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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.

Not Nearly Anymore! Speed Young Races To Group 1 Glory in President’s Cup

Speed Young, Korean racing’s nearly horse, finally tasted Group 1 glory with victory in the President’s Cup (2000M KOR-G1) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. The five-year-old held out Gangpungma by just under a length with Success Baekpa and the defending champion Global Hit 3rd and 4th. The top four in the market dominated and beat home the rest of the field by a full nine-lengths.

Speed Young is Group 1 (Pic: KRA)

Despite having missed the Korea Cup through lameness discovered after being beaten by Success Baekpa in August’s KRA Cup Classic, Global Hit was sent off as the slight odds-on favourite for the richest open age race in the country that is restricted to local bred horses.

While settling fairly under Kim Hye-sun and taking up a good position coming into the home straight, Global Hit never threatened to win and was beaten a long way from home.

Instead, it was Speed Young who, having raced handy throughout with Jung Do-yun on board, took things up with just over a furlong to go and ran on to hold off the fast-finishing Gangpungma with plenty to spare.

“I think we won because we rode a confident race plan today. I wanted to get forward and not to have to worry about what any other horse was doing” winning jockey Jung Do-yun told in-house broadcaster KRBC.

It was the jockey’s first Group 1 win. “When you choose to be a jockey as your profession, winning Group 1 races is your ultimate goal and now I have done that I am so happy I can’t express it in words…I really want to thank the owner for trusting me with the ride, the trainer for his guidance and the fans in Seoul for their support whenever I come here.”

Speed Young won three of his first five races and was champion juvenile in 2022 but won only another three in his next twenty-one starts with the biggest coming in last year’s G3 Owners’ Cup at Busan.

Always running in Graded Stakes company though he had amassed a slew of top four finishes at distances between 1200M and 2300M. Demonstrating his versatility and reliability – “Swiss army knife” is one of his many nicknames – Speed Young was the best locally trained finisher in the 2024 Korea Sprint and the 2025 Korea Cup.

“I am very happy.” Park Nam-sung, who owns Speed Young through his D R M City group and also, under his own name, Gangpungma and therefore had a very good day, smiled to KRBC. “Of course, the victory had absolutely nothing to do with me but all the staff who made it happen.”

“Finally, it’s a victory. I bought Speed Young for 100 Million Won and since then he has lots of top two and three and four finishes, the occasional win, but always in the best races. He was 4th in the Korea Cup and now he makes a statement by winning the President’s Cup.”

As for what is next, Park didn’t mention the  Dubai Carnival but instead said “Let’s try and win the Korea Cup next year.”

Trainer Bang Dong-suk saddled both the winner and the beaten defending champion and he admitted to KRBC that it was an unfamiliar sensation. “Global Hit was below my expectation, which was disappointing, but Speed Young winning is a new feeling.”

“I was so disappointed with the last race (KRA Cup Classic), not to take anything away from Success Baekpa who beat us, but today Speed Young looked much more loosened up and Jung Do-yun said he wanted to go for it.”

“With Global Hit, I will review the race again, talk to (jockey) Kim Hye-sun, and obviously have the horse checked for his condition and hopefully we can go again.”

Later in the evening, the stewards reported that the post-race vet examination noted the same conditions Global Hit was diagnosed with in August – desmitis of the suspensory ligament and synovitis of the fetlock joint, both chronic if manageable ailments. He will need to be cleared by the vets before being permitted to race again.

The President’s Cup is part of the Korea Premier Series and while it was restricted to Korean bred horses, the final leg, the Grand Prix Stakes (2000M KOR-G1) on November 30th is open not only to foreign bred, but also foreign trained horses and Japan’s Yumeno Honoo, 3rd behind Global Hit and Speed Young in May’s YTN Cup, is expected to return to Korea for another go.

Speed Young and Gangpungma may now have the best chance of preserving honour for the home side.

