Busan Race Park
Friday October 31: Busan kicks thing off at 13:00 Friday with a ten race card. Feature is a 1600 metre handicap with Annika Queen and Distance Runner topping the weights. Earlier, The Bee Keeper will be looking to get back in form after losing his unbeaten record last time out. He goes over 1600 metres in race 8.

Sunday November 2: Sunday’s six race card gets underway at 12:20. Despite not having won for well over year and not even running since April, the New Zealand bred gelding will be top weight in the big handicap at 16:10

Seoul Race Park
Saturday November 1: Seoul moves onto winter schedules from this weekend and so the first race will start at 11:00am. There are eleven races on Saturday. A small but very well-known field contests the day’s most valuable race. If he wins, Subsidy [Mr. Prospector – Foreign Aid (Danzig)] will break KRW 1Billion in career prize money, but with Saerounbisul, Pocketful of Money, Haengun Daewang, Ul Mountain and Seungyu Sinhwa joined by the exciting three year old Vicar Love, it’s going to be tough.

Sunday November 3: Sunday also sees eleven races with the first at 11:00am. Feature is one of the biggest fillies races of the season, the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup. A field of 14 will contest the 1800 metre handicap at 16:40 for the KRW 106Million first prize. We’ll have a full list of runners and riders tomorrow. Also on Sunday’s card is a cat 1 handicap which sees Secret Weapon up against Machine Gun over 2000 metres.

Jeju Race Park stages a ten race card on both Saturday and Sunday. First race is off at 12:20 both days. At this stage the weekend weather is predicted to be cool and dry. There is, however, a chance of rain on Friday.

The racing world may have its eyes on the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, but there’s still plenty of racing in Korea this weekend. Here’s what’s happening:

Busan Race Park:
Friday October 24: Action begins at Busan with a ten race Friday card. As usual things get underway at 13:00 and Sinjin Gangja will carry top weight in the feature race. The four year old has either won or placed inhis last 17 outings and will have the likes of Yeongung Manse and Mirae Cheonsa for company when they come under orders for the 1800 metre handicap at 17:30.

Sunday October 26: Sunday sees the turn of the foreign bred horses to featire in the main event. Hwanggeumbit Taeyang hasn’t won since February but will carry top weight ahead of Dangdae Star. The first of six races is off at 12:40.

Seoul Race Park
Saturday October 25: Saturday is Gwacheon Citizen’s Day and a “Celebration Race” heads the card. The cat 2 KRW 53Million race has attracted 12 entrants including Wonju Jangsa, Dangdanghan and Samsimnyeonsarang and is the most valuable race of the weekend. Also on Saturday’s card when the first of 12 races is at 11:20, is a rare long distance race. The cat. 1 handicap over the Grand Prix distance of 2300 metres will feature the likes of Gamadongja and Baekjeonmupae and is off at 17:00.

Sunday October 26: There are 11 races on Sunday with the first at 11:20. The filly Top Point will go against Nujindo and Flying Cat in the day’s most valuable race. Perhaps the most intriguing race, however, is the last on the card. A field of 12 mostly 3 and 4 year old imports will go over 1800 metres. Supernatural makes his first outing since suffering his first defeat last month and the gelding will be up against the colt Last Dance Buddy and the filly Mexicali Blues who have spent much of the summer duelling with one another. Also going is Ecton Cat in the race which will need to run under lights at 18:00.

The midweek rain has signalled the end of the high autumn temperatures and the weekend is predicted to be dry with the temperature in the mid-teens. In addition to the cards at Seoul and Busan, Jeju Race Park holds cards on Saturday and Sunday. We will be keeping one eye on Santa Anita though where Korean born Owner/Trainer Cho Myoung Kwon saddles Palacio De Amor in the Juvenile Fillies on Friday and Street Hero in the Juvenile on Saturday.

Busan Race Park
Friday Oct. 17: The weekend’s racing starts at Busan tomorrow with a ten race card starting at 13:00. Top race is a cat.1 foreign bred event with Crafty Louis carrying top weight.
Sunday Oct. 19: A six race card gets underway at 12:40. Procyon, Boryeong Bulbit, Luna and Widaehan Bonneung all go in the main event at 16:30

Seoul Race Park
Saturday Oct. 18: Seoul hosts twelve races on Saturday with the first at 11:20. Bally Brae goes in the main event but will once again be giving a lot of weight to his challengers who include Noubeau Riche and Seoul Teukgeup.
Sunday Oct. 19: Eleven more races on Sunday with the first once again at 11:20. Top prize is in a domestic handicap where Namchouijijon will clash with Good Day over 1900 metres at 17:30.

