By Alan Carasso
When Japanese horses take their show on the road to places like Australia, the Middle East, Hong Kong, the U.S. and even Europe to an extent, they are to be taken very seriously. It is also no wonder that when horses from the Land of the Rising Sun make the comparatively short trip over to Korea, they have more or less dominated the nation's two biggest and most important races–the G3 OBS Korea Cup (1800m) and OBS Korea Sprint (1200m). That trend looks set to continue this weekend at Seoul Racecourse ,where both events offer the winners an all-expenses-paid trip to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
Japan sends out three of the 11 horses for the Cup–with a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on the line–including Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}), who romped by 10 lengths in last year's Korea Cup and most recently defeated the American-conceived Beyond the Father (Jpn) (Curlin) by a nose in the Listed Mercury Cup at Morioka July 15. Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), a three-time winner at listed level and twice Group 1-placed, was fourth in this year's G1 Dubai World Cup and was last seen finishing second in the Listed Teio Sho at Ohi Racecourse June 26. Yuga Kawada has the call. Light Warrior (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior) was a stakes winner at Kawasaki in April before finishing sixth in the Teio Sho.
The local charge is spearheaded by Winner's Man (Kor) (Musket Man), winner of 18 of his 28 career starts and a distant third to Crown Pride 12 months ago. He faces the starter for the first time since successfully defending his title in the year-ending Grand Prix (black-type) over 2300 meters last December. Global Hit (Kor) (To Honor and Serve) has not missed the top two since finishing eighth as a 3-year-old in last year's Cup and most recently won the KRA Cup Classic (NBT) going 2000 meters Aug. 4.
In the Sprint, the globetrotting Remake (Jpn) (Lani) should prove difficult to handle in his first appearance since finishing fourth to Tuz (Oxbow) in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Mar. 30. Having defeated Beolmaui Star (Kor) (To Honor and Serve) by four lengths in this contest last September, the Koji Maeda homebred proved easily best over Skelly (Practical Joke) and Bold Journey (Hard Spun) in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint a month before his Dubai effort. Keiai Dorie (Jpn) (Espoir City {Jpn}), ninth in the Golden Shaheen, bounced back to finish third to the Breeders' Cup Sprint-bound Don Frankie (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in the Listed Cluster Cup Aug. 14.
Trainer Doug O'Neill is not bashful about traveling his horses, and Ilium Stables' Anarchist (Distorted Humor) is the lone American representative on Sunday. Winner of the GIII Jacques Cartier Stakes last season, the 5-year-old ran The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) to a head in the GI Bing Crosby Stakes last July before taking the GII Pat O'Brien Stakes. He is unplaced in two runs this season, including a fifth to The Chosen Vron in the July 27 Bing Crosby.
Eoma Eoma (Algorithms) won the 2022 Korea Sprint and was fifth in defense of his title last year. The 7-year-old cuts back in from the mile having run third to the romping Speed Young (Kor) (Menifee) in the June 30 Busan Owners' Cup (black-type).
A trip to the Breeders' Cup Sprint is on the line. In 2019, the Korean-based U.S.-bred Blue Chipper (Tiznow) won the Korea Sprint en route to a cracking third to Spun to Run and Omaha Beach in the Dirt Mile.
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