BORYEONGLIGHTQUEEN LATE BURST OVERWHELMS OLDER RIVALS IN JEJU GOVERNOR’S CUP

She didn’t quite manage to out “Lala K” Lala K, but nevertheless, BOREYONGLIGHTQUEEN pulled off one of the more remarkable come from behind efforts to flash past the two-time defending champion Jeulgeounyeojeong – and everyone else in her way – to win the Jeju Governor’s Cup (1400M KOR-G3) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Bryeonglighqueen leaves Jeulgeounyeojeong and Gladius in her wake (Pic: KRA)

The winner of the final leg of this year’s Triple Tiara, and the only three-year-old taking her chance, Boryeonglightqueen was sent off as 14/1 fifth choice in the market as she took on her filly and mare seniors in the Jeju Governor’s Cup, the first leg of the Queens’ Tour Fall/Winter. Jeulgeounyeojeong, bidding to win the race for the third year running, began as the 2.5 market favourite.

Second-favourite Crown Hamseong looped the field to take the early lead and as the field settled down was joined on the pace by Born Dia and then Jeulgeounyeojeong and Donga Ilbo Trophy winner Gladius, with the field being strung out behind and the ultimate winner at the back.

Turning into the straight, Born Dia was the first to be shaken off, followed by Crown Hamseong, and it looked as if it would be a straight fight between Gladius and Jeulgeounyeojeong.

That would be to reckon with Boryeonglightqueen who, having been let loose at the top of the straight, proceeded to complete the final three furlongs a full two seconds quicker than the two leaders, improving from 12th to 5th in the penultimate furlong and then sweeping past the rest, winning by two-lengths on the line.

Jeulgeounyeojeong, making her first start for trainer Lee Sang-young, following Kim Young-kwan’s retirement, was 2nd, with Gladius a further length back in 3rd.

“I was concerned about the early pace of the race” winning jockey Jung Do-yun told in-house broadcaster KRBC. “The race got a bit stretched and I think that was how we were able to win.” Jung was bullish about Boryeonglightqueen’s prospects for the remainder of the Queens’ Tour. “She’s better at longer distances so we’ll be aiming to win the Series.”

Winning trainer Kim Gil-jung echoed Jung’s thoughts: “I had some expectations in my own mind but considering her best result had come at 2000M I did fear perhaps the 1400M might be a bit sharp with not enough time for her to come back at them in the straight.”

“We’ll go on to the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup in October. Everything is easier in October with the summer over and the horses peaking. She’ll have home advantage (at Busan) and back at 2000M, we will be looking forward to it.”

Jockey Kim Yong-geun, who finished 3rd on Gladius admitted that he had been focusing on his duel with Jeulgeounyeojeong when Boryeonglightqueen surprised them both.

“As expected, (Gladius) didn’t start very well but I gave her a bit of bridle, and we made our way forward. I was confident into the 4th corner when Jeulgeounyeojeong came alongside. She is a strong horse, and we had a good battle. I thought we were making progress back at her, so I was a bit confused when another horse came so fast down the outside.”

Boryeonglightqueen is by Rock Band (by Ecton Park) who was foaled and did his racing in Korea, winning the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Minister’s Cup, in 2015. She is out of the Menifee mare, Yaho Prez, who also raced in Korea.

The next leg of the Queens’ Tour Fall & Winter is the Gyeongnam Govenor’s Cup (2000M KOR-G3) at Busan on October 26th.

Mujehan Geup, Wild Park Claim Juvenile Series Openers

The 2025 Juvenile Series got underway at Seoul and Busan on Sunday. In the capital, Mujehan Geup saw off a field of twelve rivals to keep his unbeaten record intact in the Munhwa Ilbo Trophy, while on the South Coast, Wild Park only had to contend with seven rivals but was pushed all the way by Supex Winner to add the Busan Gangseo-gu Mayor’s Cup to the Rookie Stakes he secured a month ago.

