For the first time, the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In comes to South Korea for two races Sept. 8, headlined by the $1.2 million Korea Cup (G3) at 1 1/8 miles, and the $1 million Korea Sprint (G3) at six furlongs. The Korea Cup, which gives the winner an automatic berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), is headlined by defending champion Crown Pride  and two-time Korean Horse of the Year Winners Man.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar.

Leading the 11-horse field of the Korea Cup, Teruya Yoshida’s 5-year-old Crown Pride has been an international traveler, racing in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, the United States, and in his native Japan for trainer Koichi Shintani. Crown Pride, a son of Reach the Crown , won the 2022 U.A.E. Derby (G2) at Meydan and finished 13th in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Last year, he was prominent throughout in the Korea Cup, taking the lead at the top of the stretch and powering home to a 10-length victory. After finishing off the board in his next three races, Crown Pride returned to the winner’s circle July 15 when he captured the listed 1 1/4-mile Mercury Cup at Morioka Racecourse in Japan.

Lee Gyeong Hui’s 5-year-old Winners Man has been Korea’s most dominant horse the last two years, with eight wins in 11 starts, and taking home the 2022 and 2023 Horse of the Year awards, as well as champion older horse and champion stayer. Trained by Choi Ki Hong, the son of Musket Man  closed out last year with three consecutive wins, including listed scores at Seoul in the Dec. 17 Grand Prix at 1 7/16 miles, and in the 1 1/4-mile President’s Cup Nov. 19. The 2022 Korea Cup winner, Winners Man finished third behind Crown Pride in last year’s renewal.

Lightly raced Kim Joon Hyun’s Global Hit finished second to Winners Man in the Grand Prix and in the President’s Cup. Those performances helped lift the son of To Honor and Serve  to the Korean 3-year-old colt championship. Trained by Bang Dong Suk, the 4-year-old Global Hit made his 2024 debut May 26, finishing second by a neck in the listed 1 1/8-mile Busan Mayor’s Cup at Busan Gyeongnam.

Two other Japanese-based runners of interest are Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings’ 5-year-old Wilson Tesoro, who finished second in last year’s Champions Cup (G1) at Chukyo and in the Tokyo Daishoten (G1), and the Katsuyoshi Uchida-trained 7-year-old Light Warrior,who won the listed April 3 Kawasaki Kinen for Carrot Club.  

Anarchist Adds Intrigue to Korea Sprint

A field of 16 has been entered for the OBS Korea Sprint. After finishing fifth in the July 27 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, Ilium Stables’ Anarchist  will make a second attempt at gaining a free berth into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) approximately 6,000 miles to the west in South Korea.

Trained by Doug O’Neill, Anarchist was either first or second in eight starts last year, including victories in the Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar and the Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.

Last year, Koji Maeda’s Remake won the Korea Sprint by four lengths and is back to defend his title. Trained by Shintani, the 5-year-old son of Lani  has won eight times in 17 starts, including a Feb. 24 win in Saudi Arabia in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3).

Kentucky-bred Jasper Krone  finished 12th in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Santa Anita Park after contesting the pace near the top of the stretch. Trained by Hideyuki Mori, the 5-year-old son of Frosted   won two turf sprints in 2023, taking the Kitakyushu Kinen (G3) at Kokura and the CBC Sho (G3) at Chukyo.