It’s the big one. The 2018 Keeneland Korea Cup & Sprint takes place at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday September 9. Free entry to the racecourse for the 10 race-card which gets under way at 10:45am. The big races are at 3:45pm and 4:55pm respectively.
KEENELAND KOREA SPRINT – 1200M
Korea Sprint Overseas Runners:
| 1 | PERDIDO POMEROY (USA) | He led this race last year until he was overcome with a furlong to run and ended up in 6th. He rebounded with a win a month later at Busan but has been indifferent across four starts since. Last raced three months ago in the SBS Sports Sprint when he finished 7th behind Doraonpogyeongseon and Today. Very fast in a trial at Busan only last week. He’ll aim for a fast start but looks up against it here. |
| 2 | TODAY (KOR) | He won 10 of his first 12 races to be sent of as favourite for the SBS Sports Sprint in June where he ultimately ran a close 3rd to Doraonpogyeongseon. He then went to Singapore to run in the KRA Trophy at Kranji in July where he overcame a bit of bad luck to run a strong 3rd again behind Singapore’s Skywalk and Rafaello. From Korea’s top stable, he should be near to the pace here and should go close. |
| 3 | ZENTENARY (USA) | Ran in this race last year, showing close to the front early on but was quickly bettered. Enters in good form with a win and 2nd place from his latest two starts but in much softer company than this. Will aim for a quick start and try to hold on for as long as possible. Outsider. |
| 4 | GEUMA RAPID (AUS) | Started his career very promisingly but has been hampered by a succession of injuries. He’s one start into a comeback following nine months on the sidelines and offered few clues running 10th of 12. Hard to recommend. |
| 5 | ACE KOREA (USA) | This up and coming sprinter is the only three-year-old in the race and accordingly gets a weight allowance. Two very smart wins in the Spring led him to take his chance in the SBS Sports Sprint in June but he had a hard time and finished well back behind three others who go here. Returned to Busan and was an eye-catching class 2 winner at the end of July. Trained by Australian Peter Wolsley, he could make for an interesting outsider. |
| 6 | MORNING DAERO (USA) | It’s been over a year since his latest win, which was at 1400M last July. Best finish in 2018 so far was 2nd place at this distance in March. He only beat one home on his latest outing a month ago and he’ll be among the outsiders here. |
| 7 | DORAONPOGYEONGSEON (USA) | Third in this race last year, he returned to Seoul in June to win his second consecutive SBS Sports Sprint at this distance beating Today and establishing himself as Korea’s top sprinter. Stretched out to a mile to win another big Stakes race at Busan last month. He’s versatile so the draw shouldn’t be an issue for him and is in top form. A big chance. |
| 8 | KING MALPIC (FR) | King Malpic is a prolific winner in France, including three consecutive triumphs between April and June this year at La Teste De Buch and Chantilly at distances between six furlongs and a mile. His latest outing saw him run 2nd of 9 in the six-furlong Group 3 Prix de-Ris-Orangis at Maisons-Laffitte on July 15th. This is a tougher test but the form is good. As with all European runners, how he copes with the sand will be key to his chances. |
| 9 | MOANIN (USA) | Winner of the Listed Coral Stakes at Hanshin over 1400M in March, that was his first win since the Group 1 February Stakes at Tokyo all the way back in 2016. He won six of his first seven starts and has been racing in top level company since. He’s never actually tackled a distance as short as 1200M but that’s unlikely to trouble him. JRA horses generally have little difficulty adapting to the track and a jockey who knows Seoul very well has been booked. A big chance and very possibly the one they’ll need to beat. |
| 10 | WONDER BOLT (USA) | Very experienced eight-year-old who finished runner-up to Singapore’s El Padrino in the Asia Challenge Cup all the way back in 2014. It’s been more than two years since his last win but he’s still a regular place-getter in class 1 handicaps. Most recently ran 2nd over 1800M. Usually ridden patiently these days but this is a tough ask. |
| 11 | WILD DUDE (USA) | Winner of the Grade 2 Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita in 2016, he ran in this race two years ago finishing 9th of 16. Since then he’s done his racing in Dubai where he hasn’t quite managed to re-capture the best of his American form although his latest efforts have been encouraging. He last ran on Dubai World Cup night, finishing 4th of 8 behind Mind Your Biscuits in the Golden Shaheen where he ran on well to finish within four-lengths of the winner. Not necessarily among the favourites but he surely improves on two years ago and could offer some value. |
