The KRA has confirmed that all racing on the peninsula this coming Sunday, August 23, has been cancelled. The cards at Seoul, Busan and Jeju are all off so as not to clash with the funeral of former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, who died on Tuesday.
Friday’s card at Busan and the Saturday cards at Seoul and Jeju will go ahead as planned.
Eight overseas visitors will join three local riders for the 2009 International Lady Jockey Invitiation Race which will be run on the undercard of the Korean Oaks this coming Sunday at Busan Race Park.
With Lee Ae Li, Park Jin Hee and Yoo Mi Ra representing Korea, riders from Japan, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa will also be in town to contest the reasonably tasty looking class 1 race. Additionally, most of the jockeys will also take one ride in a race on Busan’s Friday evening card.
The International riders are:
Jennifer Stisted (USA) – Maryland based and often riding for trainer husband Scott Lake, Stisted has landed over 250 winners in her career.
Rides: Friday R8: Shingwang Cheonji; Sunday R3: Florida Native
Catherine Gannon (Ireland) – Rides mainly in the UK and is having her best season ever with 26 winners so far in 2009.
Rides: Sunday R3: Gangcheol Nabi
Laura Cheshire (New Zealand) – Currently based on Australia’s Gold Coast, she’s ridden 22 winners over the past year.
Rides: Friday R3: Fresh Dancer; Sunday R3: Miss Ecton
Nadine Rapson (South Africa) – The Eastern Cape rider has over 150 wins to date.
Rides: Friday R5: Queen Of Moonstone; Sunday R3: Yongwonhanhaengbok
Linda Meech (Australia) – Anther having her best ever season, Meech has already reached a century of winners in 2009 riding mainly in Victoria.
Rides: Friday R9: Gold Love; Sunday R3: Max Is Cruisin
Mai Beppu (Japan) – Kochi based Beppu shared the NAR Grand Prix Best Female jockey award of 2008
Rides: Friday R2: Seondu Jeongsang, Sunday R3: Dongbang Geona
Hitomi Miyashita (Japan) – Riding out of Aichi, Miyashita shared the NAR award with Beppu.
Rides: Friday R7: Tamna Kwaegeol; Sunday R3: Ima Firecracker
Chiaki Iwanaga (Japan) – Winner of over one 100 races in Japan.
Rides: Friday R9: Raon Champion; Sunday R3: Oreumak
And the Koreans…
Lee Ae Li – Based at Seoul. Riding in pink silks and boots has earned her the nickname “Ae Li Gongju” (Princess Ae Li). Former winner of Seoul Race Park’s “MVP” award, while not a prolific winner, Ae Li is one of the track’s reliable performers.
Yoo Mi Ra – Only debuted in 2008 and only recently scored her first win. Mi Ra has been steadily improving.
Park Jin Hee – On current form the most successful female thoroughbred jockey in Korea.
Sunday’s Invitation race is race 3 on the card and is off at 18:10. The plumb ride of Namdo Jeap, currently rated Korea’s top three year old colt, went the way of Park Jin Hee. Stablemate and top danger Miss Ecton will be ridden by Laura Cheshire. Here’s a run down of the runners and riders, with pedigree, race records, sex and age:
Class 1 (Foreign bred) Invitation Race – Busan Race Park – 1600M – Aug 9, 2009
1. Namdo Jeap (KOR) [Ft. Stockton – Wandering Katie (Tejano)] C3 (9/4/3/1) – Park Jin Hee
Runner up in the KRA Cup Mile and the Derby he took on and beat foreign bred horses last month and there’s no reason why he can’t do so again.
2. Florida Native (USA) [Kissin Kris – Bindiana (Jose Binn)] H5 (29/7/5/3) – Jennifer Stisted
Struggled of late but may appreciate dropping back to a mile.
3. Miss Ecton (USA) [Ecton Park – Miss Lion King (Lion Cavern)] F4 (16/5/2/6) – Laura Cheshire
A consistent performer. A mile is her best distance and last year’s Busan Ilbo winner should be in contention. She’ll carry top weight.
4. Yeongwonhanhangbok (USA) [El Corredor – Media Power (Red Ransom)] F4 (19/3/3/3) – Nadine Rapson
Some good performances over the winter put her into the top tier of Korean racing. Struggled last time out at the same distance.
