Queen’s Plate-winning jockey Justin Stein announces retirement from racing

TORONTO – Queen’s Plate-winning jockey Justin Stein is retiring from thoroughbred racing.

Stein, who guided Strait of Dover to victory in the 2012 Plate, will step aside after Sunday’s card at Woodbine Racetrack. The 36-year-old native of New Westminster, B.C., has 1,027 career wins but is retiring for family reasons as his youngest son Gavin, 3, has Wilms’ Tumour, a cancer of the kidneys that typically occurs in children.

Stein, his wife Renee and their four children will relocate to property outside of Kamloops, B.C., where they will run a goat farm.

“I’ve always enjoyed learning new things and this is a chance to teach my kids a new way of life,” Stein said in a statement. “We’re a pretty traditional family.

“We sit down together for lunch and dinner, the boys like to go hiking with me. They’re always with Renee and I, the boys like to be with their mom and dad.”

Stein began his career in 2004 at Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse, registering his first win aboard Mayne Stating in a $7,000 claiming event.

He was the leading rider at Hastings in 2005 with 148 victories and following the campaign recorded an additional 13 wins over 97 mounts at Woodbine.

A career highlight was winning the Queen’s Plate with Strait of Dover. Unfortunately, that was the horse’s final race as the champion three-year-old male was put down after complications following surgery for a twisted colon.

“It was devastating, he was a special horse,” Stein said. “Strait of Dover had a true racehorse heart.

“He knew how to win. He was getting better and better with every start.”

Stein has registered 60 career stakes wins.

Last June, Stein guided filly Academic to a track-record win in the Woodbine Oaks as a 66-1 longshot. After Academic finished last in the Queen’s Plate, she won the $200,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park Racetrack & Casino in August by a whopping eight lengths.

However, in the $250,000 B.C. Derby in September, Stein and Academic found themselves in an unfamiliar stalking position at Hastings. Pacesetter Bluegrass Angus opened up a 3½-length lead at the top of the short stretch as Stein and Academic waited for racing room before rallying for the win over Bluegrass Angus by a neck.

Academic became the first filly in almost 60 years to win the race. She went on to capture the Sovereign award as Canada’s top three-year-old filly.

“I didn’t think we were going to get up,” he said. “It took her so long to get her legs.

“The dirt kept hitting her in the face, but she just took off at the sixteenth pole, ran right up the fence and showed she was a really good horse. She’s so versatile to be able to run on different tracks and against the boys using different running styles.”

Stein said he’ll leave racing with no regrets.

“I’m going to miss riding races, I’ll miss the horses and the people,” Stein said. “It’s a perfect job, really.

“Not too many people get to go to work everyday 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 here at Woodbine.”