoli is booked to ride at Churchill Downs on Sunday, according to his agent, Matt Nakatani.
On Friday, Kimura has leading chances in the first and sixth races with Zagreus and Ima Track Star.
Zagreus, who is quick enough to lead, starts in a $6,250 claimer for nonwinners of two at a mile in his first start since late June. Zagreus won following a layoff at Santa Anita in February.
Ima Track Star starts from the outside in a $20,000 claimer for nonwinners of three at 5 1/2 furlongs. The gelding won a $12,500 claimer for nonwinners of two at Del Mar on Aug. 8, the day he was claimed by current trainer Steve Knapp.
On Saturday, Kimura is booked to ride the 2025 stakes winner La Ville Lumiere in a new stakes, the $100,000 Becca Taylor Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. The race replaces the $100,000 Dark Mirage Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile.
The only other stakes at the Los Alamitos September meeting is the $75,000 E.B. Johnston for Cal-bred milers on Sept. 19.
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