5. Dongbang Geona (JPN) [Paradise Creek – Hanashinju (Leo Castelli)] G5 (29/9/4/3) – Mai Beppu
A prolific winner as a two year old, and has consistently been in the money since. Won three consecutive class 1 races last autumn.
6. Oreumak (AUS) [Favorite Trick – Vigne Vierge (Diesis)] H7 (55/6/5/10) – Chiaki Iwanaga
The oldest horse in the race, Oreumak hasn’t monied for five races, but every now and then springs a surprise.
7. Gangcheol Labi (AUS) [Fusaichi Pegasus – Beffy (Danehill)] F4 (14/5/1/0) – Catherine Gannon
Made a promising step up to class 1 last month finishing fourth behind Namdo Jeap. Still improving.
8. Winter Invitation (USA) [Take Me Out – Winter Crown (Cox’s Ridge)] H6 (39/3/7/8) – Lee Ae Li
A consistant placer who scored a very good third in the Busan Mayor’s Trophy last October. Wins are few and far between and there’s no reason for that to change on Sunday
9. D M Merch (USA) [Langfuhr – Personally Yours (Personal Flag)] G7 (49/5/7/9) – Yoo Mi Ra
Win in June for the first time in two years, the seven year old has had a good 2009 placing in all but one of his five other outings.
10. Max Is Cruisin (USA) [Max’s Pal – Starlite Cruisin (Star De Naskra)] C4 (23/4/2/1) – Linda Meech
A sprint victory took him up to class 1 in June. Well beaten by Miss Ecton and Dongbang Geona last time out
11. Ima Firecracker (USA) [Hold That Tiger – It’s Destiny (Red Ransom)] F4 (20/4/4/2) – Hitomi Miyashita
Third place last time behind Namdo Jeap was an improvement. Will need to improve again to trouble the placings.
This year was to be the “Year of the Filly”. It has been so far. While in the US they have their filly, in Korea, it is Sangseung Ilro who has been the year’s stand-out achiever so far. On Sunday, she will look to become the second filly to complete the Derby/Oaks double when she lines up for the tenth running of the Korean Oaks at Busan Race Park.
At the start of the year, the KRA decided to put more emphasis on the filly and mare division. The limit owners could spend on buying overseas bred fillies for racing was doubled and 10% of races were designated as being for fillies and mares only. The long-term aim of these policy initiatives would seem to be to lessen the amount that needs to be spent on importing broodmares by having more capable fillies running, then retiring to the farms.
Like most races on the calendar, the Korean Oaks is a relatively new event. With the advent of private ownership of racehorses – and therefore prize money – in the 1990s, Korea began the long process of bringing its racing in line with international standards. It’s very much an ongoing process but one part of that has been organising the season. The Derby began in 1998 and the Oaks two years later.
With the Derby taking place in May and the Oaks in August, it is possible for a filly to win both. Haeam Janggun managed that feat in 2002 and went on to land the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Minister’s Cup. She didn’t compete in the first leg (which was then the Ttukseom Cup) so missed out on the opportunity to win all four. Sangseung Ilro did take part, however, and won the KRA Cup Mile. In Classic terms she is two down with two to go. While there is still much running to do, if she can go on to win the lot, the “Year of the Filly” will be the year of Sangseung Ilro.
The first eight editions of the Oaks were run at Seoul Race Park before being moved to Busan last year. Here is a run down of the winners of each race so far:
2008: Jeolho Chance [Didyme – Harboring (Boston Harbor)] Previously finished third in the KRA Cup Mile but after failing to make an impact in the Derby, won the Oaks in impressive fashion before going on to run a close second in the Minister’s Cup back at Seoul. Has been off the track injured all year and it is looking increasingly unlikely we will see her again.
2007: Baekpa [Revere – Grey Crest (Gold Crest)] – Chun Chang Ki – Chun landed his third Oaks on the grey Baekpa. She remains, along with big brother Baekgwang, one of the country’s most popular horses although of late she has been running in the US in the KRA’s Internationalization program.
2006: Seohae Beontcheok [Revere – Linear Mark (Miner’s Mark)] – Kim Hyo Seob – She wired the field and won by ten lengths but the filly didn’t step up after and only won once more. Sent for broodmare duties, she recently gave birth to her first colt, by Concept Win.
