KRA to Host 16th Breeders' Cup Rookie on 24th, Final Challenge for 2-Year-Old Top Horses

November 24th, Busan 6th Gyeongju Breeders' Cup Rookie Grade 2

2025 Triple Crown Outlook... All 2-Year-Old Champions Gather

The 16th Breeders' Cup Rookie (2-year-old colts and fillies open, 1400m, total prize money 700 million KRW), the final gateway of the Juvenile series to select the strongest 2-year-old horse, will be held as the 6th race at LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam on the 24th.

The Juvenile series consists of ▲the 1st gateway Munhwa Ilbo Cup (Seoul), Beautiful Run Stakes (Busan-Gyeongnam) ▲the 2nd gateway Nonghyup Central Association President's Cup (Seoul), Gimhae Mayor's Cup (Busan-Gyeongnam), and ▲the final gateway Breeders' Cup Rookie (Busan-Gyeongnam). This Breeders' Cup is expected to serve as a benchmark to anticipate the Triple Crown contenders for next year.

This competition mainly features racehorses that participated in the preliminary rounds at Seoul and Busan-Gyeongnam racecourses. In Seoul, participants include 'Captain PK,' who won the Nonghyup Central Association President's Cup, along with Munhwa Ilbo Cup winner Silver Rain and King of Dragon.

On the other hand, in Busan, winners such as Wonderful Groom, the Gimhae Mayor's Cup champion, and Oasis Red, regarded as the strongest 2-year-old in Busan-Gyeongnam, will compete. Additionally, rising stars like Seoul Bulcheonggaek, Dangdae Star, Wonderful Nordan, Dragon Ninja, and Fantastic Rally will participate. Much attention is focused on which horse will claim the glory of winning this race.

(Seoul) Captain PK (2-year-old colt, rating 50, trainer Song Moon-gil, owner Park Jeong-jae, winning rate 75%) won the second gateway of the Juvenile series, the Nonghyup Central Association President's Cup, last October. Captain PK's sire is 'Race Day,' who produced last year's winner of the US Breeders' Cup Classic. His dam is 'PK Party,' a filly who made her debut in Seoul and recorded six consecutive wins, gaining fame as a 2-year-old rookie. Having inherited a prestigious bloodline and boasting a 100% place rate since debut (3 wins, 2 second places), he is evaluated as a strong favorite for this race. His closing speed aiming for a come-from-behind victory at the finish line is excellent and sufficient to overwhelm the competing horses.

(Busan-Gyeongnam) Oasis Red (2-year-old colt, rating 42, trainer Baek Kwang-yeol, owner Lee Jong-hoon, winning rate 40%) has shown somewhat inconsistent results but is regarded as the strongest 2-year-old in terms of ability. He gained attention by winning two consecutive races over long distances of 1600m or more last July but showed a disappointing performance by finishing 4th in the Busan Gangseo District Office Cup, a 1200m sprint. Therefore, he is expected to approach this race with determination to prove something. His power, coming from a hefty body weighing over 520kg, is remarkable. As a horse showing either front-running or come-from-behind running style, his strong finishing speed in the final stages is a strength, and he is expected to engage in fierce competition with the favorite Captain PK.

(Busan-Gyeongnam) Wonderful Groom (2-year-old colt, rating 45, trainer Moon Hyun-cheol, owner Nokwon Farm, winning rate 40%) debuted in May this year and won the second gateway of the Juvenile series, the Gimhae Mayor's Cup. He tends to run mainly in front-running or stalking positions, and his elasticity in the straight stretch after the 4th corner is considered a significant advantage. He is a horse that competes in the straight stretch and, despite being young, is known for his tenacity and strength in physical contests. Particularly strong in sprints of 1200m or less, he has recorded two wins and is showing an upward trend, but a strategy considering the increased race distance is expected to be necessary.

(Seoul) Silver Rain (2-year-old colt, rating 42, trainer Ahn Byung-gil, owner Jo Geun-sik, winning rate 50%) won the Munhwa Ilbo Cup held last September. Silver Rain recorded two consecutive wins early in his debut but narrowly missed the final come-from-behind effort in the previous Nonghyup Central Association President's Cup, finishing 3rd. However, this time, he is prepared to strengthen his stamina by learning from the previous failure and is poised to aim for victory without hesitation. His running style is a stalking type, following behind the leaders rather than forcing the pace, and making a late move in the final stages.

The 2nd Breeders' Cup Queen (1800m, 3-year-old and older fillies, total prize money 300 million KRW), the final gateway of the second half Queen's Tour, will be held as the 5th race at Busan-Gyeongnam. A fierce competition is expected between Wonderful Slew from Seoul, winner of the Gyeongsangnam-do Governor's Cup, and Jeulgeoun Yeojeong from Busan-Gyeongnam, last year's Breeders' Cup Queen winner.

2024 NongHyup Central Association President's Cup Captain PK Victory Scene. Photo by LetsRun Park Busan Gyeongnam