Mujehan Geup and Johan Victoire (Pic: KRA)

Mujehan Geup entered the Munhwa Ilbo (1200M KOR-L) as the only one in the field to have already won twice and despite being drawn in the widest gate, the Old Fashioned colt was sent off as the 2.9 favourite.Under Johan Victoire, he settled right at the back of the field in the early stages as Ruan Maia bustled second favourite, the filly Wonpyeong Sket, to the lead.

Wonpyeong Sket would lead into the final furlong but Victoire produced Mujehan Geup at the right time to leave to pass his rival in the final furlong and go on to win by three-lengths, pulling away. Wonpyeong Sket was 2nd with Tony Castanheira’s filly Unica, a fast finishing 3rd.

For jockey Johan Victoire it was a welcome return to the Stakes race winner’s circle after a couple of years absence.

Winning trainer Moon Byeong-ki had a decades long career as one of the most sought after Assistant Trainers at Seoul Racecourse. He was finally licensed in his own right in 2022 and sheer winners wise, has quickly established himself as the top trainer at the track, leading this year’s Premiership. Yet to break through at Group level, he now has three Listed wins.

At Busan, Wild Park was sent off as the 1.6 favourite following his Rookie Stakes success. He led from the gate under Seo Seung-un and seemed poised for a comfortable score until it became clear that Supex Winner, wasn’t going to be shaken off easily.

Supex Winner had only raced once before when 2nd to Clearly Winner in August. Clearly Winner had gone on to win by a big margin at a higher level this past Friday and punters had seen enough to make Supex Winner the second favourite here.

Undr Franco Da Silva, Supex Winner briefly touched the front approaching the furlong pole but Wild Park rallied and lifted the better of the pair, ultimately prevailing by a neck on the line. Doctor Centum “won” a completely separate race for 3rd, a full seven-lengths back.

Wild Park is a colt by Bayern and is trained by Choi Ki-hong, of Winner’s Man fame.

The next legs of the Juvenile Series take place at Seoul and Busan on October 19th before the best from the tracks come together on the South Coast on November 23rd to contest the Breeders Cup Rookie (1400M KOR-G2) to decide the nation’s champion juvenile.

INTERNATIONALS, LOCALS READY FOR WHAT COULD BE A FASTER THAN EVER KOREA CUP & SPRINT

SEE HERE FOR SUNDAY’S FULL RACE-BY-RACE PREVIEW

SEE HERE FOR KOREA SPRINT FORM COMMENTS

SEE HERE FOR KOREA CUP FORM COMMENTS

The eve of the international OBS Korea Cup and Korea Sprint (1200m) saw torrential rain showers drench Seoul Racecourse and while the forecast for Sunday is good, the wet track could make for some lightning-fast times on Seoul’s big day.

London Town is the track record holder at 1800M (Pic Ross Holburt/KRA)

If Remake’s 1200M record is to fall in the Korea Sprint (G3 1200M), CHIKAPPA is set to be the favourite to break it, and legendary jockey Yutaka Take is flying in to partner the four-year-old. The Japanese challenger will have to deal with the widest gate, but connections say that’s not a problem.

“I think it is better for us” said assistant trainer Ueno Takaya. “It’s far better than risking getting stuck inside. He’s got a fast start, and he can get himself in a good position and the rest we will leave for Yutaka Take to decide his strategy.”

Veteran TAGANO BEAUTY has had a storied career but remarkably has never tackled 1200M before. “He’s eight-years-old now, but he has the playfulness of a foal” remarked Assistant trainer Koji Yamamoto.

“Sometimes he thinks he’s at a rodeo but at race time with a jockey on his back, he knows his job. We know we’re not the favourites but that’s ok for us, he has great late speed, and we know he will be strong at the end.”