2005: Gamun Nyeonggwang [Concept Win – Pebble Beach (Metfield)] – Lim Dae Gyu – Her win was a minor suprise but she went on to land the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Minister’s Cup in October that year. Late jockey Lim Dae Gyu scored his last big race win on her.
2004: Singgeureoun [Mr. Adorable – Rambollina (Rambo Dancer)] – Chun Chang Ki – She came through with a late run to win by a commanding five lengths and went on to run for a further two seasons. Her only future success came in the 2006 Sports Seoul. Began broodmare duties in 2008.
2003: Amaranth [Future Quest – Shernadeed (Shernazar)] – Chun Chang Ki – The first of jockey Chun’s three Oaks wins came on the 8/1 shot who edged out a small field by a length. Ran on for a further two seasons but couldn’t repeat her Oaks form.
2002: Haeam Janggun [Didyme – Ronde (Toast The Champ)] – Bang Choon Sik – The one that Sangseung Ilro will be looking to emulate. Earlier in the year she won the Korean Derby and, after the taking the Oaks, she went on to win the Minister’s Cup. Two out of her three foals to hit the track so far have been winners.
2001: Espass [Psychobabble – Moment In May (L’Enjoleur)] – Kim Hey Sung – A four length winner, she went on to win the Ttkukseom Cup the following year.
2000: Seonbong Taegam [Road Of War – Jae-Saek-Keom-Bi (Elusive Quest)] – Kim Hyo Seob – The first Oaks winner won by a narrow margin ahead of an odds-on favourite. The race was run over seven furlongs. From the following year, it would be run over its current distance of nine furlongs.
There are twelve remaining entrants with a week to go before the Korean Oaks at Busan Race Park. The remarkable Sangseung Ilro, winner of the KRA Cup Mile and Korean Derby already this season, heads the field and it will be a brave punter who bets against her come next Sunday.
Rose Cat is the only entrant from Seoul – the capital track seemingly accepting that it is going to be a sixth straight Classic win for a Busan horse.
Oaks day is set to be one of the biggest days of racing held at Busan since the track’s opening in 2005. Also on the card is the International Lady Jockey’s Invitation Race and we’ll have a full preview of both that and the Oaks this coming Wednesday. In the meantime here is the current Oaks line up with pedigree and race records:
Korean Oaks (G.II) – Busan Race Park – 1800M – August 9, 2009
Lady In Gala [Didyme – Phlox (Just Like Jo)] – (10/2/1/)
Naechingu [Creek Cat – Roberto’s Flame (Green Dancer)] – (7/1/1/4)
Rose Cat [Creek Cat – Rose Bouton (Somethingdifferent)] – (9/2/2/1)
Leading Velocity [Fiercely – Barefoot Runaway (Strike Gold)] – (11/3/2/1)
Suryeohan [Commendable – Diamond Star (Dixieland Band)] – (9/2/2/2)
Hanmoe [Tahamkke – Wolmunsabang (Didyme)] – (12/1/2/3)
Solar City [Ft. Stockton – Taeyangsan (Mujaazif)] – (9/0/1/4)
Haneul Gisang [Duality – Birrali (Rutland)] – (7/2/3/0)
Sangseung Ilro [Concept Win – Ms. Whiskey (Whiskey Wisdom)] – (7/5/1/1)
Hero Age [Buster’s Daydream – No Dle Seum (Brave Regent)] – (10/0/2/0)
Pangpang [Revere – Awishnotalark (Rio’s Lark)] – (15/3/1/1)
Hwangjeui Seonmul [Social Charter – She’s A Bridesmaid (Chromite)] – (13/2/2/0)
Whatever happens next Sunday, Sangseung Ilro will remain on course to follow J.S. Hold in completing the Triple Crown when, all being well, she returns to Seoul in October for the Minister’s Cup. Here is her win in the KRA Cup Mile:
And the Korean Derby:
Second in both those race, Namdo Jeap, will be the plumb ride in the International Lady Jockey’s Challenge race on the Oaks undercard.
Nozomu Tomizawa has left Korea. The Japanese jockey recently brought to an end his two year stint at Seoul Race Park and is returning to Australia where his family lives and where he rode previously.
Initially arriving for six months in August 2007, Tomizawa started a month after fellow Japanese rider Ikuyasu Kurakane. While Ikuyasu was quick to become reasonably well established, it took Nozomu a little while to build up rides and eventually, winners. Once he did, however, his obvious talent came through as he notched up a decent winning record despite not generally getting the better horses.
