Friday’s racing is at Busan with 8 races from 12:50 to 19:25. Here are the previews:
Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million
Juvenile maidens with seven of the eleven racing for the first time. (8) SPECIAL FIRST was the best in trials, showing on pace and crossing the line 2nd in a good time behind the vastly experienced Daehoma. If that form comes to the races, he can win. (5) PEGASUS YEOWANG ran 3rd in her trial, showing handily throughout and that’s enough to have her in the numbers here. (6) MODERN BOY took two goes to qualify and while he didn’t beat many at the second time of asking, he looked competent enough and he should be nice and fit for this. Of the experience, (9) OASIS SHACKLE and (10) SUPER WEEK are perhaps the best placed to improve from their respective debuts.
| Selections | (8) Special First (5) Pegasus Yeowang (6) Modern Boy (9) Oasis Shackle |
| Next Best | 10, 7 |
| Fast Start | 4, 5, 6, 8 |
Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
Not the strongest of maidens. (8) OVER RAINBOW has been knocking on the door across seven starts so far with his best being a 3rd over 1200M in March and his best his latest when 4th at 1400M on July 19th He usually settles back and runs on, and he won’t need to improve by much to win this. (4) DOCTOR PRINCE was slow away on debut and finished well-back behind Seraph on debut over 1000M in June but was an improved 5th when sent up to a mile for start two on July 26th. The difference is split distance wise here and he can continue to get closer. (9) FANTASTIC ROYAL similarly improved to 6th at start two and Seo Seung-un riding for the first time will tempt some. (11) WORLD THUNDER CAT and (7) SHINING CLUTCH others in the frame.
| Selections | (8) Over Rainbow (4) Doctor Prince (9) Fantastic Royal (11) World Thunder Cat |
| Next Best | 7, 3 |
| Fast Start | 5, 6, 9, 10 |
Busan Race 3: Class 5 (1600M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
(4) DOCTOR QUE SERA broke through at start number three over 1400M on July 19th, leading from gate to wire. He is up in class and in trip here, but he comes down 2.5kg in weight, and he could make it two in a row. (6) REGINA VINCIT finished 6th of twelve in the Korean Oaks and then 7th of ten in the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup. She returned to regular waters when beating a couple of these on her way to 4th place at this class and over 1800M on July 17th and back at a distance over which she got her two best results, she has the potential to return to winning ways. (10) GYEONGBOK PORTOS is up in class following a maiden win at this distance on July 19th and can measure up at this level. (11) SPACE GOLD and (7) MOST WANTED among plenty of other place chances.
| Selections | (4) Doctor Que Sera (6) Regina Vincit (10) Gyeongbok Portos (11) Space Gold |
| Next Best | 7, 1 |
| Fast Start | 1, 4, 7, 10 |
Busan Race 4: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
Fillies (and one mare) only here. (1) QUEEN WIND didn’t do much in her first four tries at this level, but she returned to winning ways in fine style on July 17th over 1400M, leading all the way around. She comes up a full 4kg in weight, but she has every chance of winning again. (2) FLASH COCO broke through at start number three over this distance on July 3rd with a similarly front-running effort. She is up in class here but there could be more to come and form a good draw, she can measure up at this level. (9) GREAT STAR has been close in her latest three, most recently when 3rd over this distance in a very similar race to this on July 19th and she can be there or thereabouts again (4) ARE YOU READY and (6) YEONGGWANGUIROOKIE are among others in the frame.
| Selections | (1) Queen Wind (2) Flash Coco (9) Great Star (4) Are You Ready |
| Next Best | 6, 8 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 3, 6 |
Busan Race 5: Class 5 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
Competitive race. (2) POWER TREE had an excuse three back when found to be lame before returning in May to run 2nd at this class over a mile. He came up to this distance for the first time in June but despite showing on pace, didn’t race especially generously and ultimately ran 7th. Franco is on today, he draws one wider than last time which can help, and he is worth another chance. (11) FANTASTIC BOSS has mixed his form across seven outings to date, but he enters off a smart 2nd place at this class and distance on August 9th when always handy. He comes up 1.5kg in the weights but can be in the mix again. (6) BEOLMAUI GEOIN took a while to figure things out, but his recent form has been good, and he is up in class having broken through at start eleven over a mile. He tackles two-turns for the first time, but is down in weight, and can be competitive. (4) MORE AND MORE and (1) WIN NOW others in the placing hunt.
| Selections | (2) Power Tree (11) Fantastic Boss (6) Beolmaui Geoin (4) More And More |
| Next Best | 1, 5 |
| Fast Start | 2, 5, 9, 11 |
Busan Race 6: Class 4 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
(3) POWERFUL BATTLE won back-to-back races in May and June with front-running efforts over 1300M and a mile before running 4th on his first try at this class and distance July 19th beating. He stays under a light weight, he draws well, and he can have come on for that experience. He will need to overturn the form on (9) NINETY PLUS, who won that July 19th race, settling handy and finishing well. He has three other placings at the 1800M, and while he is up 4kg in weight, he has every chance of backing up. (6) GEUMA PANTHER enters off back-to-back 3rd places, most recently at this class on July 10th. That was his first try at 1800M and under the same weight, he can match or better that today. (11) FANTASTIC EAGLE and (7) MAKE IT BETTER among plenty of others with placing chances.
| Selections | (3) Powerful Battle (9) Ninety Plus (6) Geuma Panther (11) Fantastic Eagle |
| Next Best | 7, 2 |
| Fast Start | 3, 7, 9, 10 |
Busan Race 7: Class 4 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
(6) CHATS KHAN debuted without distinction last November but then didn’t return until this summer. He won a trial in June and was then 2nd first-up on July 19th over 1200M, coming from off the pace. He should have come on for that run, and the step up to 1400M can suit. (2) FLY TO THE MOON is yet to win in eighteen starts but has no fewer than nine placings, including her latest when 3rd at this class over a mile on July 17th. She draws well and she shouldn’t be far away again. Veteran (7) GUKDAE HERO has won two of his last three, most recently at this class and distance on July 26th. He has the steadier of a big weight today but shouldn’t be dismissed. (1) SHINING ONE and (4) SWORD MASTER others in the mix.
| Selections | (6) Chats Khan (2) Fly To The Moon (7) Gukdae Hero (1) Shining One |
| Next Best | 4, 10 |
| Fast Start | 1, 6, 8, 10 |
Busan Race 8: Class 3 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 75 Million
(9) SUPER AERO ran a very close 2nd in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Rookie but didn’t re-appear until July 24th when he was a gutsy winner over this distance. He comes up in class, but he is down 4kg in weight, he should have come on for that run a month ago, and he can win here. The tricky thing is that he runs straight into (7) SAENAE HUNTER. Since returning from a lengthy absence of his own, he has been in sparkling form, winning three on the spin, all leading gate-to-wire, and most recently at this class and distance on July 17th when he posted a time that would see him in the top half in a Korea Sprint. He is up in weight but in this form, a fourth can’t be ruled out. (10) NAKDONG MYEONGJAK was 3rd behind Saenae Hunter on July 17th and can be in the mix again. (1) GRAND MORE and (5) BARAM DAERO among the other chances.
| Selections | (9) Super Aero (7) Saenae Hunter (10) Nakdong Myeongjak (1) Grand More |
| Next Best | 5, 4 |
| Fast Start | 1, 7, 8, 9 |
Horse Racing in Korea 