Philippine Sports News

THE first racino (racing and casino) facility in the whole Asia opened Friday (December 8, 2006) in the Philippines during a soft opening inauguration proceeding at the San Lazaro Leisure Park (SLLP) in Carmona, Cavite.
The casino facility is situated inside the grandstand of the racing facility and at the fourth floor of the huge edifice [...]

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THE recent Marho Breeders’ Cup proved to be a success and poses another big challenge to its organization and to the whole Philippine horse racing industry itself.
Seven major championship races that featured the very best in the various divisions were seen by the local horse racing world. The champions really proved their worth and they [...]

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The American-bred horses proved to be the stronger ones as they dominated three of the major stakes races including the centerpiece Don Juan Derby 2006 last Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

Big Deb, a Kentucky-bred bay filly by Louis Quatorze out of Debby Dot Am, upset her more fancied rivals in the P2-million Don Juan Derby to affirm the US-bred imports’s domination of the major events organized by the Klub Don Juan de Manila and hosted by the Manila Jockey Club.

“Masuwerte lang talaga! Ginawa ko lang yung diskarte na pinagawa sa akin kung kaya naman pinabayaan ko lang siyang nasa likod ng grupo. Mahaba ang laban kasi kaya tinitignan namin na baka magkagigilan sila sa harapan. Ganun nga ang nangyari,“ said the winning rider and a veteran of so many stakes races Manolito Daquis.

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The richest single race among the best 3-year-olds in the country today blasts off October 15 as the organizing Klub Don Juan de Manila (KDJM) released the official line-up of protagonists in the said P2-million race at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite together with three other major races on that day.

The Philracom Don Juan Derby 2006 attracted a total of nine exciting and proven gallopers – five locals and four imported – vying for the top prize of P1.15 million.

The complete line-up of entries together with their respective jockeys include: Raymund Puyat’s Manila’s Gem (Jesse Guce); Engr. Edgardo Mailom’s Manhattan (Pati Dilema); Hermie Esguerra’s Don Exequiel (Jonathan Hernandez) and Hear Me (Fernando Raquel Jr.); David Lee’s Fairy Queen (Antonio Alcasid Jr.); Dominic Frederick Francisco’s Gundam (Dominador Borbe Jr.); Romy Hernandez’s Rebecca’s Magic (John Ralph Saulog); Francisco Cayco’s Big Deb (Lito Daquis); and Bienvenido Niles Jr.’s Leave No Doubt (John Alvin Guce).

The runner-up in this 2,000-meter race will receive P430,000 while the third and fourth placer get P230,000 and P90,000, respectively. All the other finishers from 5th to 9th will also receive a consolation prize of P20,000 each.

Don Exequiel, first leg winner of this year’s Triple Crown Championship Series, heads the list of local runners that also include Manhattan, Manila’s Gem, Gundam and Rebecca’s Magic. Meanwhile, the imported gallopers are composed of Fairy Queen, Hear Me, Big Deb and Leave No Doubt.

The annual event is now on its fifth edition and being organized by the Klub Don Juan de Manila and hosted yearly by the Manila Jockey Club, Inc.

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Just recently, a veteran and multi-titled race-horse trainer quietly left for the United States to settle there for good. But he left with a heavy heart knowing the plight of our local trainers.

Dr. Antonio Alcasid, one of the best race-horse trainers the country has ever produced, left with his wife Gloria for New York where they will be staying for good with one of their elder daughters.

But Alcasid, in a talk with this writer over the phone a day before he left, said that “I would like to see the day when trainers have already upped their level of professionalism.”

“Maraming trainers tayo ngayon na magagaling pero hindi ma-maximize ‘yung kagalingan dahil ang mga nasusunod ay ‘yung owners. Owners’ base ang ating industriya ng karera dito, hindi kagaya sa malalaking karerahan sa mundo na trainers’ base. Ang trainer ang dapat na masunod sa itatakbo ng kabayo hindi ang owner. Wala naman kasi tayong magawa dahil na rin sa klase ng handicapping system natin. Imbes na maipakita ang galing nu’ng kabayo natututo silang magpababa ng grupo at ipatalo ayon na rin sa kagustuhan ng mga owners. That’s sad,” said the 67-year-old Alcasid, who trained some of the country’s finest horses such as the legendary Fair N’ Square, Fiorella, Little Morning, Gypsy Grey, Time Master and Magic Showtime, among others.

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