Racehorse Gallop Resumes... First Ever No-Audience Horse Racing on the 19th

LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam, First Victory in Horse Racing After 4 Months Marks a 'Foundation of Revival'

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The swift gallop of racehorses has resumed.

Amid the COVID-19 aftermath, with professional baseball, K League, and KLPGA opening their seasons without spectators, on the 19th, Korea Racing Authority's LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam also restricted spectator entry, allowing only a limited number of owners to enter, conducting a so-called 'no-spectator' horse race. This was the first-ever no-customer race in horse racing history.

Although the racecourse was partially opened with only owners allowed to enter, Busan-Gyeongnam Racecourse strengthened quarantine measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while proceeding with the races.

The highlight was who would seize the first victory of horse racing returning after four months. The first race (1000M), held as a Grade 6 debut race, featured 12 three-year-old horses including ‘Power Gate (filly)’, ‘Indi Queen (filly)’, ‘Gold Magic (colt)’, and ‘Sweet Band (filly)’.

Since it was a race for three-year-olds, the competition was neck and neck. With 400M remaining, jockey Choi Si-dae’s ‘Power Gate’ took the lead and crossed the finish line to claim victory.

On the same day, the final race, the 15th race at Busan-Gyeongnam, was a ‘Road to GⅠ Championship’ Grade 1 race (2000M). Prominent racehorses such as ‘Jumbo Blade (male, 5 years old)’, ‘Stealth (male, 7 years old)’, ‘Major Alpha (male, 5 years old)’, and ‘Magic Run (colt, 5 years old)’ participated. Jockey Seo Seung-woon’s ‘Revival Rock (male, 7 years old)’ led from the start and crossed the finish line first.

Kim Hong-gi, head of LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam, said, “Busan-Gyeongnam Racecourse has taken the first step in Korean horse racing after four months. Although the races are held without spectators under thorough quarantine, I hope this becomes a stage where racehorses and jockeys can fully demonstrate the skills they have honed during the closure period.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.