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Money Car Heads Derby Entrants

KRA Cup Mile Winner bidding for Triple Crown / Busan Sends Four

There will be four raiders from Busan and eight representing the home team at Seoul. With less than two weeks to go, twelve colts remain in contention for the 2010 Korean Derby which will be run at Seoul Race Park on Sunday May 16.

Last year’s Champion two-year old, Seonbongbulpae will be there, the unbeaten Northern Ace will be there. But it is Money Car, winner of the KRA Cup Mile and on course for the Triple Crown, that they all have to beat.

Money Car - Triple Crown hopeful

The Derby will cap a bumper weekend of racing. Just like last year, the KRA has designated it “International Weekend” and races sponsored by Horse Racing Ireland, the Australian Jockey Club and the Japan Racing Association will all be on the card.

We’ll have plenty more on the Derby as the day draws closer, but for now here’s the list of entrants with pedigrees and race records:

Seoul

Seonbongbulpae (KOR) [Newsprint – Jeseok (Lost Mountain)] (8/6/1/0)
Tamnaseontaek (KOR) [War Zone – Every Michelle (Every Intent)] (5/2/1/1)
Money Car (KOR) [Newsprint – Pinocchio (Big Sur)] (7/6/1/0)
Northern Ace (KOR) [Didyme – Telegraph Road (Royal Academy)] (4/4/0/0)
Full Step (KOR) [Didyme – Fox Dance (Foxtrail)] (7/3/1/2)
Gayabobae (KOR) [War Zone – Myeonggaheui (Revere)] (7/2/2/0)
Forest Wind (KOR) [Capital Spending – Coffee Royale (Sword Dance)] (4/2/0/0)
The Almighty (KOR) [Capital Spending – Dauntless Cat (Mountain Cat)] (5/2/1/0)

Busan

Cheonnyeon Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] (10/2/5/2)
Donghae Gangho (KOR) [Psychobabble – Nae Myeon (Somalia)] (14/2/1/3)
Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] (6/4/0/0)
Triple Sinhwa (KOR) [Capital Spending – Claudia’s Secret (Crafty Prospector)] (5/1/4/0)

Korean Jockey Debuts in Japan

Park Jae Ho Joins Eiki At Arao

Busan based jockey Park Jae Ho has taken up a short-term license in Japan. Park has been granted a three-month license by the National Association of Racing (NAR) to ride at the Arao Racecourse where he will be sponsored by trainer Hikoji Sakatani. He can also ride at Saga Racecourse, both located in Japan’s southern island of Kyushu.

Park Jae Ho (Pic: KRA)

Although a solid rider, Park Jae Ho has never been one of Busan’s stars with just thirty-eight winners to his name. Able to speak Japanese, however, he befriended jockey Eiki Nishimura who spent 2009 riding at Busan and the Japanese rider encouraged Park to apply for a license after he himself returned to Arao this year.

Eiki had an up and down time in Korea. After a slow start, his big breakthrough came as regular rider of Sangseung Ilro, culminating in the filly’s shock win in the KRA Cup Mile, the first leg of the Korea Triple Crown. However, winning the track’s richest race of the year earned him the ire of a number of local jockeys who declared that he – and South African Martin Wepner – were, in time-honoured fashion, taking “their money”.

Pressure applied by jockeys at Busan, and the powerful Seoul Jockeys’ Union led to trainer Kim Young Kwan dropping Eiki in favour of Jo Sung Gon for the Korean Derby last May, which Sangseung Ilro would go on to win. Wepner and more recently another talented visiting jockey Hitomi Miyashita, have continued to be a focus for local discontent.

Park made his debut at Arao last Thursday with four rides. His best finish was a third place in a race won by Eiki. All credit to him for seeking to broaden his experience. Let’s hope he doesn’t deprive the locals of their no doubt rightful money.

Both Chulgigi and Shaka have plenty of pictures and video of both Park Jae Ho and Arao Racecourse.

Triple Seven, Money Car, Dongbanui Gangja Top Standings

Triple Seven’s victory in the Ttukseom Cup earlier this month has taken the five-year old to the top of the Seoul Standings. He leads Baekgwang, whose comeback from seemingly career-ending injury has been the feel-good story of the past year.

Triple Seven tops the Standings

In overall terms, Dongbanui Gangja remains the horse to beat heading as he does the overseas-bred list. Despite a dreadful performance earlier this month when jockey Choi Bum Hyun allowed him to drift across the entire width of the track in the home straight, he managed to win and took his unbeaten streak to twelve.

