‘Dragon Flame’ wins 98th Gazi Derby with Jockey Akın Sözen
The 98th Gazi Derby, the pinnacle of Turkish horse racing, was won by the thoroughbred "Dragon Flame," owned by Emrah Agun and ridden by jockey Akın Sözen.
Since 1927, the Gazi Derby, held in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, has been a prestigious event for three-year-old thoroughbred English horses. Covering a distance of 2400 meters, "Dragon Flame" secured victory with a time of 2:28.36. In the final stretch at Istanbul's Veliefendi Racecourse, Sözen skillfully navigated from seventh place to take the lead, ultimately achieving his first Gazi Derby win. "Zizka," ridden by Selim Kaya, finished second, while "Borrego," with jockey Mehmet Salih Çelik, came in third. "Son Of Cooger" and jockey Ahmet Çelik placed fourth.
‘Living My Dream’
Champion jockey Akın Sözen expressed his joy, saying, "I am very happy. This year, I am riding for such a professional team... I salute the team with all my heart. This trophy seemed to be meant for us. I am very happy to be living our dreams. I want to achieve even greater successes from now on. I have been racing in the Gazi Derby since 2005. The desire to win the Gazi has been growing in my heart since then. We said, 'Let today be the day.' And it happened. I dedicate this championship to my beloved wife and children."
Support for İmamoğlu
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and his wife, Dilek İmamoğlu, attended the Gazi Derby at Veliefendi Racecourse. The couple presented the trophy to champion jockey Akın Sözen. Thousands of spectators filled Veliefendi, showing their support for İmamoğlu with cheers and chants of "Ekrem Başkan."
