March 2008

HORSEMAN’S DIGEST for March-April 2008, by Jenny Ortuoste 

 George Young Stribling: Master Horseman

An American who considers himself a “born-again Filipino” reminisces about racing’s past

By Jenny Ortuoste

This article was, for me, an honor and a privilege to write. The subject is my mentor, George Y. Stribling, who taught me the rudiments of flat race riding during my jockeys’ apprenticeship in 1990.

I could have written at length about the history of the Philippine Jockeys’ Academy that he helped establish and still runs today, is very proud of, and which he considers his lasting legacy to the sport. But I chose rather to dwell on his personal story – the story of a remarkable man whom few people in racing know, but to whom Philippine racing in a large part owes the shape and form it has today.

WITHOUT a doubt, the most successful project the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) has ever undertaken is the Philippine Jockeys’ Academy. Responsible for upgrading the professionalism, knowledge, and standards of riders, the “Academy” was founded on 7 April 1980 with the support of the then-chairman of the Philracom, Nemesio I. Yabut, in cooperation with Leo Prieto of the Manila Jockey Club (MJC), Antonia Reyes of Philippine Racing Club (PRC), the first Philracom chairman Eduardo “Danding” M. Cojuangco Jr., MARHO (Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners) president Justice Federico Moreno, Manila Mayor Ramon Bagatsing, equestrienne Fortuna Marcos Barba, and other racing luminaries.

Appointed to be its director was George Young Stribling, an American who had come halfway around the globe in search of tropical warmth and a fresh start. A horseman par excellence – rider, trainer, and owner – he reshaped Philippine racing and made it closer to globally-acknowledged standards.

Now 91, he has made Manila his home for almost thirty years. He has never left the country since his feet first touched its welcoming soil in 1979. His mind, sharp and clear as ever, instantly recalls names, dates, places, circumstances. His snapping green eyes are alive and full of fire. On his head, he always has a soft hat that’s color-coordinated to his shirt. Fond of television and fried chicken, he rules each batch of the Academy with an iron hand and a wooden rod which he does not hesitate to apply to the backsides of the more “foolish” of his students.

A consummate storyteller, he is a treasure trove of tales, a keeper of history, an archive of the past of American and Philippine racing.

This is his story.

Young George

Born 9 March 1917 in Kentucky to Loretta and Garnett “Bee Dee” B. Stribling, George was raised in Washington close to Seattle and grew up “around horses. I was raised within six miles of Longacres racetrack in Washington. Highline High School in Seattle, which I attended, was two miles away.”

The young George enjoyed singing and eagerly participated in school concerts and other activities. His high school yearbook, “The Pirates’ Log”, records that he was a member of the Tennis and Music Clubs; took part in the Senior Vodvil, Glee Club, and Torch Society; and in his senior year, was a member of the Track team and manager of the Football team.

Throughout his education, he was actively involved with horses and when “Strib” obtained his diploma in May 1934, he embarked on a profession that revolved around his love of thoroughbreds and racing.He started working at Longacres and eventually became superintendent there. His fascination for racing took him all over the US.

Churchill Downs, 1936

“From 1912 to 1933,” he recounts, “during the Prohibition period, there was no racing in the US, only in a few places for short meetings – at Churchill Downs in Kentucky, Fairgrounds in New Orleans, Hialeah in Miami, Belmont Park in New York. Also in a few tracks in Mexico and Canada. There was no racing and no pari-mutuel wagering until 1933, when racing was legislated back in by Franklin D. Roosevelt when he was president.”

With racing legal again, George attended as many rodeos and fairs as he could to gain experience in horsemanship. “We used to go from one meeting to another in a covered wagon. When I was 15, I saw Phar Lap run. Horses were on heroin that time. This was just after racing came back.”

Phar Lap, 1932

Back then, horse races were difficult to manage as only rope was used to hold the horses back at the start. George remembers the inception of a piece of racing equipment we take for granted – the starting gate.

“I knew Clay Puett when he was a starter and designing a gate,” George says. “He became a state steward. Later he sold the rights of the Puett gate to United. But he later developed a gate where the horse couldn’t move his head; when it opened, the front of the stalls were clear plastic so the horse could see ahead. I recall he (Puett) was a real gentleman.”

The young George had a front-row seat to the resurgence of racing and was an eager witness to the latest developments. Racetracks sprang up all over the nation. “Bay Meadows opened its doors on 12 Sept 1934. I was there. Santa Anita Park opened its doors on 25 December 1934. I was there too. Hollywood Park opened its doors in 1937. Del Mar, in 1937. I was also there.”

Opening day at Del Mar, San Diego, CA, 3 July 1937

He was in California when Pearl Harbor was bombed. His recollection of that historic time? “There was never any racing for five years, as Santa Anita was converted into a military barracks.”

Thar’s Gold in Them Thar Tracks

Having a business turn of mind, George decided to raise horses. “Sometime in the 1930s, I had two farms in the state of Washington where I bred horses. I had a 22-acre stump farm, full of timber, which I cleared to make paddocks for horses. In 1940, I got a 2500-acre farm also in Washington. That was real wild country – deer, bear, cougars. When I moved East, I gave the farm to my parents – my father died there.”