SUNRISE HAWK could be well suited to Seoul, according to Assistant Trainer Takuya Saito. “We feel this track is tougher than the ones in Japan but he is a strong horse so this could work to his advantage. He is an intelligent and careful horse, and it is important to follow his rhythm. Yes, Chikappa is fast, but I think Sunrise Hawk is just as good.”

Hong Kong’s SELF IMPROVEMENT may be the lowest rated international runner in the race by a significant margin, but the team behind him are adamant he is not just there to make up the numbers and according to Assistant Wang Ip, they have a clear strategy for jockey Jerry Chau.

“Gate seven is fine, we will just worry about the three or four horses immediately inside us,” said Wang. “His gate speed is good; he can lead or track the pace. We think this race can suit him and that’s why he is here.”

The top local contender is VINCERO CAVALLO and make no mistake, he is a live chance if he brings his best. He is racing for the first time since sweeping the Sprint Series in May and trainer Seo In-seok says he is ready.

“We were going to race him in the summer but decided not to because it was too hot, so we put him through two trials instead. We have him at 90% and with the intention to be at 100% on race day.”

There are thirteen in the Korea Sprint with a local post time of 15:25. The race offers qualification for the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar.

The Korea Cup (G3 1800M), which offers automatic qualification for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, is headlined by US-bred Hong Kong Group race mainstay CHANCHENG GLORY.

The “Pride of Iowa” is racing on a surface other than turf for the first time, but Assistant trainer Vincent Sit, representing Francis Lui in Korea, good-naturedly batted away the obvious question for possibly the one-hundredth time this week, insisting that yes, Chancheng Glory can handle the sand.

“He is American bred; he has experienced dirt when he was young. This horse likes a fast pace so he will be happy if the speed is on. I know the racing pattern in Korea, and I think this horse can like it.”

Sit knows what he is talking about far more than us asking the questions, as in his jockey days, he completed a short-term license at Busan.

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“Don’t I Know You From Somewhere?” Kozzi Asano Realized he Once Breezed his Seoul Winner in a Different Hemisphere

That the racing world is small isn’t new, but on Sunday it was smaller than ever. The hitherto somewhat ordinary New Zealand bred four-year-old Super Thunder, who entered race 9 at Seoul on Sunday with a record of one win from fifteen prior starts, bolted in by a full eleven-lengths, downing an odds-on favourite in the process. It wasn’t until after the race that his jockey, Kozzi Asano, realized that he had already sat on him long ago.

Pic: Kozzi Asano’s instagram (1st picture Sirius Photos, 2nd picture Karaka Sales Screencap)

While a native of Japan, Asano learned his craft as a jockey in New Zealand, riding almost 350 winners across eight seasons before taking up a license in Korea in the summer of 2024. Like compatriot Masa Tanaka, “Kiwi Kozzi” speaks with a New Zealand accent and is very much a product of that nation’s racing industry.

“Super Thunder is an ok horse, not a star, but it wasn’t a strong race and he ran well. I was familiar with the dam (Glasgow) but I didn’t make the connection right away” Asano said on Wednesday. “Then on Sunday evening I talked on the phone to my wife, and she said ‘you know, you have ridden Super Thunder before’, I said ‘yeah, I rode him last start too’ and she said ‘no, even before that!'”

“Even before that” was at the Karaka Sales Centre, thirty minutes outside of Auckland, New Zealand in November 2023. The Karaka “Ready to Run” sale involves breeze-ups (where the horses about to be auctioned put in a timed work under racing tack for the cameras). Like many jockeys Asano participated as a rider for the breeze-ups and one youngster he was assigned was Lot 49, a “brown or grey gelding” by Reliable Man and out of the Testa Rossa mare Glasgow.

The juvenile who would become Super Thunder clocked 11.08 seconds for 200M under Asano and that was sufficient for the Seoul Racehorse Owners’ Association (SROA) to purchase him for NZ$25,000. HIs breeze-up, with Asano aboard, can be found here: https://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/23rtr/49.

