Speedyoung Sets 1600m Record to Win 17th Owners' Cup

Korea Racing Authority LetsRun Park Busan Gyeongnam

On June 30, at the 17th Owners’ Cup (G3, 1600m, prize money of 500 million KRW) held at Korea Racing Authority Let's Run Park Busan-Gyeongnam, "Speed Young" (Korean-bred, 4-year-old bay colt, owner DRMCT, trainer Bang Dongseok, jockey Kim Hyesun) claimed victory by 8 lengths, redeeming previous disappointments.

Winning horse 'Speedyoung' and jockey Hyesun Kim.

The Owners’ Cup race, held on a saturated track with a moisture content of 18% due to several days of monsoon rain, featured a full field of 16 horses filling the gates.

In the early stages, "Sky Wind" took the lead by taking advantage of the inside gate, followed by "Something Lost." "Speed Young" positioned himself in fourth place, running among the leaders. After navigating two corners and entering the home stretch, "Speed Young" displayed explosive acceleration, surging ahead and widening the gap to 8 lengths from the runner-up, dominating the first race of the Korea Premier Series.

In the fierce battle for second place, the 8-year-old veteran "Simjangui Godong" seized the advantage, showcasing the strength of older horses. Third place also went to another veteran, the 7-year-old "Eomaeoma," demonstrating undiminished skill. The 3-year-old rookie "Sky Wind," who had led the early stages, faded rapidly in the home stretch and fell out of contention.

Despite racing together for the first time, winning horse "Speed Young" and jockey Kim Hyesun displayed perfect teamwork in this race. Notably, they set a new race record of 1 minute 36.0 seconds, breaking the previous 1600m record of 1 minute 36.1 seconds set by "Blue Chipper" in 2019.

This victory for "Speed Young" was achieved in his eighth attempt at a major race since winning the 2022 Breeders’ Cup (G2), making the win even more meaningful after seven previous tries.

Through this race, jockey Kim Hyesun also proved her strong partnership with both 4-year-old stablemates "Speed Young" and "Global Hit" from trainer Bang Dongseok's barn. As a result, fans are now eager to see which horse Kim Hyesun will ride in the upcoming races of the Korea Premier Series in the second half of the year.

The Korea Premier Series, which selects the Horse of the Year and Best Korean-bred Horse, kicks off with this Owners’ Cup and continues with the KRA Cup Classic (G2) in August, Korea Cup (IG3) in September, President’s Cup (G1) in October, and Grand Prix (G1) in December.

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