| 12 | CHUBLICIOUS (USA) | A Group 3 winner in the United States, he enters in very solid form having finished 1st or 2nd in six of his seven latest starts dating back over a year. They include the aforementioned Group 3 at Laurel Park, when he was the longest shot on the board – as well as a victory in a Listed race at Monmouth Park this June. He only beat one home on his latest outing at Delaware Park on July 14th but American-trained horses with similar records ran well here last year and Chublicious could be a factor. |
| 13 | FIGHT HERO (GB) | Fight Hero will be looking to emulate Super Jockey, who won this race for Hong Kong in 2016. He arrives having finished up the season a winner over the all-weather at Sha Tin on June 24th at this distance, coming from off the pace. All his wins have been over 1200M and if he adapts to the sand, he like any Hong Kong sprinter, has every chance. |
Five international runners take on eight local sprinters here and it’s anyone’s race. We’ll go with Japanese raider (9) MOANIN under the guidance of Kanichiro Fujii to get the win but it certainly won’t be easy. US raider (12) CHUBLICIOUS has looked very good since arriving and should take to the track well while Hong Kong’s (13) FIGHT HERO must be respected too. On the Korean side, (2) TODAY has been drawn well and could possibly overturn the form on (7) DORAONPOGYEONGSEON who beat him in the SBS Sports Sprint here in June. Doraonpogyeongseon is the kind of horse who generally steps up when challenged though so shouldn’t be discounted himself. An interesting outsider could be (1) PERDIDO POMEROY. While his Spring campaign this year didn’t go especially well, he was absolutely flying in a trial at Busan last Saturday and from gate 1 will surely lead early. They’ll have to come past him.
| Selections | (9) Moanin (7) Doraonpogyeongseon (12) Chublicious (2) Today |
| Next Best | 13, 1, 5, 8 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 3, 8 |
KEENELAND KOREA CUP – 1800M
Foreign contenders:
| 1 | FOREST RANGER (IRE) | Back to back wins in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket in April and then the Huxley Stakes at Chester in May, the latter race a Group 2 for the first time this year enabled him to take his chance in the Eclipse. He found himself overmatched that day before finishing 5th of 7 in the York Stakes at the end of July. He is a proven top class performer and has won on the all-weather surface at Newcastle. |
| 2 | DOLKONG (USA) | A rival of Cheongdam Dokki when they were juveniles, his career has been hampered by injury since which has restricted him to just nine starts. He returned to action in August with an effortless victory over this distance in a class 1 handicap and so long as he’s trained on from it – and the word is that he has – there is no reason why he can’t prove he belongs here. Drawn in gate 3, he can take a sit behind the early speed and make his move late on. |
| 3 | GREAT KING (USA) | Trained by Thomas Gillespie at Busan, Great King has won six of twenty-one in total and three of his latest six. He last ran in early July beating a decent field at 2000M, coming from just off the pace. He looks to still be getting better and while this is obviously a tough assignment, he can acquit himself well. |
| 4 | FINAL BOSS (KOR) | Korean Derby winner in 2017, he’s been a touch frustrating since, offering hints of real talent but similarly flopping on occasion too. He began the year winning a listed race over 1200M and enters having last run 4th in the SBS Sports Sprint in July. Back up to two turns today, he is versatile – he won the Derby coming home wide and late but has also gone forward too. He’ll be an outsider here. |
| 5 | TOSCONOVA CAT (USA) | By some margin the lowest rated among the local entrants, the three-year-old has only race nine times for three wins, two of them at this distance. A smart winner at local class 2 on his latest outing in August when he led all the way but this is almost certainly too much too soon for him. |
| 6 | RIVEN LIGHT (IRE) | He began his career in France winning two of seven starts. He then missed over a year, reappearing with Willie Mullins in Ireland and after winning a Thurles handicap in December 2016, was gelded and sent hurdling. He returned to the flat in April 2017, winning three of five at distances up to ten furlongs before heading to Australia and trying his luck in the Ladbrokes Stakes at Caulfied. He finished 7th of 11 behind Gailo Chop that day and after injury and a lengthy spell, returned to action in style at the end of July, winning a seventeen-runner handicap at the Galway Festival for the second year running. Trainer Willie Mullins has put a Korean jockey on board who knows the track well. |
