The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series returns to South Korea on September 7 with two major dirt races at Seoul Racecourse Park: the $1.1 million Korea Cup (G3) at 1 1/8 miles and the $1 million Korea Sprint (G3) at six furlongs. Winners of these races earn automatic berths into the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Sprint, respectively. The Korea Cup features an 11-horse field led by Hong Kong-based Chancheng Glory, making his dirt debut, and strong Japanese contenders like Dura Erede and Ramjet. Local standout Success Baekpa, South Korea’s champion 3-year-old colt last year, also competes.
The Korea Sprint has drawn 13 runners, including three from Japan—Chikappa, Sunrise Hawk, and Tagano Beauty—who will challenge local star Vincero Cavallo, a dominant sprinter with 10 wins in 21 starts. Chikappa, trained by Kazuya Nakatake and ridden by Yutaka Take, has multiple listed stakes wins in Japan, while Sunrise Hawk and Tagano Beauty bring strong form from recent graded stakes. Vincero Cavallo, trained by Kim In Gyu, recently swept Seoul’s 2025 Sprint Series and enters as the odds-on favorite. These races are part of the international “Win and You’re In” series, offering automatic entries and fees paid into corresponding Breeders’ Cup World Championship events.