George became a highly successful trainer and invested in more real estate to pursue his breeding operations. “In the ‘50s I went to Ohio, to a little burg called Mechanicstown. There wasn’t a hundred people that lived there. I saw a little place, and got it in 1955 as a lay-up farm. On my property I made a quarter-mile indoor track, twenty feet wide, and built my own stable with my own money. I could train all the time, even when it was snowing.”

Among other things, George taught jockeys and later became a jockeys’ agent. “I started Eddie Maple to ride. Jesse Davidson was leading rider, leading apprentice in 1958. Next year it was Frankie Northcutt who was leading apprentice.”

He continued to train and race his own horses into the 1960s.  ”Clem’s Heart, I claimed for $3,500. It ran six times, was a runner-up, and claimed for $8,000. He had lots of speed but was peculiar to eat.” It ran best under one of George’s regular riders, Barry Alberts. The horse’s groom was the jockey’s wife, Nancy Alberts, a colorful person who was a descendant of the wealthy Dupont family and later owned a horse that won the Preakness.

George with Nancy Alberts holding Clem’s Heart, Barry Alberts up.

George recalls another horse he owned named Brown Native, which was often ridden by Frankie Northcutt – “the greatest rider I have ever known. Even at 40, and he had been through the Vietnam War and all, he was still the greatest rider ever,” says George. Sadly, Northcutt never gained fame nor fortune as he struggled all his life with alcoholism and other personal demons.

George made a lot of money on his horses, betting on them and selling them, but eventually the tides of his fortune changed course. He endured heartbreak and loss, too painful for him to speak of. To escape the hurt, he became a gypsy.

Roving Heart

George wandered all over the Americas, participating in horse racing wherever he found it. “I have raced all over the Americas, clear from Canada to Argentina and Chile,” he reveals. “I moved from the US West Coast to East Coast, to Canada and British Columbia. I have raced in all countries of North and South America where they have horse racing. I’ve had owner’s and trainer’s licenses in Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic. In the ‘40s, I was in Venezuela. Then in Brazil. I trained there for the biggest coffee merchant in the world, in Rio.   I went to Argentina, where I did buying and selling of horses, but the climate didn’t agree with me. I spent ’72 in Buenos Aires, where I discovered unpunctuality is an old Spanish custom.”

He returned to the US and at Entremont, North Carolina, built a magnificent training facility with a stall for juveniles, cottage barns, a covered track, and even a lake with a dock for swimming horses. But an accident in Ohio years before and other subsequent injuries undermined his health. He flew to Puerto Rico to recuperate.

George says, “In Puerto Rico, I was swimming everyday. There I met a six-foot, two-hundred pound Jew from Brooklyn named Jerry. He was badly crippled with arthritis. We kept in touch. Later this guy wrote me that he had gone to the Philippines, and that his arthritis got alleviated and he could stand up straight.”

No Place Like Manila

Deciding to see for himself what his friend Jerry was raving about, George flew to Manila in July 1979. He was 62. He has never returned to the US since.

“Jerry got me a place at Chateau de Manille,” George says. “After ten days, I went to Santa Ana Park. Here I met Jim Hall, three years older than myself, who had come over with MacArthur. Jim trained for Tony Martin. He went back to the US when Ninoy (Aquino) was shot. Jim also trained for Mr. Santos, Pedro Cojuangco, and Mr. Gatmaitan.”

George subsequently met many people in Philippine racing, and recalls that the original idea of a school for jockeys came “from Leo Prieto. He had set up the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and was the first PBA commissioner. Rudy Salud was Leo Prieto’s protégé. They prevailed upon me to stay in the country.”

The idea of a jockeys’ academy met with much opposition initially, mostly from people who were reluctant to embrace change and innovation.  ”We had an awful time getting the Academy started because the jockeys and some Philracom commissioners were against it. Later this commissioner apologized and said that I had done a great job.”

The PJA opened its doors to the first batch of apprentices on 7 April 1980. George has written before that “the PJA was designed and perpetrated for the purpose of improving the skills and talents of the Filipino jockeys, to bring them to equal or superior quality of jockeys throughout the horseracing world, and to create a market for Filipino horsemanship any and everywhere throughout the racing world where skilled jockeys and horsemen are in demand, thus remitting dollars to the Philippine treasury and to bolster the economy.”

A very tall order indeed. Has George succeeded in pulling it off?

He takes out a detailed list of all the Academy batches, their win-loss records, money earned, their whereabouts. He is very proud of the riders working overseas, mentioning jockeys Tuazon, Osit, Dayaca, and Higinio Borbe in the UK. “Let me tell you, those boys and two others are getting 13,000 English pounds a year, that’s US$26,000 a year, and they have contracts for five years!”

Many Academy graduates, George says, are in Japan as exercise riders and grooms, where the minimum wage is $1,500 a month. “Some jockeys are making more than that,” he says. “Others even have businesses on the side. Osumo is a travel agent.”

Another rider he’s proud of is Jeffrey Dino, from Academy Three. “That boy was in a lot of trouble before,” he says. “But now, Jeffrey is the stable foreman of the King of Saudi Arabia, along with Padua and Romy Baylon, and he’s making twice what they’re making.” Ramon Guce, he says, has a fairly successful career in the US, where he earned $33,000 in 2007, while his brother Lyndon made $22,000.

