Day: October 22, 2025

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (October 24)

The weekend’s racing gets underway at Busan on Friday with 8 races from 11:25 to 18:00. Here are the previews:

Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million

Juvenile maidens with seven of the twelve racing for the first time. (7) B K. SPIRIT ran midfield on debut over 1000M on September 19th but that was in spite of a dreadful start and then laying out. She was sent back to trial, which she blitzed in a time of 60.2 seconds and if her manners are up to scratch here, she can win. (9) ONE PLUS ONE was a trial winner, on pace throughout. With a good start here, he can be in this a long way first up. (1) LAMPYOJEONGGEENIE is another who was slowly away on debut, but she ran on pleasingly enough for 4th, albeit well beaten by Funny Wild who was 3rd in Listed Juvenile company last Sunday. She comes into a much better gate today and can go better. (4) GLOBAL PRINCE and (11) SUCCESS RUN among others who hinted at ability in their trials.  

Selections(7) B K. Spirit (9) One Plus One (1) Lampyojeonggeenie (4) Global Prince
Next Best11, 3
Fast Start4, 7, 9, 11

Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Maiden fillies with four of the twelve racing for the first time. (11) WORLD EAGLE CAT has raced twice, following up a 5th on debut with a 3rd at start two on September 19th, both over 1000M. The step up in trip can suit and third-up, she can be peaking. (8) YURIM ACE was well supported on debut and did show on pace until blundering and becoming unbalanced at the top of the straight, ultimately finishing 6th of nine. Seo Seung-un is on and plenty will give her another chance. (12) BORYEONG ONE ROAD ran 4th on debut over 1000M before being given her chance in the Listed Gangseo-gu Mayor’s Trophy in September. She finished last in that but in much more amenable company today she should be better. (3) PILSEUNG WINNER looks the best of the first timers and if the trial is anything to go by, will be on pace, while (10) WOLF STEP is another who could go well first-up.

Selections(11) World Eagle Cat (8) Yurim Ace (12) Boryeong One Road (3) Pilseung Winner
Next Best10, 1
Fast Start1, 3, 8, 10

Busan Race 3: Class 6 (1600M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(12) CAPTAIN DRAGON didn’t do much in three starts at the beginning of this year but in two outings back following four months out, he has run 3rd and 2nd, both at a mile and most recently beating three of today’s rivals when he led on September 26th. He has the challenge of the widest gate here, but he is the one to beat. (2) OWNER CHAMP has five top five finishes from seven starts with a 3rd and a 4th over 1400M from her latest two. She has a smart finish on her and the step up to the mile can suit. (11) BREEDO CAPTAIN was 5th behind Captain Dragon on September 26th but was 2nd over this distance two weeks before that and can be in the mix here. (3) NEVERSTOP HEEMANG and (7) CHAMP KING among plenty of others with chances.

Selections(12) Captain Dragon (2) Owner Champ (11) Breedo Captain (3) Neverstop Heemang
Next Best7, 6
Fast Start5, 6, 8, 9

Busan Race 4: Class 5 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

(6) ACE SUN ran 2nd on debut in August and then led all the way to win by a full ten-lengths at start number two over this distance on September 12th. He comes up in class but is down 2.5kg in weight, he draws well to lead again, and the manner of that victory suggests more to come. (7) FANTASTIC FORCE ground out a hard-fought win over 1000M on debut on September 26th, settling midfield and running on. He is up in class and in trip but is down in weight and can measure up. (10) KKEUTPAN YEOGEOL is yet to win in ten attempts but has no fewer than five runner-up finishes including all of her latest three and she will be there or thereabouts again. (1) SWEET BELLE and (11) OH FANTASTIC among others in the hunt.

Selections(6) Ace Sun (7) Fantastic Force (10) Kkeutpan Yeogeol (1) Sweet Belle
Next Best11, 12
Fast Start1, 6, 10, 11

Busan Race 5: Class 5 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

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Chief Star, Super Aero Claim Juvenile Series Scores With Finale Just a Month Away

With a month to go, the G2 Breeders’ Cup at Busan on November 23rd is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing renewals of recent times after Seoul and Busan hosted their respective 2nd legs of the Juvenile Series this past weekend.

Super Aero (far side) gets the better of Wild Park (Pic: KRA)

At Seoul, all the attention was on a filly. Chief Star hadn’t raced since a facile victory in August’s Rookie Stakes took her to two wins from two starts but she had looked very well in a September trial and was accordingly sent off as the prohibitive 1.4 favourite in the NACF Chairman’s Trophy (1200M KOR-Listed).

There was a brief scare for favourite backers and Chief Star fly jumped as the gates opened, enabling another filly, Wonpyeong Sket, 2nd in both the Rookie Stakes and the Munhwa Ilbo Trophy (the latter missed by Chief Star) to get to the lead.

Jockey Choi Bum-hyun didn’t panic and Chief Star tracked Wonpyeong Sket closely before asserting her superiority in the home straight and running on to win by three-lengths.

“She didn’t settle in the gate and was moving forwards and backwards and then she jumped as the gate opened” winning jockey Choi explained to KRBC. “I think the pleasing thing is that even with (this adversity) she still won well.”

“She is a young filly and so long as she is healthy and free from injuries then I think we will see a lot of good things from her.”

Chief Star is by Shackleford and out of Halla Chukje (by the Coronando’s Quest stallion Gottcha Gold). She is owned by Kim Gil-ri and trained by Moon Byeong-ki.

Chief Star (Pic: KRA)

At Busan, things were much closer. After narrow wins in both the Busan Rookie Stakes and in last month’s Gangse-gu Mayor’s Trophy, Wild Park was sent off as the odds-on favourite to complete a hat-trick in the Gimhae Mayor’s Trophy (1200M KOR-Listed).

Once more it was close, and it looked as though Wild Park would prevail again as under Seo Seung-un, he struck the front with a furlong to run in a seesaw stretch battle with Super Aero, who he had defeated in the Rookie Stakes.

That would be to discount the heart of Super Aero, however, as with Masa Tanaka aboard, the Bart Rice trainee rallied on the inside to once more come level with Wild Park and ultimately get the decision in the photo-finish by a nose. The pair finished two-lengths ahead of Wild Park’s stablemate Funny Wild, who was making just his second appearance and also looks a prospect.

A colt by Mischievously and out of Kkeutpan Aero (by Archarcharch), the dam also having been campaigned by owner Kang Bong-han and trainer Rice, Super Aero moves on to three wins from four starts.

“He has high cruising speed, and we used the barrier to full advantage today” winning jockey Tanaka said of Super Aero. “(Wild Park) went in front a half neck at one stage but (Super Aero) fought so hard to get his nose back in front.”

“He’s gained 40kg since his first trial, so he’s growing well. Today’s Seoul winner looked pretty impressive but at 1400M (in the Breeders’ Cup Rookie), it can be a very competitive race.”

Tanaka was of course talking about Chief Star but there is another Seoul juvenile who is three for three. Mujehan Geup has kept out of the way of the filly but in her absence, he was a very impressive winner of the Listed Munhwa Ilbo Trophy in September, with Wonpyeong Sket again 2nd. He came back into training two weeks ago and can add another layer of intrigue in Busan next month.