What makes the coincidence even more remarkable is that while thirty years ago, most imported racehorses in Korea originated from Australia or New Zealand, these days, more than 90% of imports are from the United States, with their dirt pedigrees so beloved of Korean owners. Super Thunder touched down in Korea in January of 2024, one of just nine race horses imported from the country the entire year.

Super Thunder is owned by Yang Dong-hui and is trained at Seoul by Choi Yong-geon. It took him eleven tries to get his maiden win, which he did in March of this year having been dropped back to class 5 from the initial class 4 that all imported racehorses start at in Korea. That took him straight back to class 4 and he had been very much figuring things out with a 3rd and a pair of 5ths followed by a 2nd when Asano rode him for the first time on July 27th. When winning on Sunday, he was the 5.0 second-favourite.

“Amazing, really” said Asano. “I’d love to think he remembered me, both of us so far away from home. Like all the horses I ride, I told him before the race to trust me and let’s take a chance, and we claimed it.”

Asano (full name Asano Kazuya) has 38 winners from 324 rides in Korea, operating at an 11.7% win rate and 34.9% show rate. He is provisionally booked to ride Black Musk in the international G3 Korea Sprint at Seoul on Sunday September 7.

SUCCESS BAEKPA SOUNDLY DEFEATS GLOBAL HIT IN KOREA CUP PREP

Global Hit suffered his first defeat on home sand since last year’s Korea Cup when handily defeated by Success Baekpa in the KRA Cup Classic (2000M KOR-G2) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Success Baekpa and Jin Kyum triumph in the KRA Cup Classic (Pic: KRA)

Just five weeks out from this year’s international races, Global Hit was sent off as the odds-on favourite to successfully defend the Cup Classic, which he won a year ago on his route to 3rd place, the best of the locals, in the Korea Cup.

In a race with no obvious early speed, jockey Kim Hye-sun opted to take Global Hit to the front from the widest gate. Challenged in the back straight by Money Crown, they quickly regained the lead but once the field hit the straight and Jin Kyum on Success Baekpa, who had been stalking the favourite the whole time, made his move, Global Hit had no response.

The margin was four-lengths on the line with Speed Young a further four back in 3rd.

“In training this week I had been thinking, why not race (on pace)?” winning jockey Jin Kyum, who was winning his third Group race of the year – and of his career – following victories on Oasis Blue in the KRA Cup Mile and Korean Derby, told in-house broadcaster KRBC. “Global Hit drew wide and then went forward so I thought, if I just stick with him, I won’t go too wrong. I wasn’t really expecting Success Baekpa to finish as well as he did though.”

“If you look at how Success Baekpa ran today, even if Global Hit had been at his very best, I am not sure the result would have been different.”

“We had a really bad run in the Owners’ Cup last time” winning trainer Min Jang-gi told KRBC. “I was hoping for this to be somewhat of a recovery race, so obviously it is very good to win. I am hoping for even more from him in future.”

A four-year-old, Success Baekpa [Purge – Baekpa (by Revere) is a winner of seven of his seventeen starts, four of them now having come at Group level, having won the KRA Cup Mile and Minister’s Cup in the Triple Crown last year and the Herald Business earlier this.

Success Baekpa is off and gone from Global Hit and Speed Young (Pic: KRA)

Global Hit’s rider would would probably like this one back. “I am upset” Kim Hye-sun told the camera crew that was following her around. “I knew there was going to be no pace in the race, and we know he can lead like he did in Dubai. But it went wrong (in the back straight) when he was challenged by horses both sides of him. It took a long time to settle him again after that.”

As for the Korea Cup, Kim said that the performance changed little. “As far as I am concerned, he is fine for the Korea Cup, that’s always been the target. The Japanese (horses) will be there, and we know how fast they are so if anything, it may suit him more than this did.”