The demand for skilled Filipino riders is high, George says. “I got contacted by Pat Payne from Australia, and he wants three apprentices to ride in Melbourne and Sydney, while just recently (Australian racecaller) Peter Morrison wants an apprentice to ride in Western Australia.” Academy graduates “have been dispatched to places like England, Ireland, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Cyprus, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Turkey, Bahrain, Qatar, Japan, the US, and other countries.”

The Endearing Filipinos

George has made the Philippines his home, and not the least among those that endeared the country to him is its people. “I have met so many wonderful people here,” he says, “among them Rudy Prado (former MJC Racing Manager). I consider him to be a very good fellow. Pete Paraiso, formerly of MJC, was a really terrific gentleman, the comptroller of Prieto businesses like Dunkin’Donuts and Shakey’s. Mayor Ramon Bagatsing was a very fine man. But I don’t think I have met a nicer man than Leo Prieto. He kept talking about having a riding school for jockeys. He pushed for it a long time. I also consider Putch Puyat a very true friend. About Juaning Macaraig, in all of the years I knew him, I never heard him say a bad thing about anyone, even when he was very angry.”

George at the Jockeys’ Quarters, Santa Ana Park. (14 Jan 2008)

Apart from the friends he has made along the way, George also credits this country with giving him a chance to make a new life in the sport that he loves. He threw his heart and soul into bringing about the changes he felt were necessary and appropriate.

“Some of the major projects I have been responsible for are getting rules changed, such as disqualification rules; rules for the Academy; and I am responsible for straightening the mile out here at Santa Ana; they built out a shoulder on that turn to bring it out.” He elaborates that “mile” here in the Philippines is the metric mile, “which is 39 feet short of the statute mile, where 100 meters equals 1/8 mile. At Santa Ana Park, the 6-1/2 furlong track is built on the statute mile.” George was also “the one who got in the 900-meter sprints. I tried to get claiming races going but they didn’t click.”

He also was heavily involved in setting up a one-mile racetrack in Lipa called the Metropolitan Equestrian Association in the early ‘80s, but that’s a very long story for another day.

George Y. Stribling is a respected mentor to generations of jockeys and students, including myself, who passed under his tutelage or influence. The world of Philippine racing owes him a debt it does not realize or acknowledge – nor can ever repay. ***

SIDEBAR:

GYS on GYS

• “I’m a gypsy – I wanna go where I wanna go.”
• “I’m a born-again Filipino. I have planted my roots here; I will die here in the Philippines.”
• “I want my ashes scattered over the centerfield at Santa Ana Park, because I’ve made this my home base. The Academy was started here.”
• “As far as horse racing is concerned, I’m the most knowledgeable in the Philippines; and I’ve done as much as anybody to help the racing and breeding industries.”

GYS on the Philippines

• “Life here is so much less stressful; the credo here is ‘bahala na’. It’s all unpredictability, a ‘maybe land’. The important thing is that this country is a much less stressful place than other places.”
• “The Filipinos have quaint habits such as unpunctuality- and hospitality. A child with one pandesal or a handful of rice will offer to share it with you.”
• “I have been in the Philippines one-third of my life – and they have been the most enjoyable years of my life.”

George Y. Stribling thanks…

Putch Puyat, Amado Bagatsing, Ramon P. Ereneta, Dan Valmonte, Paul Manesse, Rudy Prado, Don Augusto Santos and family, Peping Santos, Ochie Santos, Romy Santos, Tito de Jesus, Coco and Val Cayco, Tonet Lagdameo, Butch Mamon and family, Dr. Tony Alcasid, Sandy Javier, Hermie Esguerra, Benhur Abalos, Nonoy Niles and so many others…

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 HORSEMAN’S DIGEST March-April 2008, by Jenny Alcasid 

Es Twenty Six Wins Richest Race in 2007

WHO would have thought it back then, when she was a newborn filly bereft of her mother and her survival uncertain, that she would one day be a champion?

Es Twenty Six, the orphan foal who was raised on infant’s formula, has grown up to be one of the most bankable fillies in the land after winning last season’s richest race – the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) Grand Presidential Derby.

Set last December 23 at the Manila Jockey Club’s (MJC) San Lazaro Leisure Park (SLLP), the Derby had a gargantuan total prize pot of P6 million pesos, which drew eleven highly-bred runners to compete over 2,000 meters.

When the gates sprung open, the massive gray form of sprinter Macedonian took the lead, racing 3-1/2 lengths ahead of EJ’s Magic, while in third was Es Twenty Six, ridden by Jesse B. Guce. As they passed the MJC Turf Club for the first time, Es Twenty Six edged up to take second as Pearl Buck crept up to third. Legendary and Treasured Ack rolled along behind them.

In the backstretch, Macedonian began to lose steam, allowing Es Twenty Six to race point. Treasured Ack managed to position herself in second, with Golden Sutter in third. A mere length separated the first three combatants, but at the far turn, Es Twenty Six had stretched her lead by half-a-length more, as Treasured Ack struggled to maintain her place behind the frontrunner even as Henry D’Eighth began moving up to take third. Legendary, seeking to be in contention, was in fourth.

As the field chased each other around the last curve, Es Twenty Six, the outstanding favorite, put 3-1/2 lengths between herself and Legendary, as Henry D’Eighth stayed in third and Treasured Ack dropped back to fourth. Clockers timed the race at 2:07 (24′-23-27-25-27′).