Six months became a year and then one year became two. Slowly overcoming the traditional huge disadvantages faced by foreign riders in Korea, not least by learning a little Korean, Tomizawa finshed with figures of 730 rides with 48 winners, 56 seconds and 71 thirds. Top rides always remained hard to come by – being the regular jockey on Gamadongja, a top sprinter, the notable exception.
There was talk of Nozomu following in the footsteps of Ikuyasu and going to Busan for a final few months in Korea but it was not to be. Instead he leaves as a jockey who has advanced the reputation of foreign riders at Seoul no end and the track – and punters – will miss him.
www.horseman.co.kr followed Tomizawa during his last weeks in Korea and produced a short video about him. This, as well as a couple of his race videos can be seen at the Enjoy Racing blog.
Get Katoh: Nozi’s departure leaves Toshiyuki Katoh as the only overseas jockey at Seoul and he must have felt the horses were out to get him on Sunday. In race 6, Dublin Gypsy bolted wildly from the gate and tried for a full furlong to throw him off. Katoh eventually managed to bring the filly under control and get her home only for Money Pokpung to promptly dump him over the outside rail on the home turn in the very next race. Fortunately he escaped injury and was able to ride the rest of the card.
* In other jockey news, it’s been confirmed that Kim Ok Sung’s season is over. The veteran rider suffered a broken ankle during track work last Wednesday and will be sidelined for at least six months.
It’s been another disappointing year for three year olds at Seoul but one of them may have the chance to step up on Sunday as four of the best of the crop are among the entries for the Munhwa Ilbo Cup.
The Munhwa brings together a group of three year olds and also older horses who haven’t quite made it into the big time yet. However, with winners in recent years including Myeongmun Gamun and Baekgwang, who went on to become two of the track’s biggest stars, there is the potential for a champion to emerge.
Nice Choice is the one many will be looking to. He’s won five of his eight races to date and was last year’s champion two year old. The one race he’s dissappointed in was the Derby. Ahead of him that day, Baengnyeonbong slipped into third place and following a smart win last month, he’s also back. Khanui Jeguk also disappointed in the Derby, but he too won last time out. The final three year old is Event. Kept off the classic trail, the colt has quietly amassed six wins from his ten starts.
Among the older horses, Lhotse Shar has been in good form this year and won at this level last time out. All the others have wins in their history but only Super Jet and Hallasinbi have been in winning form recently.
The race will be run under the lights on Sunday evening with post time at 7:35pm. Click here for past performance information (Korean) and see below for a full list of runners, records and riders:
Munhwa Ilbo Cup – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – July 26, 2009
1. Nanjeongseo [Psychobabble – Caroful (Sportful)] – (22/4/1/3) – Ham Wan Sik
2. Lhotse Shar [Revere – Leave It To Mama (Pappa Riccio)] – (16/5/1/1) – Shim Seung Tae
3. Baengnyeonbong [Al Naba – Sansovino Art (Mister C.)] – (11/5/1/2) – Shin Hyoung Cheol
4. Taegeuk Musa [Walkslikeaduck – Bae Gil Gi Do (Salmon Leap)] – (47/3/2/5) – Yang Hee Jin
5. Super Jet [Archer City Slew – Tae-Eulbong (Road Of War)] – (12/5/0/1) – Kim Young Jin
6. Khanui Jeguk [Sunday Well – Lucky Dip (Didyme)] – (9/4/1/1) – Choi Beom Hyun
7. Hallasinbi [Duality – Gamble On Jill (Spare Card)] – (21/4/4/1) – Lee Gi Hwoi
8. Challanhanbit [Psychobabble – Naha (Silver Buck)] – (21/5/1/1) – Moon Jung Kyun
9. Event [Creek Cat – Forget Me Dot (Citidancer)] – (10/6/0/0) – Moon Se Young
10. Nice Choice [Lost Mountain – Betty’s Rhapsody (Don’t Hesitate)] – (8/5/2/0) – Cho Kyoung Ho
11. Grandzif [Mujaazif – Knight Blues (Knight’s Choice)] – (18/3/5/3) – Park Tae Jong
Another overseas jockey rides into Busan this weekend as Hong Kong’s Vincent Sit takes up a four month licence. He’ll make his debut on Friday.
