The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In returns its international reach to South Korea Sept. 6 with bids to the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup World Championships on the line in the Korea Cup (G2) and Korea Sprint (G3).
The feature attraction is Japan-based Diktaean, an 8-year-old gelding by King Kamehameha who seeks a repeat win in the 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) Cup and an entry to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
He followed last year's victory in Korea with a win in the Tokyo Daishoten (G1) at Oi Racecourse Dec. 29, a breakthrough for National Association of Racing horses against the more dominant Japan Racing Association rivals. The back-to-back wins boosted him to the NAR's Horse of the Year honor.
This year, Diktaean reported fifth in the Kawasaki Kinen April 8 and third in the Teio Sho July 1 at Oi—a similar pattern to his year-ago performance of second and fourth in the same races. Overall, Diktaean has 11 wins from 33 starts.
Diktaean, out of the King Halo mare Medeia, is trained by Katsunori Arayama.
Crown Pride, a more familiar name on the international scene, is the last back-to-back winner of the Korea Cup, in 2023 and 2024. Crown Pride won the UAE Derby (G2) in 2022 in Dubai and used that as a springboard to the Kentucky Derby (G1), where he finished 13th after disputing a suicidal pace. He finished fifth in both the Saudi Cup (G1) and the Dubai World Cup (G1) in 2023.
Korea Sprint
Hong Kong-based Beauty Waves tackles local and Japanese rivals in the Korea Sprint at 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs), a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). The 6-year-old Starspangledbanner gelding's record is not particularly impressive at first glance, but improves with a look at the company lines, which include the likes of Ka Ying Rising at the top level of global competition.
Hong Kong also returns last year's winner Self Improvement, who has not maintained form at home. But if the Seoul Racecourse sandy surface was a big plus a year ago, it's still there.
Dragon Welds, a Kentucky-bred Frosted colt, and American Stage head the Japanese contingent in the Korea Sprint. Dragon Welds steps up in class on the back of three straight wins, lately in the Tokyo Sprint at Oi.
American Stage will be a more familiar name to American racing fans. Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, the globe-trotting 4-year-old Into Mischief colt finished fourth in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar, beaten 4 1/4 lengths. He is seeking a return to form for trainer Yoshito Yahagi, having not won since December 2024, despite placing in a group 3 in Dubai last spring and finishing fourth in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) in February. He returns to dirt after making his last three starts on turf in Japan.