Jockey Jesse B. Guce and Es Twenty Six after winning the Philracom Grand Presidential Derby last 23 Dec 2007 at San Lazaro Leisure Park.

At the wire, it was Es Twenty Six who took home the hefty first prize purse of P3.6 million, making owner Nery Sunga, trainer Dave de la Cruz, and jockey Jesse B. Guce’s Christmas very special indeed.

Second placer Legendary’s connections went home smiling with P1.350 million, more than most first-place prizes for other stakes races. Henry D’Eighth laughed all the way to the bank with third prize of P750,000, while Treasured Ack was content with the generous P300,00 for fourth.

Also-rans were (in order) coupled entries Golden Sutter and Defiant, Pound for Pound, Pearl Buck, EJ’s Magic, Macedonian, and Storm Signal.

This windfall boosted Es Twenty Six’s earnings for 2007 to P7.17 million, with an enviable record of 5-2-0-0 out of only nine season starts. That’s more than P1.5 million ahead of champion juvenile Indelible Ink, second in the rankings with P5.65 million in income last season for twelve starts (eleven wins and a third place). For Es Twenty Six, it was less work, more pay.

Sired by the prolific and sturdy Principality out of Play By Ear, Es Twenty Six has an impressive resume. Winner of the 3^rd leg of the 2007 Triple Crown, she also won the MARHO Breeders’ Cup 3YO Fillies race and came in a strong second to Treasured Ack in the Philracom Lakambini Stakes.

In light of her accomplishments and record, the Philippine Sportswriters’ Association (PSA) gave Es Twenty Six Horse of the Year honors at its awards night held February 16 at the the SM Mall of Asia.

Consequently, she is poised to capture more victories as she enters the 2008 season as a more mature and experienced four-year-old. ***

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HORSEMAN’S DIGEST March-April 2008, by Jenny Ortuoste 

 Philracom CHAIRMAN’S CUP

24 February 2008, San Lazaro Leisure Park

Don Enrico Erases Indelible Ink

It was a race that had the entire racing community abuzz with excitement and speculation – the 2008 Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) Chairman’s Cup. For it pitted the almost unbeatable chestnut filly Indelible Ink, the most accomplished juvenile of 2007, against the humble but talented Don Enrico, who was frequently a runner-up to the precocious filly in most of their matches.

The two three-year-olds grew up together on the same ranch in Batangas – Herma Farms and Stud. The “rising sun and waves” brands on their right shoulders were testament to that. Perhaps they shared the same paddock, and galloped on the grass together, the bright sun glinting off their hides, the wind lifting their manes.

But there the commonalities ended. Indelible Ink, being island-born, boasted an imported pedigree, being by Best Of Luck out of Seaquin. Don Enrico, on the other hand, was Filipino through and through, a spawn of mighty champion Wind Blown out of stakes runner Kayumanggi. Later on, Don Enrico was acquired by Lee Uy Wi, while Herma Farms owner Herminio S. Esguerra kept Indelible Ink.

The differences kept piling up. Indelible Ink was valedictorian of her juvenile class, with earnings of P5.65 million in 2007. Out of twelve starts, she won eleven and had one third place finish.

Don Enrico, on the other hand, was a very smart student but didn’t get all the answers right. Out of eight runs, he won six and placed second twice to bag P2.57 million.

Indelible Ink entered 2008 hoping to dominate this season as well. She was sent off in the Chairman’s Cup as outstanding favorite. Formerly coached by Ruben Clor, she was recently placed under Nestor Manalang’s tutelage.

But Don Enrico, trained by Arturo C. Sordan, had matured in skills and physical condition since their last encounter and proved himself to be Indelible Ink’s worst nightmare, handing the almost unerasable filly her second career defeat.

The 1500-meter race, sponsored by Philracom, was in honor of former chairman and now Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Antonio M. Lagdameo, who made many significant contributions to Philracom and the industry during his term in office.

Nine well-bred three-year olds had signed up for the fight: colts Don Enrico, Bohemian Dave, Shining Fame, Unopposed, and Imperial Ballet all carried 54 kg., while fillies Indelible Ink, her coupled entry Anonymous, Security Queen, and Diamond Duchess carried 52 kg.

When the gates flew back, sprinter Security Queen jumped for the lead. One-and-a-quarter lengths behind was Don Enrico, while Indelible Ink was in third three lengths back. Imperial Ballet, Shining Fame, Anonymous, Unopposed, and Bohemian Dave ran right behind them, while Diamond Duchess trailed the field.

At the 5/8 mark, Security Queen still had a 2-1/2 length lead over Don Enrico, while Indelible Ink had  inched up to a length behind the colt in third. Imperial Ballet struggled to keep fourth position. As the horses whipped round the curve into the backstretch, the frontrunner started to fade; Don Enrico’s young jockey John Alvin A. Guce saw his chance to take point while Indelible Ink’s rider Jeffril T. Zarate hugged the rail in second, Imperial Ballet still in third.

The three took the far turn almost as one, in a move so fluid it looked almost practiced. Indelible Ink crept closer to half-a-length behind Don Enrico, still in front. Imperial Ballet lagged to two behind.

