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Corey S. Nakatani (born October 21, 1970 in Covina, California,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He got his big break in 1990 when he rode
Itsallgreektome {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Itsallgreektome , image = , caption = , sire = Sovereign Dancer , grandsire = Northern Dancer , dam = Sans Supplement , damsire = Grey Dawn , sex = Gelding , foaled = 1987 , country = United States , ...
to win big stakes races. Nakatani has long resided on the Southern California circuit of Santa Anita Park, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar racetrack. On October 8, 2011, he won six races in one day including two grade one victories. , Nakatani has won more than 3,750 races including the Kentucky Oaks twice, one time on
Lite Light Lite Light (February 2, 1988 – May 5, 2007) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background A daughter of Majestic Light, Lite Light counts Nearco and Princequillo among her ancestors. She was owned by Jack L. Finley at age two and into th ...
and the other riding
Pike Place Dancer Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus ...
, the Canadian International Stakes, the
Strub Stakes The Strub Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel ...
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. He has never won the
Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-yea ...
in 17 tries, his closest finish being second 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. 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 Wallace Arthur "Wally" Dollase (August 1, 1937 – October 30, 2015) was an American trainer and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses. Among his numerous Graded stakes race wins, Dollase won the 1996 Breeders' Cup Distaff with Jewel Princess who w ...
. 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 Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ...
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 John Eric "Johnny" Longden (February 14, 1907 – February 14, 2003) was an American Hall of Fame and National Champion jockey and a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses who was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England. His father emigrated to ...
and Longden's son,
Eric Longden Eric Longden was a British cyclecar brand manufactured from 1920 to 1927, originally by the Australian racing driver Eric Longden, and from 1922 by the Air Navigation and Engineering Company from Addlestone (Surrey). ANEC also built the Blériot ...
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. Nakatani won his 3,500th race at Aqueduct Racetrack on November 17, 2011 aboard Grand Strategy in the eighth race of the day. Nakatani has ridden a number of notable horses including
Jackson Bend Jackson Bend (foaled February 11, 2007, in Florida) is an American Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse who finished third to Lookin At Lucky in the graded stakes race, Grade I $1,100,000 Preakness Stakes a Classic United States Triple Crown of Tho ...
, Nehro,
Colonel John Colonel John (foaled March 4, 2005 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2008 Santa Anita Derby and Travers Stakes. Background Bred and raced by WinStar Farm, Colonel John was sired by Tiznow, the 2000 U.S. Horse ...
, Lava Man, Thor's Echo, Aragorn,
Rock Hard Ten Rock Hard Ten (April 5, 2001 – November 12, 2021) was an American thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Co-owned and bred by Madeleine Paulson, widow of Allen E. Paulson, the dark bay horse stood over 17 hands. He was sired by Kris S., out of the ...
, Sarafan,
Indian Blessing Indian Blessing (foaled April 9, 2005, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in 2007 and Champion Female Sprint Horse in 2008. Background Indian Blessing was bred by and raced for ...
,
Lite Light Lite Light (February 2, 1988 – May 5, 2007) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background A daughter of Majestic Light, Lite Light counts Nearco and Princequillo among her ancestors. She was owned by Jack L. Finley at age two and into th ...
,
Relaxed Gesture Relaxed Gesture (foaled March 12, 2001 in Ireland) was a thoroughbred racehorse known for winning the $2 million Canadian International Stakes in 2005. A chestnut stallion, he was bred and raced by Walter Haefner's Moyglare Stud Farm. Out of ...
, Sandpit, Serena's Song,
Bolt d'Oro Bolt d'Oro (foaled March 17, 2015) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. At age two, he won his first three starts, including the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner Stakes, before finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He started his thre ...
, Silic, and Lit de Justice. In the
2015 Kentucky Derby The 2015 Kentucky Derby was the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby. The race was run at 6:44 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 2, 2015, at Churchill Downs. It was broadcast in the United States on the NBC television network. Kentucky nativ ...
, won by American Pharoah, Nakatani was the jockey of Frammento, which placed 15th. Weeks earlier, the jockey had broken his collarbone in a March 17 spill at Santa Anita. In the 2014 Kentucky Derby, he finished sixth on Dance With Fate. Corey Nakatani announced his retirement on November 23, 2019, but had not ridden since November 2018 due to injur

He also is a golfer who carries a three handicap. His role models are Tiger Woods and Fred Couples. His favorite horse of all-time is Lava Man. Nakatani's current agent is
Matt Nakatani Matt may refer to: *Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) *Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...
.


References


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nakatani, Corey American jockeys Sportspeople from California 1970 births Living people People from Covina, California American sportspeople of Japanese descent