Picks for the Korea Sprint and Cup at Seoul, South Korea

Wild Dude (c) Ross Holburt/Korean Racing Authority

by Dick Powell

Race 8 on Saturday night is the $354,840 Korea Sprint Cup (Kor-G1). It has attracted 13 runners going about six furlongs on the sand track at Seoul, South Korea, and the imported horses look too tough for the locals on a class basis.

Racing over the quirky main track will present some challenges, and if you believe in the horse for the course angle, about half the field has experience over the track. They run left-handed like we do, and if there is any moisture in the track, speed will do well.

WILD DUDE (#11) ran well in the Dubai Racing Carnival this past winter and was a good fourth behind Mind Your Biscuits in the Golden Shaheen Stakes (UAE-G1) at the end of March. He ran poorly here in this race two years ago but won two Grade 1s at Santa Anita and Del Mar in 2015 on dirt.

Moanin (c) Ross Holburt/Korean Racing Authority

MOANIN (#9) has never raced here but has plenty of class coming in from Japan. The son of Henny Hughes has won seven times in Japan and captured the February Stakes (Jpn-G1) over two years ago. Recent starts in Japan on dirt have not been much but he is still the highest rated horse in the race.