Korea Cup winner Diktaean gallops in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 6.KOREA RACING AUTHORITY
Korean horse racing's push to reclaim the domestic throne ran smack into reality at the country's most prestigious meet as Japanese-trained horses swept first and second place in both the dirt mile and sprint races with a combined purse of 3 billion won ($2.23 million) and a direct berth to the Breeders' Cup final in the United States on the line.
The eighth Korea Cup, an international Group 2 race over 1,800 meters (5,905 feet), and the eighth Korea Sprint, an international Group 2 race over 1,200 meters, were held in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, on Sunday.
The Korea Cup, the day's main event, belonged to Japan's defending champion, Diktaean, an 8-year-old whose experience shone through with jockey Takayuki Yano. The horse, who tore through Gwacheon's dirt track with an explosive late run last year, again unleashed a fearsome closing kick down the stretch to cross the finish line first in 1 minute and 51.7 seconds, claiming back-to-back titles.
Sunday Funday, a 6-year-old from Japan who set a fast pace from the start, finished second at 1:52.8. Caught between Sunday Funday, who led the race on the front end, and Diktaean, who timed his run from the back before pouncing, Korean horses found no clear turning point to challenge for the win.
Korea, seeking to recapture the glory of Munhak Chief's 2019 win and Winner's Man's 2022 title, fielded Clean One, the country's strongest active horse with a career win rate of 72.7 percent, but it fell short of expectations, finishing fifth at 1:55.8. Funny Wild, a promising 3-year-old descended from the noted sire Bayern, and Wonpyeong Storm, who was hoping to use home-track advantage, also could not overcome Japan's seasoned contingent, finishing fourth in 1:55.6 and eighth in 1:58.1, respectively. Korea avoided being shut out entirely as dark horse Amazing Khan crossed the line third in 1:54.7. With that result, Japanese-trained horses have now swept the Korea Cup trophy for four consecutive years.
Jockey Takayuki Yano signs autographs after riding Diktaean to victory in the Korea Cup in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 6.KOREA RACING AUTHORITY
Japan's speed also stood out in the Korea Sprint, the "70-second showdown" flat-out run over 1,200 meters of dirt. Dragon Welds, a 5-year-old on a recent hot winning streak, took the title in 1:10.7. Another Japanese contender, American Stage, finished second in 1:11.
The anticipated title defense and rivalry matchup fell flat. The rematch between last year's champion, Self Improvement of Hong Kong, and rising Hong Kong challenger Beauty Waves — reunited with jockey Jerry Chau, who had partnered Self Improvement previously — was overwhelmed by the Japanese horses' dominant early speed and never got going.
Vincero Cavallo, the pride of Korean sprinting, paired with jockey Choi Bum-hyun and used his trademark burst to press into the inside lane in pursuit of the lead group, but had to settle for third, crossing the line in 1:11.7. Knicks Go Won, the highly anticipated first foal of Knicks Go, the horse once ranked No. 1 in the world, and Winner Clear, who tried a late closing move, both failed to finish in the placings.
"We once again keenly felt the clear gap in skill compared to top-level horses from overseas," a Korea Racing Authority representative said. "We will use this as an opportunity to overhaul our approach to bloodstock improvement, race strategy and our overall training system for domestically bred horses, in order to raise our international competitiveness."
BY LEE HAY-JUNE [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