| 7 | DONGBANG DAERO (USA) | The last time he came to Seoul he ran a huge race in the season-ending Grand Prix Stakes last December, closing to finish 2nd to Power Blade over 2300M. He’s not won since and his recent Busan form is uninspiring. If the early pace is very hot and the leaders tire, he may make up some ground late on. |
| 8 | DYNAMIC DASH (USA) | The six-year-old has won ten of forty and was last in the winner’s circle at Busan in May when he scored over 2000M – it was his first win in two years although he picked up plenty of minor money in the meantime. He’s struggled in his latest two and he looks a touch overmatched here but he still may well beat a few. |
| 9 | MAXIMUS (USA) | A Singapore-based polytrack specialist, his latest win was at a mile in April. He’s run three times since then including finishing 6th behind Southern Legend in the Group 1 Kranji Mile. He has never raced a further than a mile before but is trained by Alwin Tan, who knows what it takes to be successful on this track having saddled El Padrino to victory in the inaugural Asia Challenge Cup in 2014. |
| 10 | PLACES TO GO (USA) | Found a rich vein of form when scoring in three consecutive class 1 handicaps between February and April this year but has tended to struggle when faced with really top class opposition. Comes in having run 7th of 10 last start over 2000M and has plenty to find. |
| 11 | ENNOBLED FRIEND (USA) | Expected to be scratched. |
| 12 | CHEONJI STORM (KOR) | Always talented but coming into his own this year. He won a local Group 3 at 1200M in March before scoring by ten-lengths in a class 1 handicap here at the end of April at today’s distance. He went to Busan for the Mayor’s Cup on July 1st, again at this distance and got to within three-lengths of Cheongdam Dokki. Still will potential to get better, he will try to sit just behind the early leaders. |
| 13 | CHEONGDAM DOKKI (USA) | Korean racing’s latest great hope. Four for four in 2018, he has established himself as the top horse on the peninsula. His last defeat came in the Grand Prix Stakes here at the end of 2017 but even that was only after he had set some brutal fractions for the first part of the 2300M. He generally leads and dominates his domestic races although he can be patient if necessary. He can overcome the wide gate to get close to the action early and it should be a chance to see what he is made of. He is Korea’s best chance to get a maiden win in the Cup. |
| 14 | LONDON TOWN (JPN) | He was a dominant winner of the race last year, making all and breaking the track record in the process. It hasn’t been straightforward since, however, as he’s yet to return to the winner’s circle in five subsequent starts, all of them at Group level. This contrasts with his lead up to the race last year when he broke the Sapporo track record at 1700M. Nevertheless, all those races were in very tough company and even if he is not quite as on song as a year ago, back on the sand at Seoul, he remains the one to beat. Wide draw but that was the case last year too. |
| 15 | CLEAN UP JOY (USA) | Winner of the Grand Prix Stakes in 2016 he has since seen Cheongdam Dokki usurp him as Seoul’s top horse. Nevertheless, he returned to winning form in March before finishing runner-up to Cheongdam Dokki in two big Stakes races in April and May. He always has to start from the widest gate due to his starting manners and don’t be surprised to see him miss the break slightly. He will get stronger as the race goes on though and can challenge for the minor money. |
It’s the moment of truth for (13) CHEONGDAM DOKKI. Korea’s superstar is drawn alongside last year’s winner (14) LONDON TOWN in Korea’s most valuable race and both will be looking to get on the early speed here and they are favourites to dispute the prize. London Town’s build up to the race may not have quite as impressive as it was a year ago but he may still have enough to successfully defend his crown. (2) DOLKONG made a hugely impressive return to racing a month ago. He’ll sit behind the early speed and will come through strongly late on. (1) FOREST RANGER and (6) RIVEN LIGHT have both impressed in work this week and both are established group race horses in Europe. They have drawn well and will be in the hunt. Longer shots who may go well include (12) CHEONJI STORM and Singapore’s (9) MAXIMUS as well, of course, as (15) CLEAN UP JOY.
| Selections | (14) London Town (13) Cheongdam Dokki (2) Dolkong (6) Riven Light |
| Next Best | 1, 12, 9, 15 |
| Fast Start | 3, 5, 12, 13, 14 |
Horse Racing in Korea 