Day: April 16, 2026

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (April 17)

The weekend’s action gets underway at Busan on Friday with 8 races from 11:15 to 17:55. Here are the previews:

Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(8) GOLD POCKET was on pace on debut over this distance on March 20th when beating a couple of these on her way to 2nd place behind a good winner. She should have come on for that run, she should be on pace again, and she will be a short price to go one better. (2) OASIS KINGDOM has raced twice and was an improved 5th over 1400M on March 29th. He makes a quick return here and possible peaking fitness wise, he can get much closer. (1) GAON PERFECT ran 3rd on debut in that March 20th race behind Gold Pocket. He has seven-lengths to find on the filly, but it wasn’t a bad effort and he can improve. (11) OVER RAINBOW and debut-maker (5) STEALTH KINGMAN others who can be in the finish.

Selections(8) Gold Pocket (2) Oasis Kingdom (1) Gaon Perfect (11) Over Rainbow
Next Best5, 3
Fast Start2, 6, 8, 10

Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

The second division of the opening maiden and there will probably be an equally strong favourite. (2) POWERFUL THUNDER has made steady progress across five starts so far, culminating in 2nd place over 1200M on March 20th. He draws a much better gate than in any of his last three so he should get an easier run to the front and then take some beating.  (10) VELOCI QUEEN has impressed in all three outings with a 4th, a 2nd, and a 3rd. She has a strong finish on her so the wide draw shouldn’t be a problem, and she will be a big danger late. (4) SUCCESS PYEONGHWA was 2nd on debut all the way back in July last year and then finally returned to run a fair 3rd on March 8th when leading for much of the way. He’ll be challenging for the speed again and can be in the finish. Those three will be at the top of most tickets, with (11) DIA X and perhaps the sole first-time starter (5) BUTTER CRASH others to look out for.  

Selections(2) Powerful Thunder (10) Veloci Queen (4) Success Pyeonghwa (11) Dia X
Next Best5, 1
Fast Start1, 2, 4, 5

Busan Race 3: Class 3 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 75 Million

(6) TRIPLE SINHWA stepped up to this distance for the first time last November and was a solid winner at class 4 level. Since then, he has raced three times at this class, all again over the 1800M and has finished 2nd all three times, most recently racing handy on March 6th. He has his fair share of weight but Seo Seung-un stays on, and he is favoured to return to winning ways. Second favourite will be (4) BEST BOY. Remarkably, at start number thirty, he is racing at both this class and distance for the very first time, but he enters in very good form, winning over a mile three starts back and following up with a 3rd and a 2nd. That brings him up in class, but he is down a full 5kg in weight and that should make him very competitive. (2) TOHAMSAN TAEYANG could only manage 6th of twelve last time out on March 20th but she was a winner at this distance in January and under a light weight, she can be in the finish. (8) GASOK JEIL and (5) VEREUDA will need passes on their respective latest efforts to be best of the rest.

Selections(6) Triple Sinhwa (4) Best Boy (2) Tohamsan Taeyang (8) Gasok Jeil
Next Best5, 1
Fast Start2, 3, 6, 7

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

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VINCERO CAVALLO EASILY WINS SBS SPORTS WITH KOREA SPRINT IN HIS SIGHTS

Vincero Cavallo confirmed his status as the fastest horse in Korea as he comfortably won the SBS Sports Sprint (1200M KOR-G3) for the second year running at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. In doing so, he claimed his second consecutive Sprint Series victory with one leg to spare.

Vincero Cavallo (Pic: KRA)

With the field having been reduced to fifteen after the scratching of Yeonggwangui World, VINCERO CAVALLO started as favourite but not as short as some might have expected, given how well he won the first leg of the series, the Busan Ilbo, on the south coast last month.

Part of punters’ reticence may have been the wider draw for Vincero Cavallo and also perhaps that jockey Jo Jae-ro had been heavily unseated from his mount in race 5 and had a nervous wait before being passed fit to partner his career-defining horse.

Once the gates opened, all doubts disappeared. As expected, Born Dia showed the way early Vincero Cavallo began well too, Jo Jae-ro settling him in the front of midfield. Once he made his move in the home straight, the race was won with his now customary turn of foot proving far too much for his rivals. 38/1 chance Wonderful Groom was 2nd and 15/1 Haksan Speed 3rd.

“This was the first time we drawn this wide in the Sprint Series, so my thought was let’s just focus on the start and do well.” Jo Jae-ro told KRBC. “I trusted the horse and once we were away, I thought winning was inevitable and the race unfolded very comfortably.”

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Korea Racing Report – April 10-12

AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY VINCERO CAVALLO WAS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT ONCE MORE BUT ON THE UNDER CARD THE PRINCIPAL HANDICAP WAS RACE 9 AT CLASS 2 GRADE AND IT SAW CHOEGO GAME race away in the closing stages to complete a remarkable weekend for jockey Jo Jae-ro and be one of five winners on the day for trainer Kang Sung-o giving him 50% of the card.

Jo had had two falls across the weekend at Seoul, one on each day, however, was fit to ride Vincero Cavallo to victory in the G3 feature and then followed up on board Choego Game (Frosted) who charged away in the closing stages of the 1800M contest to score by three-lengths on his fourth attempt at Class 2 grade. Eclipse The King, who was 3rd in last year’s Derby, finished 2nd on his first run back since going lame in winter, and led for much of the contest until fitness caught him out late. Wonderful Northern was two-and-a-half lengths away in 3rd after being on-pace throughout. Ace K, who was a 13-length Class 3 winner back in February, was once again well beaten at Class 2 level.

The victory of Choego Game was the fourth of the quintet on the day for Kang Sung-o with one of his earlier winners being ECLIPSE BOSS (Shackleford) who won Race 5 (1200M Class 5) and as he did when winning his only other race he led throughout to score by three-quarters of a length as the 4.8 third pick over the 3.8 second choice Flying Honor. There was action a plenty at the start with 2.5 favourite Rapid Thunder knuckling horribly leaving the gates and leaving Jo Jae-ro with no chance of staying on in the second of his two falls across the weekend.

Kang’s other wins were with NAMSAN ROCK (Known Agenda) who won Race 3 (1400M Class 4) by the shortest possible margin at 24/1 after the 1.7 favourite Samjogo folded tamely for 4th after leading, PRIMERO (Indie Band) led throughout to win Race 4 (1700M Class 6) by one-and-a-quarter lengths as a 3.2 equal favourite, and was a 950th career winner for Choi Bum-hyun, whilst the last of the five was in the concluding 1200M Class 3 with ROYAL SOCKS (Hansen) making it five wins from nine starts defeating Raon The Affirmed by a half-length with Crazy Star a neck away third. All three horses are racing very well at present.

START UP (Medici Glory) was an impressive victor of Race 6 (1400M Class 5) showing good early speed to cross to the fence before racing away for a nine-length victory. He was always travelling strongly and after what was surely a confidence-boosting victory it will be interesting to see how and if he can progress.

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