About
Yasutoshi Ikee is the son of Yasuo Ikee, the trainer of two-time Japanese Horse of the Year and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) runner-up Deep Impact.
He played a major role as assistant trainer in his father’s overseas endeavors with To the Victory (JPN), who finished second in the Dubai World Cup (G1, UAE), and Stay Gold (JPN), who won the Hong Kong Vase (G1, HK) and the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1, UAE) in 2001.
Yasutoshi grew up near Kyoto Race Course, where the Kikuka-sho is held most years. Popular jockey Yutaka Take was a classmate of his and Yasutoshi wanted to be a jockey, too. He trained with Take at a horse racing club but had to give up on that career path when he grew too tall.
Yasutoshi captured his first Japan Racing Association award for best winning percentage in 2006, his third season as a trainer. He is reknowned as the trainer of Orfevre, the Japanese triple crown winner in 2011 and runner-up the 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.