Viva Ace regains winning ways at Busan

Bouncing back sharply from his first out-of-the-exacta finish in eight lifetime starts, Viva Ace rolled to a four-length victory going 1,600 meters in handicap competition Friday at Busan in Korea.

The dark bay gelding by Macho Uno-Dancing Lake, by Meadowlake has now won five of nine career starts and finished second in three others, earning roughly $163,132 in U.S. equivalent. His only out-of-the-money performance was his last out, on May 1, when he finished sixth of 14, beaten about 5 1/2 lengths, in his first listed stakes effort.

I shortlisted Viva Ace as a "Priority 2" offering on a 48-horse list of bargain prospects for a client at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training. He sold for $20,000 to the KOID (the Korean Racing Authority), which buys horses in the States and ships them to Asia for resale and racing. Viva Ace runs for the stable of owner Hong Kyung Pyo and is trained by Kang Hyoung Gon.

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