The resurgent Bally Brae is up to third while the three-year old Tough Win enters the top five for the first time. He beat the horse in third place, Bulpae Gisang this month and the inevitable showdown with Dongbanui Gangja is set to be one of the highlights of the year.

Money Car - On Course for Triple Crown

Overseas-bred horses are not allowed to run in the three-year old Classics and it is of course, Money Car, the emphatic winner of the KRA Cup Mile and favourite for the Derby who heads up the Domestic-bred three-year old category. Seonbongbulpae and Northern Ace, neither of whom went to Cup Mile but will be running in the Derby complete the top three.

Just behind those is Ace Galloper, a horse who belongs to the third category of thoroughbreds in Korea. He was foaled in Korea but his mare was imported to the country whilst pregnant – two of the top five overall Korean bred horses – Taesanbukdu and Gi Ra Seong – also fall into this category. They are eligible for all races open to Korean-breds except for the Classics.

Domestic-bred Class 1

1. Triple Seven [The Groom Is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)]
2. Baekgwang [The Groom Is Red – Grey Crest (Gold Crest)]
3. Gi Ra Seong [Precise Cat – Dauntless Cat (Mountain Cat)]
4. Taesanbukdu [Millennium Wind – Regal Meg (Regal Classic)]
5. Nice Choice [Lost Mountain – Betty’s Rhapsody (Don’t Hesitate)]

Domestic-bred 3-year olds

1. Money Car [Newsprint – Pinocchio (Big Sur)]
2. Seonbongbulpae [Newsprint – Jeseok (Lost Mountain)]
3. Northern Ace [Didyme – Telegraph Road (Royal Academy)]
4= Ace Galloper [Chapel Royal – Explicitly (Exploit)]
4= Forest Wind [Capital Spending – Coffee Royale (Sword Dance)]

Overseas-bred Class 1

1. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) [Broken Vow – Maremaid (Storm Bird)]
2. Bally Brae (USA) [Yarrow Brae – Political Bluff (Unaccounted For)]
3. Bulpae Gisang (USA) [Lightnin N Thunder – Neat Trick (Clever Trick)]
4. Baekjeonmupae (NZ) [Traditionally – Star Sixty Seven (Phone Trick)]
5. Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)]

Dongnabui Gangja is still number one in Korea – this was a better effort than his last one, winning the Grand Prix last December:

* Standings compiled by the Korean Racing Journal

Lee Shin Young To Be First Female Trainer?

She was only the second Korean woman to be granted a jockey license, now Lee Shin Young could make history by becoming the first female trainer in Korea. Lee was one of a small number of jockeys who took exams for the Trainer’s License last month. Comfortably passing both the theory and practical elements, she will be able to make the move from the track to the barn when a training vacancy opens up.

Lee Shin Young (Picture: KRA)

Lee Shin Young, who will turn 30 in April, gained her jockey’s license in 2001 and has ridden a creditable 86 winners from 855 rides since then. Known for an aggressive riding style that has earned her both praise and criticism, she has ridden more thoroughbred winners than any other lady rider in Korea.

If the weighing room is a male-dominated world, the backstretch is even more so. If Lee does indeed take charge of her own barn then it will be a landmark event in Korean racing. That could be some time away, however, and in the meantime, Lee has returned to race riding after a long lay-off through injury.

Chulgigi had a full write-up on this story (in Korean) last month.

Another Jockey…and Pro-Gamers On The Take

As another Korean jockey has his license revoked for allegedly passing on inside information, professional video game players are now under suspicion of being involved with illegal gambling rings.

The Korea Racing Authority (KRA) recently announced that jockey Lee Jung Sun has been suspended pending police investigation into supposed “inside information” being passed to illegal betting syndicates.

Lee’s suspension follows that issued to jockey Park Soo Hong last year, while Seoul jockey Lee Jung Seob (“L Mo”) is currently under investigation as was a Busan jockey last year.

Lee Jung Sun

The information, such that it is, is allegedly passed to organizations who operate in the illegal betting market – not the maximum $100 stakes with the KRA – and it is in these markets where the latest Korean gambling scandal seems to have taken place.

This time it is in the almost uniquely Korean world of professional video gaming. In Korea, video games – or to be be more precise “Massively Multi-Player Online Role Playing Games” are big business. A quick scan of Gyongmaman’s cable tv shows three stations currently showing videogames – of these Starcraft is traditionally the most popular. Now, according to what has been described as “a series of track-backs and hat-tips” several of the top professionally Starcraft players have been involved in a n illegal betting scam.

The story goes that the players either threw games or provided “replay files” to the betting syndicates. The “scandal” reportedly involves most of the great and good of professional gaming including Ma Jae Yoon, the renowned “sAviOr“. See GamePron or Kotaku for more information.

