Yuichi Fukunaga
| Yuichi Fukunaga | |
|---|---|
Fukunaga after the February Stakes in 2023 | |
| Native name | 福永祐一 |
| Occupation | Jockey (retired) Horse trainer |
| Born | 9 December 1976 Rittō-chō (now Rittō), Kurita District, Shiga |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Spouse | Midori Matsuo (m. 2013) |
| Children | 3 |
| Height | 160.0 cm (5 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 51.0 kg (112 lb) |
| Career winnings | 2636 |
| Racing awards | |
| JRA Award for Best Jockey (winning average) (2011) JRA Award for Best Jockey (races won) (2013) JRA Award for Best Jockey (money earned) (2013) JRA Award for Best Jockey (newcomer) (1996) Most Valuable Jockey (2013) | |
| Significant horses | |
| King Halo, Cesario, Epiphaneia, Just A Way, Wagnerian, Contrail, Pixie Knight | |
Yuichi Fukunaga (福永 祐一, Fukunaga Yūichi; born 9 December 1976) is a Japanese horse trainer and former jockey who has won 29 Grade 1 races in Japan and abroad. He is affiliated with the Japan Racing Association (JRA) in Rittō. His father is former jockey Yoichi Fukunaga who was said to be a "genius" during his active career, and his uncle is Takashi Kitamura, also a former jockey. His wife is former Fuji TV announcer Midori Matsuo. Since July 2016, he has a management contract with Horipro together with Yuga Kawada, the entertainment production with which his wife is also affiliated.
On December 8, 2022, following his trainer license being issued by the JRA, Fukunaga announced that he would retire as a jockey at the end of February next year and make a transition in to becoming a horse trainer. Two months later, Fukunaga rode his final races in Japan at the February Stake on 19 February, and finished his racing career at the Riyadh Dirt Sprint on February 25, 2023, where he rode Remake which finished 3rd behind Elite Power. Retirement ceremonies of Fukunaga were held at Tokyo Racecourse on 19 February and on the Hanshin Racecourse on March 4.
Fukunaga officially opened his stable on 6 March 2024. Upon opening his stable, he received a number of horses from outgoing trainers, including Danon Scorpion and Dualist from Takayuki Yasuda.