On the morning of the 3rd, when the Kentucky Derby was likely drawing global attention, I was heading to Seoul Racecourse in South Korea. This year, the Korean Derby arrived earlier than usual, taking place on the same day. The 29th edition of the Korea Derby (Korean G1, dirt 1800m) was held for the first time in the first week of May. The race was won by Fang Mo Jang (colt, trained by Song Moon-gil, sire: Nasqa Prince), who went wire-to-wire by 1½ lengths, securing his third win in five starts. He had finished second in the first leg of the Triple Crown but was the third favorite.
My first live experience of Korea’s Derby was in 2002, the 5th edition. Since then, I have attended as often as possible. In 2006, the 9th running, Penok Cheong, a son of Through the Green, came from off the pace to win, marking the first victory by a Japanese-bred sire’s offspring. That race had only eight starters, barely avoiding cancellation due to a lack of entries. Fast forward to 2023, the 26th edition after the pandemic, and the race has been fully subscribed with 16 runners for four consecutive years. It feels like a generational shift.
The first Korea Derby was held in 1998, launched when the country began seriously investing in Thoroughbred breeding. From the start, it was restricted to Korean-bred horses, and it has only recently begun to feel like a true Derby. There were 1,371 Korean-bred foals born in 2023, but Fang Mo Jang is the only foal from the same-year crop of his sire, owned and bred by Nasqa Co. Ltd. This was the first Derby win for the owner of the sire, as well as for the trainer who cared for the father. I was fortunate to witness that moment. [By Motoyasu Motoyasu]
*Note: This column has a back number for past editions.*