As usual, Jeju Race Park hosts pony racing cards on both Saturday and Sunday with a 12:20 start both days.

Thirteen go in Cup Classic / Supernatural bids for fourth win
A first prize of KRW 103Million will go to the winner of Sunday’s KRA Cup Classic at Seoul Race Park. The handicap, open to foreign horses has attracted an eclectic mix of entires including locally bred mare Galsaem, who for the first time this year won’t be suffering from a restrictive weight. Also going is Top Point, a horse with nine wins from thirteen starts, however, it is Pocketful of Money who has won two out of her last three who has been handed the most weight. The big race is off at 17:05 on Sunday and is race 9 of an 11 race card which gets underway at 11:20. See below for a full list of runners, weights and riders for the KRA Cup Classic.

Saturday sees twelve races at Seoul with the first off at 11:20. Machine Gun makes his first appearance since his transition from old-stager to conqueror of Baekpa in the feature handicap at 16:50. Up against the six year old in a field of eleven over 2000 metres is Dashing Champ and Nujindo.

Perhaps the most watched race, however, will be race 11 a category 2 handicap for foreign bred horses where New Zealand bred Supernatural will be looking to go four for four. The gelding steps up to 1900 metres, 600 more than he has previously travelled and also a whole lot more in class. Amongst those facing him will be Captain Cugat, Mexicali Blues, South Darby and Last Dance Buddy.

In addition to racing at Seoul, there are cards at Busan on Friday and Sunday (see preview below) and at Jeju on Saturday and Sunday.

KRA Cup Classic G III (Handicap) – Seoul Race Park – 2000Metres – September 28, 2008, 17:05

1. Ginny’s Delight (USA) (18/1/2/5) – 52kg – Yoo Sang Wan
2. Powerful Runner (IRE) (27/4/2/4) – 52kg – Ji Ha Ju
3. Blue Dia (USA) (17/3/1/1) – 52kg – Choi Jung Seob
4. Princess Thumb (USA) (21/2/2/3) – 52kg – Lee Gi Hwoi
5. Fly Queen (USA) (26/5/5/9) – 55kg – Park Tae Jong
6. Serendipper (AUS) (11/3/3/1) – 54kg – Shin Hyoung Cheol
7. Seonju Jangsu (KOR) (35/5/10/3) – 51kg – Kim Dong Gyun
8. Galsaem (KOR) (33/16/9/4) – 55kg – Ikuyasu Kurakane
9. Hwanggeum Dwaeji (AUS) (14/1/5/2) – 53kg – Kim Hyo Seob
10. Big Land (USA) (33/2/3/7) – 52kg – Shim Seung Tae
11. Pocketful Of Money (USA) (22/7/7/4) – 58kg – Moon Se Young
12. Top Point (KOR) (14/9/1/2) – 56kg – Cho Kyoung Ho
13. U Seung Man Se (USA) (7/1/2/0) – 51kg) – Kim Ok Sung

Sunday is a big day for overseas bred horses in Korea with Seoul and Busan both hosting G3 races offering nearly KRW 150Million to their respective winners. Seoul hosts the KRA Cup Classic at 17:00 but first up is is the Gyeongsang-Namdo (South Gyeongsang Province) Governor’s Cup which will come under orders at Busan Race Park at 15:40. The race has attracted a number of veteran Busan horses such as Golding and Hangye Geukbok as well as younger challengers such as Florida Native and the three year Saeroun Bulpae. See below for a full list of runners and riders.

There are cards at Busan on Friday and Sunday with Friday’s action getting underway at 13:00 when there will be ten races. The first of six races is off at 12:40 on Sunday:

Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup – G III (Foreign) – Busan Race Park – 1800M – Sep 28, 15:40

1. Wonder Love (USA) (35/4/9/6) – Han Sang Kyu
2. Hangye Geukbok (USA) (34/12/6/5) – Jo Sung Gon
3. Angle Slam (USA) (34/7/6/8) – Moon Jung Won
4. Gamun Bobae (USA) (18/5/3/4) – Chae Gyu Jun
5. Deoksugung (USA) (29/6/2/2) – Park Sung Gwang
6. Hwanggeumbit Taeyang (AUS) (33/6/10/5) – Kazayuki Watase
7. Florida Native (USA) (19/6/3/3) – Jo Chan Hoon
8. Golding (USA) (31/15/7/3) – Toshio Uchida
9. Saeroun Bulpae (USA) (11/4/1/4) – Yang Young Nam
10. Miraculous Medal (USA) (31/4/4/2) – Yoo Hyun Myoung
11. Dangdae Star (NZ) (25/8/1/2) – Deryl Daniels
12. Gongnopae (USA) (29/6/4/3) – Kim Eu Su
13. Namdo Choegang (AUS) (31/7/3/5) – Gu Young Jun