This news comes in the same week that the Korean government is set to crack down on online games in general which, apparently are keeping the youth of Korea up at night. The government wants to prevent youngsters from playing after a certain time and is prepared to legislate to enforce it.

It’s well known that the majority of gambling in Korea is done illegally with a blind and impotent eye turned by the authorities. Meanwhile it is the easy target of legal betting on racing that attracts the vast majority of government attention. It would be no surprise therefore if, after a “scandal” in the video game world, it was innocent gamers who were to be punished.

KRA Closes Foreigner Lounge

The Korea Racing Authority (KRA) has decided to stop offering a special lounge for overseas visitors to watch the races at Seoul Race Park. The popular “Foreigners’ Lounge”, arguably the best facility of its kind at any racetrack anywhere, provided seating, English racecards and translation services in English, Japanese and Chinese all free of charge. However, it is to close with immediate effect.

View from the lounge

Overseas guests can no longer enjoy these views

An information desk manned by English and Japanese speaking staff will continue to operate but there will no longer be a reserved seating area with the current lounge opened up to all racegoers from this coming Saturday.

The decision means that a trip to the races will become a far less attractive proposition for overseas visitors to Korea. With nowhere to sit, except in the smoke-bound outside area of the grandstand, there will be little to recommend to the casual visitor.

The KRA did not respond to email requests for comment for the reasons behind the decision.

It’s not been a good week for the KRA’s “internationalization”. While their English langauge results service has been a positive development, it erroneously reported that Triple Sinhwa won the KRA Cup Mile at Busan last weekend. The reason for this was that the actual winner of the race, Money Car, is from Seoul and therefore not on the system that they use to generate the Busan results. They fixed this but evidently too well – the KRA’s official website now shows that Money Car won every single race at both Seoul and Busan this past weekend:

Forget the Triple Crown - Money Car won every race this weekend!

He’s good, but not that good.

Triple Crown 2010: Full Field For KRA Cup Mile

It’s Seoul vs Busan and the first leg of the 2010 Korean Triple Crown as fourteen of the peninsula’s most talented colts line up for the KRA Cup Mile – “The Korean Guineas” – at Busan Race Park this coming Sunday.

Here’s a full run-down of the runners and riders:

KRA Cup Mile (KOR.G.II) – Busan Race Park – 1600M – Apr 4, 2010, 15:45

1. Money Car [Newsprint – Pinocchio (Big Sur)] (6/5/1/0) – Park Tae Jong
Heading the Northern raiders, Money Car has looked untouchable at every distance since an inauspicious debut. Will he take to Busan’s brutally difficult track? If he does, he’ll be hard to beat.
2. Baekjeom Manjeom [Fiercely – Mia Victoria (Flying Victor)] (5/3/1/0) – Jo Chang Wook
Didn’t impress in good company over a mile last time but knows how to win.
3. Dangdae Bulpae [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] (5/4/0/0/) – Martin Wepner
Wepner already has a Korean Classic to his name and could get another. Dangdae Bulpae was an impressive winner over a mile last time out.
4. Mega Tough [Concept Win – Keu Roo (March Magic)] (5/1/2/2) – Lim Sung Sil
One of two entrants for Australian trainer Peter Wolsley. Mega Tough only broke his maiden last time out – that was at nine furlongs, having been third in his only run over a mile.
5. The Almighty [Capital Spending – Dauntless Cat (Mountain Cat)] (4/2/1/0) – Shin Hyoung Chul
Has never gone more than six and a half furlongs and is completely unproven in this company. Nevertheless,with two wins and a second from three races, he knows where he is supposed to be at the end of the race.
6. Daewan [The Groom Is Red – Greatgrama (Border Guard)] (8/2/2/0) – Kim Hong Il
Will he run? All of trainer Kim Young Kwan’s horses have been scratched the past two weeks. If he does run, he’ll have his work cut out to win for the trainer who scooped all three of last year’s Triple Crown races.
7. Almighty Hit [Concept Win – Dixie Snow (Dixie Brass)] (7/2/3/0) – Park Geum Man
Second behind Dangdae Bulpae last time out, one of three second places. He’s worth a bet to place again.
8. Forest Wind [Capital Spending – Coffee Royale (Sword Dance)] (3/2/0/0) – Ham Wan Sik
A smart winner on both his last two outings but like stablemate The Almighty, has done little to suggest he’ll be competing for top honours here. Place at most.
9. Saeroun Taeyang [Volponi – Glorious Thunder (Thunder Gulch)] (7/3/1/0) – Hitomi Miyashita
Made it up to class 2 racing early and has competed over a mile twice before, fourth being his best finish. The second of Peter Wolsley’s two runners, an overseas trainer and jockey connection would not be welcomed on the backstretch but would be welcomed elsewhere.
10. Glory Yeonggwang [Didyme – Lady Sandido (Sandrigo)] (7/2/1/2) – Jo Chan Hoon
Plenty of experience including a second place finish over a mile. Was runner-up to Almighty Hit last time out.
11. Cheonnyeon Daero [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] (8/2/5/1) – Jo Sung Gon
Never worse than third in eight races and is a winner at class 2 over the distance. Purely on caliber of horses he’s beaten, he’s worth supporting – however, six out of eight times, something has gotton the better of him.
12. Triple Sinhwa [Capital Spending – Claudia’s Secret (Crafty Prospector)] (4/1/3/0) – Chae Gyu Jun
A late entry, Triple Sinhwa was a surprise winner at his first attempt at a class 3 race two weeks ago. That was at two furlongs less than he’ll be running on Sunday though.
13. Silver Mon [Distilled – Silver Fizz (Cee’s Tizzy)] (6/2/1/1) – Boo Min Ho
Seoul’s final challenger is the grey Silver Mon. Disappointing in the Herald Business last season but a surprise third place over eight and a half furlongs on his season debut may have persuaded connections to think he is going to excel at the mile.
14. Udeumji [Yehudi – Lady Dignity (Nordico)] (7/1/0/2) – Kim Yong Geun
Has been in indifferent form of late and there’s no real reason why that should change on Sunday. An outsider.

