![Crowds fill the grandstand at LetsRun Park Yeongcheon. [LetsRun Park Yeongcheon]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/17/news-p.v1.20260917.20251be86b814ee3af4eb1b3103dcbd1_P1.jpg)
LetsRun Park Yeongcheon, a horse racing park in Geumho-eup, Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, held its official opening ceremony and launched South Korea's first regional circuit racing operation.
According to the Korea Racing Authority, the country's fourth horse racing park — 17 years in the making since a site was selected in 2009 — drew 13,022 visitors on its opening day, Sunday, and a total of 17,220 over its first operating weekend from Friday through Sunday.
LetsRun Park Yeongcheon is expected to become a new leisure and tourism hub for the Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province region, offering live races every Sunday along with various customer appreciation events.
The opening day drew large crowds eager to witness Yeongcheon's first live race and celebrate the park's launch.
About 250 guests and officials attended the ceremony, including Korea Racing Authority Chairman Woo Hee-jong, National Assembly member Lee Man-hee, Yeongcheon Mayor Kim Byeong-sam, North Gyeongsang Provincial Council Vice Speaker Lee Chun-woo, Yeongcheon City Council Speaker Ha Gi-tae, and Lee Jin-sik, secretary general of the Speculative Industry Integrated Supervisory Commission.
A pre-ceremony performance and opening act were followed by six races, including a commemorative opening race, adding to the festive atmosphere.
The highlight was the first race — the "LetsRun Park Yeongcheon Opening Commemorative" race, with a total purse of 150 million won ($111,000) — in which Momentum, a three-year-old Korean-bred filly ridden by jockey Jeong Do-yun, pulled off a come-from-behind victory.
After running in the lower-middle of the pack early on, Momentum surged in the final stretch to overtake the leaders and cross the finish line first, earning first-place prize money of 82.5 million won.
The centerpiece of LetsRun Park Yeongcheon is its regional circuit racing system, the first of its kind in South Korea. Racehorses and jockeys from the Busan-South Gyeongsang Province circuit travel to Yeongcheon every Sunday to compete, extending live racing to a new region by linking existing racing resources.
On opening day, 54 racehorses were transported across roughly 125 kilometers in 11 specialized vehicles.
Upon arrival, a dedicated team of veterinarians and farriers conducted thorough "pit stop"-style checkups — including auscultation and hoof inspections — to verify the health and safety of each horse.
"I am grateful to the residents of Yeongcheon and North Gyeongsang Province for waiting 17 years for LetsRun Park Yeongcheon to open," Korea Racing Authority Chairman Woo said. "We will repay the enthusiasm and support shown here today with stable operations."
kbj7653@heraldcorp.com