Down the stretch Don Enrico and Indelible Ink pulled away from the pack and made it a grudge match between them. Jockeys Guce and Zarate gritted their teeth as they scrubbed the reins and plied their whips, each refusing to give up.

Jockey Jeffril Zarate on Indelible Ink (left) pushes his mount to the limit in a vain effort to catch the pacesetting Don Enrico, guided by John Alvin Guce.

Fifty meters from the wire, Indelible Ink kicked in with extra energy on the outside but couldn’t weaken Don Enrico’s tenacity, who stubbornly held on to win by a long nose in one of the most hotly-contested fights that racetrack has ever witnessed.

Team Don Enrico, which had the support of many in the racing community, exploded into noisy rejoicing when their colt crossed the wire first with a time of 1:32, clocking splits of 17′-24-24-26′.

Guce seems stunned by their victory, while the grooms bask in reflected glory. Don Enrico endears with a lock of his mane tumbling over his glossy forehead.

From the total P2 million in prize money Philracom allotted for the top four finishers, Don Enrico took home P1.2 million. Indelible Ink settled for P450,000, while Imperial Ballet earned P250,00 for third. Fourth placer Anonymous bagged P100,000. As breeder of the winning horse, Herma Farms was awarded P70,000 as part of the Philracom’s incentive program for the local thoroughbred breeding industry.   ***

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HORSEMAN’S DIGEST March-April 2008, by Jenny Alcasid

Calling the Shots

Ricardo de Zuñiga on the past, present, and future of race calling

Ricardo de Zuñiga calling a race at Santa Ana Park. (18 Nov 2007, Santa Ana Park. Photo by Jun Pinzon)

His sonorous voice with a faintly American accent is familiar to all who have been watching races for the past several decades. Acknowledged as the “Dean of Racecallers”, Ricardo “Carding” de Zuñiga (66), has seen years wax and wane in the sport that is closest to his heart.

Carding’s father was Oscar de Zuñiga, a racing writer who had an influential newspaper column in the 1950s and did much public relations work for the industry.

Forty years ago, the Manila Jockey Club (MJC) was still based at the San Lazaro Hippodrome in Tayuman, Manila. At the time, the racecaller there was Manolo Marvive. He was to migrate to the United States in 1963, and needed someone to take over his duties. He fastened his eye on the 22-year-old Carding.

“Isang araw, hinanap ako ni Manolo,” says Carding. “He found me at four in the morning somewhere in Avenida. He told me I would be announcing the races. Just like that. Wala pa kasi silang ibang nakukuha.” Soon after his talk with Manolo, the then-manager of MJC Francisco Beech Jr. also invited him to be a part of the team. Carding’s start in racing was that simple.

The first time he ever called a race, he was set up by several people in a position where he could not back out. “It was in the early ‘60s,” he says. “I was at San Lazaro in the announcer’s booth with Tony Trinidad and Manolo Marvive. Kasama namin sina horseowner Leroy Salvador, and my mom. Then one by one, they got up and left. The race started. I was all alone. Leroy came back and said I had to call, as neither Tony nor Manolo had returned. So I announced one race.  Chila won that one, ridden by jockey Torno.” Carding recalls being very nervous at his debut. “Bandera lang si Chila throughout the race, kaya siya lang ang tinawag ko. Wala na akong ibang kabayong tinawag kundi siya.”

It was difficult at first, but as he settled into the job, Carding became more comfortable with it. “Noong unang dalawang buwan,” he says, “mahirap, kasi pag nagkakamali ka, binu-boo ka ng tao.” What made it even harder was that he was calling the races alone. “Walang ibang announcer sa MJC noon, ako lang. Sa Santa Ana Park naman, si Tony Trinidad lang ang announcer.”

In 1963, when Carding started, MJC had races only on Saturday and Sunday.  Races commenced at around nine in the morning and lasted until seven at night. There used to be twenty races per day, then this was reduced to eighteen later on. 

In 1968, Carding got a chance to call races for a year at Santa Ana Park, when its former owner, Aurelio P. Reyes, was still alive. “I was one year with PRC, in the ‘60s,” Carding recalls. “(Horseowner Armando) Mandy and Tonichi Trinidad also called at PRC, while their brother Tony was at MJC. I returned to PRC in 1997 when Rey Bersalona and other racecallers there went on strike. Later, Ernie Enriquez and Ira Herrera joined me on the team.”

The racehorses back then had nice names, Carding says. “Naroon sina Balalaika, Wichita Lineman which belonged to (Aristeo) Putch Puyat, Jonas Cord. Yung Brown Carpet, mayroon na noong araw. Carpetbagger, Iron Man, Partnership, Taga-Ilog, and Arampoy ridden by jockey Leonardo.”

Carding’s favorite horses included “Iranza, a native horse – maliit pero magaling. Kahit sino ang sumakay, nananalo – si jockey Elias, jockey Artacho, jockey Fortunato, jockey Baby. It was owned by Mr. Alva.”  He also cites the Yulo family’s Now Giddyup and Gypsy Grey. Other horses were Bringhomedbacon; Gray Lord; Distinctive, owned by film director Leroy Salvador; Paris Match and Wichita Lineman of Putch Puyat; Blue Bahadur; and Ragtime Rhythm ridden regularly by jockey Camba.