HANGANG CLASS DEMOLISHES OWNERS’ CUP FIELD IN TRACK RECORD EFFORT

Hangang Class smashed his own track record for the mile in the process of demolishing a strong field on a lightning quick track in the Owners’ Cup (1600M KOR-G3) at Busan Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Hangang Class goes clear of Clean One in the Owners’ Cup (Pic: KRA)

Two months ago, on a similarly fast day, Hangang Class had broken Blue Chipper’s track record for the mile, set in this race in 2019. On Sunday, under Kim Hye-sun, he took a further second off it, to set a new mark of 1:34.8.

It was a day of front running records. In race 3, the track record for 1300 was lowered while a class 6 race over 1200M was completed in a Korea Sprint winning time and a class 5 at 1400M was significantly faster than the vast majority of class 1 races over that distance.

That boded badly for Speed Young, a come from behind horse who likes to work his way into the race, regardless of the distance. Yet punters still sent the defending champion off as the 1.6 odds-on favourite. He was never a factor and finished in 9th.

Clean One showed the way early with Black Mamba being ridden hard from a wide draw to be on the pace too. Meanwhile, Hye-sun kept 15/1 chance Hangang Class handy to the leading two and ready to launch. Once they took off in the home straight, none could match them. Despite Win came up for 2nd place, while Clean One held on for 3rd.

Hangang Class is a four-year-old colt by Musket Man and out of Daehan Cheonwang (by Forest Camp). He is owned by Kim Jo-eun and trained at Busan by Gu Min-sung. Hangang Class was champion juvenile in 2023 when he won four of his five starts, including the G2 Breeders’ Cup Rookie in December of that year. After some setbacks and layoffs, he didn’t win again until winning that Jockey Club of Turkey Trophy in track record fashion in April. He moves on to six wins from fifteeen starts.

BUSAN’S FIRST ERA CONCLUDES AS TRAINER KIM YOUNG-KWAN AND JOCKEY YOU HYUN-MYUNG RETIRE

As Busan Racecourse approaches its twenty-year anniversary, the first era of the southern track is over with the most successful trainer of the past two decades Kim Young-kwan, and its most significant jockey You Hyun-myung, both retiring this coming Sunday.

Kim Young-kwan (left) and You Hyun-myung (2nd right) celebrate Blue Chipper’s 2019 Korea Sprint win with owner Choi Byung-bu and then KRA CEO Kim Nag-soon (Pic: KRA)

An aspiring jockey in the mid 1970’s, Kim Young-kwan realized at an early stage that he wasn’t going to make it in the saddle and switched to horse management and training. He finally got his Trainer’s License in 2024 and was among the original line-up of trainers to be based at Busan when it opened in 2005.

Kim went on to win the Busan Trainer’s Championship thirteen times, saddled a Triple Crown winner, won races overseas, and in all won fifty-five Group races, a record that under the current structure of racing in Korea, seems unlikely to ever be repeated.

Fillies have bookended his career. Luna, Busan’s first real star racehorse, was responsible for his first three group wins between 2005 and 2007, while Jeulgeounyeojoeng provided six out of his last seven between 2023 and this year, the last coming in the Ttukseom Cup at Seoul in April.

Kim also trained three fillies to win the Korean Derby, Sangseung Ilro in 2010, Speedy First in 2013 and Queen’s Blade in 2014. That was back in the days when the calendar allowed the best fillies to compete in the Derby as well as the Oaks. He also trained another filly, Gamdonguibada, to win the Grand Prix Stakes in 2012.

The Triple Crown would be won with Power Blade in 2016 while Triple Nine, who would become his stablemate’s great rival, won four consecutive President’s Cups. Kim also prepared Blue Chipper to win the Korea Sprint in 2019 while Mister Park won a Grand Prix on his way to a Korean record of seventeen consecutive victories.

Overseas, Kim was the first Korea trainer to saddle a Dubai Carnival winner when Main Stay scored in 2017. He also took Blue Chipper to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita in 2019 where he ran 3rd behind Spun To Run and Omaha Beach.   Power Blade and Triple Nine also both ran with credit in Dubai.

