With three of the four three-year old Classics out-of-the-way, last year’s Leading General Sire in Korea Creek Cat holds a narrow lead at the top of this year’s race.
Yeonseung Daero - Keeps Creek Cat on top (Pic: KRA)
Fellow established sire Exploit is just behind him but then come the newcomers Menifee and Vicar, who each have a Classic winner to their name this year in third and fourth.
With the top four separated by less than the value of a big Stakes win, there’s all to play for as we head into the autumn.
Gwangyajeil won the Derby for Vicar while Useung Touch, second in that race, won last week’s Oaks to put Menifee up into third spot. With the KRA Cup Mile having gone to Soseuldaemun by the relatively unknown Japanese bred sire Meisei Opera, it is Yeonseung Daero’s exploits in winning the Busan Metropolitan that gives Creek Cat his lead.
Gwangyajeil (Vicar) lead Useung Touch (Menifee) to the line in the Korean Derby
In terms of wins to starts, Vicar and Menifee are far and away superior to their more established counterparts – helped of course by having fewer starters – with figures of 23% and 18% respectively.
US bred sires still dominate with Japan’s Biwa Shinseiki, sire of multiple Stakes winner Dangdae Bulpae, the only non-American in the top ten. He is followed by Ireland’s Yehudi in eleventh who is having a successful second crop.
Here is a full list of the top ten as they stand right now:
2011 Leading General Sires in Korea – January 1 – August 25
Name – Earnings (Korean Won) (Runners/Winners – Starts/Wins) Winning % – Chief Earner
1. Creek Cat (USA) – 2,053,613,000 (55/25 – 285/35) 12.3% – Yeonseung Daero
2. Exploit (USA) – 1,980,696,000 (87/23 – 471-36) 7.6% – Singgeureounachim
3. Menifee (USA) – 1,938,579,000 (46/20 – 236/43) 18.2% – Useung Touch
4. Vicar (USA) – 1,828,161,000 (41/24 – 214/50) 23.4% – Gwangyajeil
5. Concept Win (USA) – 1,800,979,000 (75/24 – 395/42) 10.6% – Hongji
6. War Zone (USA) – 1,657,387,000 (69/22 – 392/33) 8.4% – Trade Mark
7. Volponi (USA) – 1,304,328,000 (63/22 – 336/26) 7.7% – Crown Flag
8. Didyme (USA) – 1,158,135 (54/16 – 275/23) 8.4% – Mupae Star
9. Ft. Stockton (USA) – 1,152,104,000 (70/20 – 371/25) 6.7% – Cheonun
10. Biwa Shinseiki (JPN) – 1,005,352 (36/11 – 175/19) 10.9% – Dangdae Bulpae
*$1 = 1087 Korean Won (Aug 25, 2011)
* Data is from the excellent Korean StudBook
With Menifee and Vicar looking set to be successful and with high expectations of new arrivals Ecton Park and Forest Camp – not to mention Officer – who will all be coming online on the next couple of years, things are looking up in terms of Korean breeding.
Horse Racing in Korea 