Racing returns to Korea this weekend after breaking for Thanksgiving last week and it looks set to be an eventful three days. Big race of the weekend is the Dong-A Ilbo Cup which is off at 17:00 at Seoul Race Park on Sunday. The 1400 metre race is one of the biggest races of the season for fillies and mares and has attracted a field including Samsimnyeonsarang, Challanhanbit, and Gateway.

There are a number of other big name horses on show at Seoul on Saturday and Sunday when cards will get underway at 11:20 with twelve races on Saturday and eleven on Sunday. Former horse of the year, Bally Brae drops back to 1200 metres for the first time in nearly two years in Saturday’s feature. The six year old holds the course record over the distance and will be up against the likes of Gamadongja, Baekjeonmupae and Dankee’s Pal. Myeongmun Gamun has satisfied the starter that he can be trusted to behave at post and the seven year old goes in Sunday’s feature, a 2000 metre handicap.

The first action of the weekend is, as usual, on Friday at Busan Race Park. The South Gyeongnam track hosts ten races on Friday with the first going to post at 13:00. There’s a double feature with handicaps for foreign bred and domestic bred horses. In the domestic, Rainmaker is given another chance to prove his KRA Cup Mile success wasn’t a fluke, but he’s going to have it all to do against a top class field headed by Areumdaun Jilju who has won five out of six this year. Also going is Procyon, the four year old gelding looking to bounce back after two disappointing runs at shorter distances. Namdo Jijon, who finished third in the Derby will be there too as will Annika Queen. Sunday’s Busan card is lower key with six races getting underway at 12:40. One novelty on the card is race 5, a race only for Japanese bred horses.

As usual, Jeju Race Park hosts pony racing on Saturday and Sunday and Sunday sees one of the big races of the season in the shape of the KRA Jeju Cup which is off at 15:55.

Ilgan Sports headlines weekend / Shaving Points returns
The weekend’s cards get underway this afternoon at Busan Race Park with a nine race program starting at 13:00. Highlight is the last seeing a Cat.1 domestic handicap headed by Sinjin Gangja and Widaehan Bonneung.

Attention switches to Seoul on Saturday where the first of a twelve race card will be off at 11:20. Attention will be on Shaving Points, the unbeaten three year old making his first appearance since May in the Cat 2. race 11.

Sunday sees the feature race of the weekend in the shape of the Ilgan Sports Cup. The race for domestic Cat 2’s attracts a field of thirteen and is off at 17:00. Immediately after the Ilgan Sports, Subsidy will head the weights in a handicap, the eight year old son of Mr Prospector bidding for a return to form with what would be his eighteenth career win. Busan also runs a card on Sunday with the first of six off at 12:40.

Classic winners clash at Busan / Myeongmun Gamun heads Seoul card
Korean Derby winner Ebony Storm and KRA Cup Mile winner Rainmaker will face each other once more at Busan Race Park this Sunday. Both are yet to win since their respective Classic triumphs but Ebony Storm has the better of Rainmaker in their last two meetings – the Derby and a handicap at the end of June where Ebony Storm finished second with Rainmaker nowhere. Winner that day, Yeongung Manse also goes again on Sunday. The gelding couldn’t run in the Classics and has a better win rate than either of the two big names. Busan’s six race Sunday card gets underway at 12:40.

As usual, there is racing at Seoul Race Park on both Saturday and Sunday with a start time of 11:20 both days. Feature race comes on Sunday when Myeongmun Gamun will be looking to get back in form. After refusing to go in the stalls in May, the seven year old returned in the SBS Cup, only to be comprehensively beaten by Baekpa. Nevertheless, Myeongmun Gamun remains the highest earning horse at Seoul over the past year (albeit primarily due to Busan horses taking the Classics this year, Myeongmun Gamun’s President’s Cup win last October still keeps him top). Among those up against him in race 10 on Sunday will be Dashing Champ and Baengnokjeong (third in the SBS).

Torrential rain throughout Firday means there should be plenty of water in the track. Forecast is for more showers on Saturday, but Sunday should be fine and dry. In addition to Seoul and Busan, there is also racing at Jeju on Satuday and Sunday with the first going to post at 12:20 both days.