The first Korean trainer to reach 1000 winners, Kim has 1539 in total from 7045 runners but has chances to add to it this coming weekend.

You Hyun-myung’s first Group race win also came with Luna, who he partnered in the 2006 Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup. You became a jockey at Seoul in 2002 and transferred to Busan on its opening. He was champion jockey at the track four times between 2014 and 2019.

You also paired up with Kim Young-kwan for his two Group 1 wins: Mister Park in the 2010 Grand Prix and Blue Chipper in the Korea Sprint. While he didn’t ride a Korean Derby winner, he secured plenty of other Classics, most recently with Success Baekpa in the 2024 KRA Cup Mile and Minister’s Cup.

In total, You, who is not scheduled to ride this weekend, rode 1253 winners from 7559 rides.

Also retiring this weekend are Seoul trainers An Hae-yang and Yoo Jae-gil. An saddled two Korean Oaks winners, Amaranth in 2003 and Uaryung in 2020. Yoo’s sole Group success came with Gwacheon Ruler in the 2007 SROA Chairman’s Trophy. Busan’s Yang Kui-sun is also saying his farewells this weekend after saddling 430 winners.

Oasis Blue’s Triple Crown Bid Thwarted as Gillespie’s My Dream Day Takes Minister’s Cup

The wait for a successor to Power Blade will stretch to at least a decade as KRA Cup Mile and Korean Derby winner Oasis Blue could only manage 5th as MY DREAM DAY won the Minister’s Cup (2000M KOR-G3), the final leg of the Crown, at Seoul Racecourse last Sunday afternoon.

My Dream Day and Seo Seung-un win the Minister’s Cup (Pic: KRA)

After his Cup Mile and Derby romps, Oasis Blue was sent off as the prohibitive 1.4 favourite even after a similarly short-priced prospect, Fantastic Value, failed in her bid to complete the Triple Tiara a week ago. Coming out of gate six, Jin Kyum positioned Oasis Blue prominent racing just behind the early pace which was set by Wonderful Groom and the favourite’s stablemate, Oasis Red.

My Dream Day, who was being partnered by Seo Seung-un for the first time since January, settled just behind the leading group, much closer than he had been in the Derby. Wonderful Groom gave way fast as they turned for home but instead of Oasis Blue, it was My Dream Day who made his move, striking the front just inside two furlongs out.

Storm Fighter and Young Skywalker would emerge as the closest challengers but never looked like getting on terms with the winner, who crossed the line three-quarters of a length to the good. Oasis Red was 4th with Oasis Blue 5th, a full eight-lengths behind My Dream Day.

While it was yet another big race win for jockey Seo Seung-un, making up perhaps for missing out on the Tiara last week, it was a first Classic for trainer Thomas Gillespie and his second Korean Group win since opening his stable in 2015.

Thomas Gillespie and My Dream Day connections (Pic: KRA)

Gilliespie has trained 367 winners from just under 3000 starters in Korea maintaining a win percentage of 12.5%. His previous Group win was in the 2016 Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup with Ms. Margaux.

My Dream Day is by Save The World (by Menifee), who was campaigned by My Dream Day’s owner Shin Woo-cheol and who won the Covid-delayed 2020 Korean Derby in which he suffered an injury that led to his retirement. He is out of Coming Soon (by First Samurai). Runner-up in the Cup Mile and 4th in the Derby, his only previous win came at class 5 level over 1400M just before Christmas.

The wait for a successor to Power Blade goes on although there could be plenty more to come from Oasis Blue. Global Hit could only manage two out of the three Classics two years ago and so could Success Baekpa last year. They are currently the two best two-turn horses in the country.

Korean racing is about to enter its summer slumber, at least in terms of Graded Stakes, with only the Busan Owners’ Cup at the end of this month and the KRA Cup Classic at the start of August before the big international races at the start of September.