Sit (Shun Keung Sit) isn’t one of Hong Kong’s most prolific jockeys – he has 103 career wins from 2385 rides. His best season was in 2000-2001. In the 2008-2009 season he has three wins.
He will join what’s becoming a vibrant overseas jockey community at Busan. Eiki Nishimura and Martin Wepner have been thriving recently with Wepner currently the in-form jockey at the track. Stephan Swanepoel also recently transferred down from Seoul and has already landed his first winner – something he was unable to do in four months in the capital.
Back up north, Nozomu Tomizawa continues to valiantly battle on against the odds at Seoul where he was recently joined by fellow Japanese rider Toshiyuki Katoh .
Click here for Vincent Sit’s profile from the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Update: Shaka has collected some videos of Vincent Sit in action in Hong Kong
Baekpa not only stayed in touch with the field but actually beat one home in her second US outing at Colonial Downs on Monday evening. The five year old ran sixth of seven in race 6, an Allowance Optional Claiming over a mile on the turf under jockey Geovany Garcia.
Still not exactly world beating but a better effort for her first ever race on turf and if they must run her again before bringing her home, one that gives heart.
Video hat-tip to Fpop.
Yesterday saw the last live TV broadcasts of horse racing in Korea before such coverage became illegal today. The Living TV cable channel had previously broadcast four hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The ban comes in conjunction with an enforced end to telephone and internet betting which also came into effect today.
The move to ban TV coverage comes from a fear that as punters can no longer legally bet from home on what they are watching, they will do it illegally. Now they will have to leave their houses. Racing on TV had long been keeping those in charge of the nation’s morals up at night. The maximum bet limit of KRW 100,000 and the 27% take-out rate had meant that many had already been seeking other avenues for their gambling money and to prevent illegal bookmakers using the racing coverage, a time delay was in place to ensure races weren’t actually shown “live”.
Living TV, a relentlessly optimistic channel which spends most of its time showing travelogues set to uplifting music, will continue to show its “Ye-Sang Gyongma!” preview shows on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Many inside racing fear that the strong anti-gambling lobby will use this victory to move onto bigger targets. This year they have succeeded in cutting the number of race dates as well as limiting the number of pari-mutuel windows that can be open at any one time at the track. Now it is the ending of telephone and internet betting coupled with the TV ban. Next in their sights is likely to be the Off Track betting sites – or “KRA Plazas”. Aside from the race tracks themselves, these are now the only places in Korea where it is legal to place a bet.
The KRA is responding. They have worked to position the Plazas – generally located in prestige office buildings – as community hubs on the four days a week there is no racing, with various activities and events taking place free of charge for local residents.
There is some requirement on them to do this. The KRA is part of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (FAFF, as it were) and is mandated to fund a lot of social programs. It also plays a large role in promoting Korean agriculture. Making itself indispensible is perhaps the only defence the racing industry can use when the next onslaught comes.
Meanwhile, as punters become criminalized, those already on the other side of the law remain more than willing to take over.
Update: In semi-related news Korea Beat translates a YTN report about some Korean teachers being caught gambling. It is likely that these games go on up and down the country every day of the week. The report is typical of Korean news coverage of gambling issues in that it describes the teachers as engaging in “anti-educational” acts. Korearacing would contend that, on the contrary, he learned what little mathematics he did calculating each-way returns at Newmarket.
Baekpa will make her second US start on Monday evening (Tuesday morning Korean time) in race 6 at Colonial Downs in Virginia. The 2007 Korean Oaks winner finished last on her debut at Delaware Park last month and she’ll be hard pushed to improve on that with seven tough looking fillies and mares currently entered against her. Here’s the line-up with records and rider:
Allowance/Optional Claiming ($40,000) – Colonial Downs – One Mile (Turf), July 20, Race 6
1. One Man To Beat – (11/4/3/0) – H. Karamanos
2. Baekpa – (23/8/5/2) – G. Garcia
3. Royal Regan – (34/6/8/6) – L. Garcia
4. Miss Lombardi – (23/7/3/5) – R.B. Homeister, Jnr.
5. Song Cat – (19/3/2/3) – S. Russell
6. Burst Of Light – (13/3/2/1) – J. Hall
7. Lily’s Joy – (19/3/2/7) – M. Franklin
8. Beau’s Trip – (22/3/1/1) – E. Camacho
The race is off at 7:20pm local time (8:20am Korean time).
Horse Racing in Korea 