By Alan Carasso
Though they have failed to make a serious impression in three previous runnings of the Keeneland Korea Cup (1800m) and Keeneland Korea Sprint (1200m), American-based runners look primed to make their presence felt when the two big-money races are held Sunday afternoon.
G M B Racing's Lone Sailor (Majestic Warrior) brings legitimate American Grade I form into the Cup and is nicely drawn in gate three in the 11-horse field. The $120,000 Keeneland September graduate, though winless in seven starts since annexing last year's GIII Oklahoma Derby, missed by a neck in a sloppy-track renewal of the GII Oaklawn H. in April ahead of a running-on third in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita. Gerard Melancon has the call for Tom Amoss aboard the gelding, a latest runner-up in Saratoga allowance company Aug. 9.
Korean-trained Dolkong (Afleet Alex), a distant second to the repeating London Town (Jpn) (Kane Hekili {Jpn}) 12 months ago, represented his country with distinction at the 2019 Dubai World Cup Carnival, winning the Listed Curlin H. by 9 1/2 lengths ahead of a third in the G1 Maktoum Challenge-R3. He was well-beaten behind Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in the G1 World Cup, but bounced back to defeat Moonhak Chief (Pioneerof the Nile) in the black-type Mayor's Cup at Busan June 30. Owing to a trade dispute between the two countries, no Japanese horses were invited to this year's races.
The exciting locally based Blue Chipper (Tiznow) looks to make it six in a row and seven for eight overall, but will have to work out a trip from the 13 hole in the Sprint. A $95,000 buyback from the 2016 September sale, the Busan-based bay makes the trek up to Seoul on the heels of a 10-length defeat of Cup hopeful Baengmunbaekdap (Tapizar) in the Owners' Cup July 28 in which he demolished the previous track record in a final time of 1:36.1 for the metric mile. He is four-for-five at Sunday's abbreviated distance. Global Captain (Munnings), six-for-eight lifetime; Gaon Champ (Kor) (Ecton Park), nine-for-12 in his career; and Doraonpogyeongseon (Kantharos), third in last year's running, can also factor for the home team.
Trainer Jim Chapman knows how to travel one successfully, having conditioned Caller One (Phone Trick) to back-to-back victories in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2001 and 2002. Heartwood (Tapit), a close second in last year's GIII Fall Highweight H. at Aqueduct, was third in the GIII Mr. Prospector S. at Gulfstream in December ahead of a first black-type score in the King Cotton S. at Oaklawn Feb. 9. A wide-trip fifth to Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) in that track's Hot Springs S. Mar. 9, he took a Belterra allowance first off a four-month hiatus July 5.
Sunday's program was for a time under a cloud–literally–with the prospects of Typhoon Lingling potentially impacting the card. But the current forecast calls for only a small chance for precipitation during the day. TVG will carry the Sprint and Cup during a live broadcast.
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