But his all-time favorite horse is Iron Man, owned by Baby Ismael.  He also liked Red Fantasy of Mr. Yujuico, as well as Cavite Starlet.  Another good runner was “Mr. Comedy, owned by Johnny Veloso. Magandang kabayo na lumaki hanggang hindi na siya kasya sa aparato; lahing mestisong mola.” It’s hard to imagine a horse growing so large that it can barely fit into the starting gate, but apparently the ironically-named Mr. Comedy was such a one.

“Ang mga sikat na horseowners naman,” Carding continues, “bukod kay Putch Puyat, ay sina Placido Mapa, Don Antonio Floirendo, Johnny Veloso, Ponching (Alfonso) Lacson, Doding Lacson, William Liao, Danding and Peping Cojuangco, Baby Ismael, and CJ Yulo and Sons.” Of those he mentioned, only Puyat and Floirendo are still active in the local scene.

Racing back then, he recalls, was quite different from now in many aspects, such as prize money. “Mas malaki ang premyo ngayon kesa nung araw. Ang sales, ang isang DD (daily double) tumatakbo ng P100,000, hanggang lumaki na ngayon. Kasi noon, manual lang ang kwenta ng benta, hanggang nagkaroon na ng machines.”

Racing was also more nationalistic. “During the time of Manila Mayor Villegas,” he says, “kapag Araw ng Maynila, kailangan Tagalog ang pag-tawag, pati tugtog sa radyo.”  This was tried recently at MJC’s new San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite, but the racecallers of today lack confidence in their ability to call in their native language, preferring to stick to the tired, worn, and often ungrammatical clichés they spout automatically at each race.

Familiar voices: Racecallers Peter Morrison, Romy Cheng, Ira Herrera, and Ricardo de Zuñiga (18 Nov 2007, Santa Ana Park. Photo by Jun Pinzon)

During the ‘70s, Carding says, there used to be match races – one-on-one fights – Confetti vs. Muscles, Top Soldier vs. High Pocket. “Pero walang tayaan,” he clarifies, “side betting lang.”

“Mas magagaling ang kabayo ngayon kaysa noong araw,” Carding asserts. “Noon, may tumatakbo pang nativo, hindi de-lahi. Ngayon, puro thoroughbreds ang nasa pista. At napakabilis na ng mga tiyempo nila kumpara noong araw. Noong araw, ang prueba sa milya, pag nag-1:56, magaling na yun. Sa 1500 meters, pag nag 1:47, magaling na. Sa bagay, maliit lang ang kabayo noon.”

He also notices that the style of riding has changed. “Ang style ng pananakay noon, iba. Ang tawag doon ay “sakay costable”. Ang estribo mahaba, halos sumayad na sa lupa. Ngayon, ang iksi ng estribo. Tumulin din ang kabayo dahil scientific na ang pananakay.”

Asked to compare racecalling then and now, Carding shrugs. “Walang pagkakaiba sa tawag through the years.” What, then, makes a good racecaller? “Ang pinakaimportante para maging isang magaling na race caller ay dapat gusto mo ang karera ng kabayo. Kailangan mahal mo ito. Dapat pag-aralan din ang diviza, kulay ng kabayo, pananakay ng hinete, at parts of the racetrack.”

Carding insists that a good racecaller must also know proper grammar and usage. “Di puede kung kung anu-ano ang sasabihin, dapat angkop.” He advocates a simple and straightforward style. “Pag trying hard ka at nag-a-adlib, nagkakamali. Dapat at ease lang ang tawag – kung ano lang ang nangyayari, na maiintindihan agad ng tao. Di kailangan na nagsisisigaw ka diyan. Kailangan simple lang ang pagtawag.”

Simple and direct. That’s Carding, in racecalling and in life . Embodying the past and present, he looks forward to the future of racecalling and racing.   ***

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KARERA LANG!,  By Jenny Ortuoste for Tumbok,  28 March 2008, Friday 

Interpretasyon ng Stewards sa Karera

 Ang isa pang kontrobersyal na insidente sa karera kamakailan ay ang Race 8 noong Linggo, March 23, kina Reklamador at Pristine Water. Ang tanong tungkol dito ni “gaspar” ng Pinoy Horse Fanatics website (http://www.phf.com.ph/) ay “Si P. Abesamis aboard Pristine Water sa loob po nagparemate at lumagpas kay Reklamador. Ang naging problema nitong karera ay mayroon pa pala itong si Reklamador, at sabay tukod naman nitong si Pristine Water. Parating po uli sa labas itong si Reklamador pero pumigil po ng matindi si JA Guce na halos tabingi na nga ang leeg nito. Pero ang decision ng (Manila Jockey Club) stewards ay walang pagbabago. Ano ang dahilan ng pagpigil ni JA Guce kay Reklamador? Ang pagpipigil po ni Reklamador ay kitang-kita sa TV na may panalo naman po. Bakit no change ang naging decision dito?”

Ang nasa MJC Stewards’ Report ay “Stewards conducted an inquiry for first place between e#10 Pristine Water under EP Abesamis and e#4 Reklamador ridden by JA Guce when it was observed that Guce  suddenly pulled his mount to avoid collision with Abesamis’ mount as both horses approach the wire. When questioned Guce explained that passing the ½ mile mark his mount was already hanging in. He admitted that it was his mount which swerved in and have to restrain and correct it in order to avoid collision with Pristine Water.

