Korean Horse Racing Sets New Record with 1,500 Wins -3
Do you know about 'Baekrak', the one who could recognize a Cheollima?
There is a rumor circulating in the domestic horse racing industry that Baekrak, a legendary minister from the Qin Dynasty during China's Spring and Autumn period who was renowned for his ability to judge horses, has been reincarnated.
This is the story of trainer Kim Youngkwan, who is called the modern-day Baekrak and is on the verge of setting a new record with 1,500 career wins, the highest in the history of Korean horse racing.
Trainer Kim Youngkwan, who has already achieved 34 wins in the first half of this year and continues to lead the combined wins in Seoul and Busan-Gyeongnam, is currently just three wins away from reaching 1,500. If Kim Youngkwan achieves this milestone, he will become the first thoroughbred trainer in Korean horse racing to reach such a monumental number of wins.
Trainers usually participate in 8 out of 15 races held each week. Achieving 50 wins a year is enough to become the annual top winner, but even at that pace, it would take 30 years to reach 1,500 wins. Kim's 1,500 wins are more than just a number.
Especially since among the 71 trainers currently active in Seoul and Busan, only about 10 have surpassed 500 wins, making 1,500 wins a dream number for most trainers.
Nicknamed the 'modern-day Baekrak' for his exceptional eye for horses, Kim Youngkwan is originally from Muan, Jeollanam-do. After earning his high school diploma through a qualification exam, he began his career as a jockey in 1976, but switched to being a horse manager due to difficulties with weight control. Although he was not recognized during his time as a horse manager at Seoul Racecourse, it is known that he learned horse behavior by sleeping alongside the horses.
Kim Youngkwan obtained his trainer's license in 2003 and made his debut as a trainer in 2004 at LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam, which was preparing for its grand opening at the time.
In horse racing, trainers play a role similar to that of a coach in other sports, overseeing the training, management, and race strategies for horses under contract with owners. Trainers are also responsible for scouting promising racehorses by visiting ranches nationwide to find horses with high potential.
Just as a coach's foresight in discovering promising talent is crucial in other sports, a trainer's ability to recognize a great horse is essential.
There is a saying in the horse racing world: "Ma-chil-gi-sam" (Horse 70, Jockey 30), meaning that 70% of a race's outcome depends on the horse and 30% on the jockey. In other words, the horse's ability often determines the result more than the jockey's skill.
This is where Kim Youngkwan's exceptional eye shines. He is famous for spending most of his time at ranches, focusing on discovering new talent, and is rarely found in the stables. He travels both domestically and internationally, using his unique perspective to assess the appearance of horses and identify foals with the qualities of a champion.
His talent for selecting racehorses is so remarkable that he is known as the 'modern-day Baekrak', named after the legendary figure in China's Spring and Autumn period who could judge a horse's quality by its appearance.
In front of Kim Youngkwan, horse owners line up to entrust their horses to him. Usually, trainers ask owners for the opportunity to train their horses, but in Kim's case, it is the opposite. Owners compete to have him train their horses because of his proven record of producing winners.
Just as the saying "Baekrak-ilgo" (A horse is only recognized when it meets Baekrak) suggests, Kim Youngkwan began his career as a trainer in his first race on November 28, 2004, at Busan-Gyeongnam Race 1 with the horse 'Luna'.
Luna, who gave him his first major race win, was the first rough diamond he discovered. Luna appeared at a racehorse auction in 2003, but no one paid attention due to a congenital leg defect.
Kim Youngkwan saw the potential in Luna to overcome her disability, which everyone else ignored. With his care and specialized training, Luna repaid him by earning 78 times her purchase price. Luna is an inseparable part of Kim Youngkwan's legendary career in Korean horse racing.
'Mr. Park', who holds the record for the most consecutive wins in Korea with 17, was also overlooked and had several purchase cancellations before debuting as a racehorse. However, thanks to Kim Youngkwan's recommendation, who recognized Mr. Park's strong competitive spirit, owner Kwak Jongsu decided to purchase him, and under Kim's guidance, Mr. Park became a champion.
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