Kim Tae Hee Set To Star in New Racing Movie

A new movie with horse-racing as its backdrop is about to go into production. “Grand Prix” will star Kim Tae Hee and Lee Jun Ki with both playing the roles of jockeys.

One of Korea’s most popular (for various reasons) actresses, Kim Tae Hee is most famous for leading roles in TV dramas including most recently last year’s “IRIS” and can also be seen in Cyon (LG) mobile phone adverts (see below). Lee is best known for his lead role in the 2005 movie “The King and the Clown”.

Kim Tae Hee and Lee Jun Ki at Seoul Race Park last week

Lee’s character will be a jockey who is successful in Japan returning to Korea to ride where he meets and competes against – and more than likely falls in love with – a female jockey. The announcement of the movie came just days after news of jockey Park Jin Hee’s suicide in Busan and allegations of mis-treatment of jockeys by trainers. All of this was picked up on by the mainstream Korean media and as such, a great deal of attention is likely to be given to Kim’s portrayal of the role.

Grand Prix is to be part-funded by the Korea Racing Authority and is a follow-up to the acclaimed 2006 film “Gak-sol-tang” (“Lump Sugar”), a good-natured tear-jerker which also had a female jockey as its lead character (played by Im, Su Jeong). That movie was notable for its impressive racing scenes – some of which are in the clip below – and was credited for creating many first-time racegoers:

Filming of Grand Prix, which is named after Korea’s most prestigious race, begins in April and is expected to last for approximately two months with a tentative release date of September or October. Both lead actors have reportedly been learning how to ride.

Probably the best mobile phone advert ever:

Triple Crown 2010: First Look At KRA Cup Mile Field

Nine from Busan and Four from Seoul set for Korean Guineas

The first leg of the 2010 Korean Triple Crown is less than two weeks away and the field is taking shape for the KRA Cup Mile – “The Korean Guineas” – which will be run at Busan Race Park on Sunday April 4.

Four challengers will be travelling south from Seoul in a bid to overturn the capital’s recent dismal record in the Triple Crown. Busan horses have swept all three classic races for each of the past two years.

Money Car leads the Capital contingent. He’s won five of his six starts with dismissive ease and has looked equally at home going round one turn or two. How he takes to Busan’s punishingly long back straight could be key to this race.

Money Car

He’s joined on the trip South by Silver Mon, who’ll have some supporters due to his being grey and the Seo Soon Bae owned pair of The Almighty and Forest Wind, both lightly raced and intriguing prospects.

On the home team, Cheonnyeon Daero is a prolific placer, if not winner, and has already qualified for the top tier of racing at Busan. Dangdae Bulpae, Saeroun Taeyang, Baekjeom Manjeom and Almighty Hit are not far behind. Meanwhile, Australian trainer Peter Wolsley saddles Mega Tough, who has won or placed in all his five races to date. Daewan, Udeumji and Glory Yeonggwang perhaps have less in their favour at this point. However, over the past couple of years, Korean classics have tended not to go to form.