“Abesamis…claimed that his mount shifted ground outwards when Reklamador brushed with his mount. After taking evidences from both riders and with Guce admitting fault, the Board ruled that there was no interference made and as a result retained the original order of arrival.” Official winner si Pristine Water at segundo si Reklamador. Sinuspinde si Reklamador “for being vicious during the course of the race (swerving in)”.

Ang insidenteng ito ang isang binanggit ni horseowner Tony de Ubago na may kinalaman sa kanyang reklamo na inaccurate ang ginagawang interpretasyon ng MJC stewards sa rules.

Matatandaan sa kolum ko kahapon na ang isang pang pinag-uusapang desisyon ng MJC stewards ay ang ginawa nila sa karera nila Socialeros ni Mr. de Ubago at Jacobo’s Dream, Race 5 noong Linggo. Kita sa frontal shot ng MJC na nag-”check” o preno si JM Manalo kay Socialeros dahil nag-swerve out sa daan niya si Jacobo’s Dream na sakay ni JV Palomar.

Ngunit sa desisyon ng MJC stewards, ni-retain ang original order of arrival, hindi dinisqualify si Jacobo’s Dream ngunit sinuspinde ang hinete nitong si Palomar ng two racing weeks for careless riding dahil wala na ang “chance of success” ni Socialeros na manalo.

Dito naman sa kaso nila Pristine Water at Reklamador, umamin naman raw si jockey JA Guce na gumewang ang kanyang kabayong si Reklamador, kaya naman sinuspindi ito. So iyan po ang official na report sa insidente.

Ang pag-diskarte po kasi ng kahit na sinong stewards ay based on “subjectivity” o sariling pananaw at interpretasyon. Hinihingi lang sana ng taga-industriya at mananaya na maging consistent at accurate ang pagtingin ng stewards at sa kanilang mga desisyon. Bagamat nabigyan ng explanation ang insidente nila Reklamador, nariyan pa rin ang mga katanungan sa kanilang desisyon sa karera nila Socialeros.

Ano ngayon ang susunod? Nasa Philracom na iyan upang i-review ang kaso at magbigay ng kaukulang rekomendasyon. Kasama na rin sa kanilang forward planning ang seminar para sa mga gustong mag-stewards. Dito sila magkakaroon ng pagkakataon na mag-train ng ayos ng mga stewards na siyang may kapangyarihan tuwing tatakbo ang karera.

Karera lang – walang personalan!  ***

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KARERA LANG!  By Jenny Ortuoste for Tumbok,  27 March 2008, Thursday

MJC Stewards, Mali ang Diskarte?

Mahirap para sa isang racing steward ang dumiskarte ng pag-apply ng mga rules at regulations dahil kanya-kanya ang appreciation o paningin sa karera. Kaya sila ay madalas pagbuntungan ng galit ng mga mananaya, horseowner, trainer, at hinete kapag hindi nagustuhan ng mga ito ang naging desisyon ng stewards sa kaso.

Bilang ehemplo, tingnan natin ang ilang insidente na naganap nitong nakaraang racing week sa San Lazaro Leisure Park (SLLP). Noong March 23, Easter Sunday, naging kontrobersiyal ang naging desisyon ng Manila Jockey Club (MJC) Board of Stewards sa Race 5 at Race 8. Pati sa website ng Pinoy Horse Fanatics (www.phf.com.ph), pinag-usapan rin ang dalawang naturang karera.

Sa Race 5, nasa rekta na ang ilang kabayo, kasama na si Jacobo’s Dream na sinakyan ni JV Palomar. Malakas ang dating ng nagpa-remateng si Socialeros, lulan ni JM Manalo – pinakadehado sa lahat.

 Mga 100 meters from the wire, bumuka si Jacobo’s Dream at napunta ang kanyang daan sa harap mismo ng rumeremateng si Socialeros. Nag-”check” o nag-”preno” si Manalo upang huwag bumangga  sa puwitan ni Jacobo’s Dream. Panay naman ang palo ni Palomar sa kanan upang i-correct ang takbo ng kanyang kabayo, ngunit hindi niya mapigilan ito at na-harangan nga itong si Socialeros.

Napanood ko ang frontal shot ng karerang ito – kuha ng in-house video cameras ng MJC – at kitang-kita ang ginawang pagharang ni Jacobo’s Dream kay Socialeros na sana ay lalagpas na at malaki talaga ang chance na manalo. Pati ang Makisig Network coverage ay nagpakita ng “slomo” dahil nga kita ang pagharang na naganap, bagamat hindi pumayag ang mga Stewards na ipalabas sa broadcast ang kanilang frontal shot.

Akala nga mismo ng trainer ni Jacobo’s Dream, si Renato Hipolito, na madi-disqualify ang kabayo niya. Tumunog ang sirena para sa Steward’s Inquiry, ngunit pagkaraan ng makuha ang testimonya ng dalawang hinete at matingnan ng paulit-ulit ang video tape ng karera, nag-desisyon ang MJC Stewards na i-retain ang original order of arrival.

