Minister's Cup

Success Baekpa Adds Minister’s Cup to Cup Mile in Triple Crown Finale

There may be no Triple Crown winner, but Success Baekpa confirmed his place on top of the three-year-old ranks with a commanding nine-length victory in the Minister’s Cup (2000M KOR-G2) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. Added to his win in the KRA Cup Mile and 3rd place in the Korean Derby, Success Baekpa ran out the winner of the Triple Crown series by almost 600 points.

Success Baekpa goes clear (Pic: KRA)

True the task was made somewhat simpler for Success Baekpa at the start when World Dragon, who was set to jump as third favourite in the betting market, reared in the gate, crunching jockey Seo Seung-un into the machine. With the field backed out for a reload neither horse nor jockey was passed fit to race. That left fifteen in the race.

Hangang Class was sent off as the favourite at marginally better than even-money once World Dragon was removed from the pool, but it was outsiders Great Winner and Miracle Marine who set the early pace while Success Baekpa, the 4.5 second favourite sat behind the leaders alongside Nice Time, who began third in the market.

Into the home straight, jockey You Hyun-myung asked Success Baekpa for an effort and the Purge colt cruised clear, putting the result beyond doubt a full furlong from home. Nice Time crossed the line in 2nd place, a full nine-lengths adrift, while a further four-lengths back, Doctor Kingdom edged out the Derby winner Eunpa Sarang by a nose.

“I made a few mistakes (in the Korean Derby) but this time we were very well prepared” winning jockey You Hyun-myung told in-house broadcaster KRBC. “The draw didn’t really matter and there were no opponents that we were afraid of here. The pace was a little fast, but he showed no signs of fatigue.” When quizzed on what was next for the colt, You replied: “The aim is to come back here and win the President’s Cup.”

The President’s Cup (2000M KOR-G1) is the richest race restricted to Korean bred horses that is age open and Success Baekpa can expect to come up against Global Hit, last year’s Minister’s Cup winner. This year it will take place on October 13th. Connections may well be tempted by a tilt at the international Korea Cup in early September, although that will be a far harder ask.

You Hyun-myung salutes the crowd after the Minister’s Cup (Pic: KRA)

Success Baekpa is by Purge and out of the 2007 Korean Oaks winner Baekpa (by Revere). He was bred by Kang Seung-youn and was purchased by her owner Lee Jong-hun for KRW 90 Million at the November 2022 Yearling Sale. He moves on to a record of five wins from nine starts.

In the final standings for the Triple Crown series, Success Baekpa finished on top with 1600 points with Eunpa Sarang in 2nd with 1030. His Minister’s Cup runner-up finish saw Nice Time jump up two places to 3rd overall with 700 points.

There is no Stakes action next week in Seoul with the next big race being the Busan Owners’ Cup (1600M KOR-G3) on June 30th. The early entries comprise an intriguing mix of stayers and sprinters with Tuhonui Banseok and Eoma Eoma, as well as unbeaten import Sky Wind among twenty-two still in.

Captain Yankee Adds Minister’s Cup to Cup Mile

Captain Yankee produced a late burst of speed to deliver an emphatic win in the Minister’s Cup (2000M KOR-G1) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday, adding to his KRA Cup Mile victory in April and all but confirming his status as Champion Three-Year-Old.

Captain Yankee and Jo In-kwon acknowledge the Seoul Racecourse crowd (Pic: KRA)

Having finished 3rd in the Derby, Captain Yankee was sent off as third in the betting market behind that day’s victor Winner Star while punters also kept faith with Complete Value, the beaten favourite in both the Cup Mile and Derby.

As he had done in both previous Triple Crown races, Seungbusa set out to make all, allowing jockey Jo In-kwon to settle Captain Yankee in midfield and steadily improve as the sixteen-strong field made their way off the back and towards the final turn in the ten-furlong test.

The distance was new for every horse in the race and Seungbusa, who had battled on well for 3rd in the Cup Mile and 2nd in the Derby, this time gave way with just under two-furlongs to run as Complete Value struck the front. His lead would be short-lived though and once Captain Yankee pounced at the furlong pole, there was only going to be one winner.

Flying The Champ, who didn’t run in either of the first two legs of the Triple Crown closed strongly for 2nd, three-lengths behind the winner, while Complete Value held on for 3rd ahead of Saryeoni First. The 94/1 outsider appeared on the scene from nowhere having been last for most of race but posted a final furlong time quicker than any other runner including the winner. Winner Star was never a factor and finished in 7th.

Captain Yankee is by Old Fashioned, who stands privately in Korea at Challenger Farm. He is out of Can’t Rezist (by Action This Day) and was bred by Lee Kwang-lim. The Minister’s Cup was his seventh race start and his fourth career win.

The Minister’s Cup win saw Captain Yankee’s new rating stand provisionally at 80 which will mean he will be able to race at least once at class 2 level. That’s the same as Touch Star Man was awarded following his Minister’s Cup win in 2000M and they both had similar form coming into the race.

With the Triple Crown series coming to an end, so too do Graded races restricted to three-year-olds. A return to Seoul for November’s President’s Cup (2000M KOR-G1) is the probable long-term target for Captain Yankee.

Next Sunday, the Sprint Series continues with Eoma Eoma set to return in the SBS Sports Sprint (1200M KOR-G3) at Seoul Racecourse. Raon The Fighter is not expected to run, but Black Musk, who came over the top to win the SROA Chairman’s Sprint last month, as well as East Jet and 2020 winner Morfhis are all in line for starts.