KRA Cup Mile (KOR.G.II) – Busan Race Park – 1600M – Apr 4, 2010

Busan

Cheonnyeon Daero [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] (8/2/5/1)
Dangdae Bulpae [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] (5/4/0/0/)
Almighty Hit [Concept Win – Dixie Snow (Dixie Brass)] (7/2/3/0)
Saeroun Taeyang [Volponi – Glorious Thunder (Thunder Gulch)] (7/3/1/0)
Baekjeom Manjeom [Fiercely – Mia Victoria (Flying Victor)] (5/3/1/0)
Mega Tough [Concept Win – Keu Roo (March Magic)] (5/1/2/2)
Daewan [The Groom Is Red – Greatgrama (Border Guard)] (8/2/2/0)
Udeumji [Yehudi – Lady Dignity (Nordico)] (7/1/0/2)
Glory Yeonggwang [Didyme – Lady Sandido (Sandrigo)] (7/2/1/2)

Seoul

Money Car [Newsprint – Pinocchio (Big Sur)] (6/5/1/0)
Silver Mon [Distilled – Silver Fizz (Cee’s Tizzy)] (6/2/1/1)
The Almighty [Capital Spending – Dauntless Cat (Mountain Cat)] (4/2/1/0)
Forest Wind [Capital Spending – Coffee Royale (Sword Dance)] (3/2/0/0)

As always since the KRA Cup Mile assumed the role as the first leg of the Triple Crown, much focus will also be on who is not making the trip south from Seoul. Arguably the most exciting three-year old of the lot, Northern Ace is, like Nice Choice last year, being targeted 100% at the Korean Derby in May. This backfired on Nice Choice but with Northern Ace only just back from a long lay-off, there was never much prospect of him going to Busan.

There are no fillies to follow in the hoof-steps of last year’s heroine Sangseung Ilro, who went on to win the Derby. Both Manjeomhwanhui and the unbeaten Dongbang Rose will stay in their boxes in Seoul waiting for their day to come later in the year.

Whereas in the past two years, the KRA Cup Mile has been given Korean Group 3 status, this year it has been upgraded to Group 2.

We’ll take a closer look at all the runners as the race gets closer. For now, here’s Sangseung Ilro winning last year’s event:

Busan Re-Opens After Park Jin Hee Laid To Rest

Suicide note blamed competition and treatment by trainers

Busan Race Park will re-open on Friday, the first time since the suicide of jockey Park Jin Hee last week. A funeral service for Park took place at the track on Tuesday.

Earlier in the week, Park’s handwritten suicide note was made public. In it, she wrote of the stress she was under following a lean year, but also singled out the harsh treatment she felt she had received from trainers – naming one in particular (the name was redacted from the released copy of the note).

This is an issue that is well-known in Korean racing circles. Many are shocked to witness the way in which trainers interact with jockeys at trackwork, at race-trials and after races. Extreme verbal abuse is accepted as the norm and an authoritarian culture dominates. Some ascribe it in large part to the fact that it has always been that way. Today’s trainers were jockeys ten or twenty years ago and went through the same thing. Instead of ending it, they feel as though the roles have reversed and finally it is their turn.

This is something that has surprised visiting overseas jockeys (and indeed visiting trainers) and has contributed to some of them leaving soon after their arrival, including some from countries not known for its trainers refraining from jockey chastisement. The local jockeys do not like it, but accept it and indeed, it would be wrong to say that all trainers behave in the same way. They do not. Meanwhile, Stewards do their best to intervene when they can – as seen in this report from February– but what they see is perhaps only the tip of the iceberg.

The Korea Racing Authority (KRA) has said that it will respond to the tragedy by taking steps to improve working conditions for jockeys. However, the KRA, while ostensibly administering racing, has very little power over what actually happens. That power lies with the licensees and the Unions. Of the licensees, the Trainers are Kings. For all the strength of the Jockeys’ Union against the KRA, they cannot stand up to the trainers.

The tragedy has appeared in the mainstream Korean media over the past week, including the the English language Korea Times.

While according to the Times, Korea’s poisonous “netizens” have turned their bile onto the KRA’s homepage, the online racing community has paid its own respects this week. See tributes from Korean bloggers Shaka and Chulgigi. Chulgigi has put together a number of galleries of Park Jin Hee in happier days which can be viewed at his website here.

Notably there is a picture of Park with Lee Myoung Hwa, the jockey who also committed suicide in Busan in 2005. It is a stark fact that of the eleven Korean women granted jockey licenses, two have now taken their own lives.

Included in Chulgigi’s tribute is a music video Park appeared in for the Korean band SoBangCha. The video is also on YouTube: