Let's Run Park Busan-Gyeongnam Super Rookie 'Touchstarman' Rises as the Best 3-Year-Old Horse in Korea

Come-from-Behind Victory at the KRA Cup Mile Held on the 5th

On the 5th, Touch Star Man crossed the finish line in the lead at the Grand Prize race held at LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] At Korea Racing Authority’s LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam on the 5th, the rising star of Busan-Gyeongnam Racecourse, 'Touch Star Man,' achieved a come-from-behind victory in the ‘KRA Cup Mile (GⅡ, 1600m, total prize money 600 million KRW).’ The race record was 1 minute 39.3 seconds.

Established in 2005 and marking its 16th edition this year, the ‘KRA Cup Mile’ is the first gateway of the Triple Crown, signaling the emergence of the best 3-year-old horses.

The Triple Crown, starting with the ‘KRA Cup Mile,’ continues with the ‘Korean Derby (GⅠ)’ and the ‘Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Cup (GⅡ),’ with a total prize money of 2 billion KRW across the three races. Winning all three to become the Triple Crown champion grants a bonus of 100 million KRW and recognition of the horse’s value as a sire.

When the starting gate opened, 13 racehorses entered the lead competition, with ‘Golden Winner,’ ‘Many Hero,’ and ‘Doctor Carson’ forming the early leading group. ‘Touch Star Man (male, 3 years old, rating 58, owner Woo Man-sik, trainer Kim Young-kwan),’ ridden by jockey Jung Do-yoon, maintained a mid-position during the early and middle stages of the race.

Entering the home stretch, ‘K N Road’ and ‘Touch Star Man’ quickly closed the gap on the early leaders, and with less than 200 meters to the finish line, they overtook to create a two-horse duel. At 100 meters before the finish line, ‘Touch Star Man’ passed the finish line with a final burst of speed to claim victory.

This ‘KRA Cup Mile’ was ‘Touch Star Man’s’ first entry in a graded race, and he not only won his graded race debut but also earned the honor of being the ‘best 3-year-old horse in the country.’

Jockey Jung Do-yoon, who partnered with ‘Touch Star Man,’ said, “I have been training with ‘Touch Star Man’ for four months preparing for the ‘KRA Cup Mile,’ and I am happy to achieve such a good result after working hard.” He added, “It is unfortunate to compete in a graded race without horse racing fans due to COVID-19. I hope this situation ends soon so we can race with the support of the fans.”

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