Dahil raw nanalo pa ng tatlong kabayo (three lengths) si Jacobo’s Dream, hindi dinis-qualify ng MCJ Stewards si Jacobo’s Dream at sa kanya binigay ang panalo, dahil wala rin naman daw “chance of success” na manalo pa si Socialeros. Ngunit sinuspinde nila si Palomar ng two racing weeks for careless riding (PR 13.B.1 of the New Racing Rules).

Galit na galit ang may-ari ni Socialeros na si Mr. Antonio “Tony” de Ubago. “I want the heads of these stewards!” aniya. Noong ilang buwang nakaraan, dinisqualify daw ang kabayo niyang si Ziklag na nakaharang sa ibang kabayo. Tama lang daw iyon dahil naka-istorbo siya. Ngunit, ngayon na kabayo niya naman ang naharangan ngayon, hindi dinisqualify ang kalaban bagkus pinapanalo pa ito!

Noong Race 8 naman noong Linggo rin, halos pareho ang naging sitwasyon nila Reklamador at Pristine Water. More on this next column.

Karera lang – walang personalan!  ***

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KARERA LANG!  By Jenny Ortuoste for Tumbok,  25 March 2008, Tuesday

Happy Anniversary, Philracom!

Maligayang pagbati sa ika-34 anibersaryo ng Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom), na ngayong araw ipinagdiriwang sa tanggapan ng naturang ahensiya.  Itinayo noong 1974 ang Kumisyon na may may katungkulan na mamahala sa karera ng kabayo.

Kasama sa Philracom Board sina Chairman Atty. Jose Ferdinand “Joy” M. Rojas II, at Commissioners Atty. Vergel Cruz, Eduardo “Boboc” C. Domingo Jr., Victor Tantoco, Gerardo Espina, at Dr. Reynaldo Fernando. Ang Executive Director ay si Admiral Jorge G. Necesito na dating pinuno ng Philippine Navy.

The Philracom Board: (front, L-R) Atty. Vey Cruz, Chairman Atty. Joy Rojas, Boboc Domingo; (back, L-R) Victor Tantoco, Dr. Eyo Fernando, Gerry Espina

 Ano ang kanilang mga binabalak na proyekto para sa mga darating na panahon?

 Ayon kay Chairman Rojas, bumubuo sila ng Master Plan for horseracing na malawak at pangkalahatan ang sakop. Pinag-aralan nilang mabuti ang mga kailangang tuparin sa larangan ng karera upang lalo pa itong lumago at mag-akyat ng buwis sa gobyerno, mapa-unlad ang racing at breeding, mag-bigay ng trabaho, at magdulot ng iba pang benepisyong pang-ekonomiya.

Bahagi ng Master Plan for racing ang pagbabalik ng drug testing ng kabayo; ang pag-computerize ng lahat ng records ng Philracom; ang pag-gawa ng online portals upang makapag-transact sa Internet ang mga nais magparehistro at kumuha  ng lisensiya; ang pag-ayos ng quarantine protocols ng bansa upang makapag-export ng kabayo; ang pag-ayos ng handicapping upang hindi pabago-bago ang patakaran nito; at marami pang iba.

Hindi lahat ito magagawa sa isang iglap, ngunit unti-unti marami nang naumpisahan ang team ni Chairman Rojas, sa tulong ng mga taga-Philracom at iba pang taga-industriya.

Sa ibang balita: ayon kay yeggmen ng Pinoy Horse Fanatics (http://www.phf.com.ph/), na naninirahan sa California, USA, ang Pilipinong si Ramon “Monching” B. Guce ang pangunahing hinete ng thoroughbred sa Los Alamitos racetrack sa California.  Sa nakaraang taon, sa loob ng 104 sakay, mayroon siyang 27 panalo, 21 segundo, at 20 tercero, at may kabuuang earnings ng $154,505. Matatandaan ng mga dati nang karerista na si Monching ay sumasakay noon sa Pilipinas sa pangalang “RB Guce” bago siya tumungo ng Amerika noong 1999 upang maghanap ng mas magandang buhay. Siya ay kapatid ng mga hineteng sina LB Guce at AB Guce.

Just one of RB Guce’s many wins, this one at Hollywood Park. His entire family (wife Socorro, kids Arbhiemon, Clarice, and Monique), here also at the winner’s circle, are proud witnesses to his victory.

Nadalaw ko sina Monching at ang kanyang maybahay na si Socorro, aking kumare, at ang kanilang mga anak noong 2001 sa California. Masasabing bago pa lang silang nakakarating doon, ngunit very happy sila at kuntento na sa buhay nila doon. Lalo pa ngayon na gumawa na ng pangalan doon si Monching.

Kaya maipagmamalaki natin sa larangan ng palaro hindi lang si Manny Pacquiao, kundi pati na rin ang mga Pilipinong hinete tulad ni Monching at iba pang mga hinete sa Middle East, Japan, at iba-iba pang lupalop ng mundo.

Bilang mga produkto ng Philippine Jockeys’ Academy sa ilalim ni Mr. George Stribling, sila ay may skills hindi lamang sa pananakay kundi sa iba pang aspeto ng horsemanship kaya naman in demand talaga sila sa ibang bansa.

George Stribling (center), celebrates the win of horse Brown Native in a 6-1/2 furlong race, with Barry Alberts up. Stribling trained this horse for owner JR Chapman. (Charles Town, West Virginia, 9 Oct 1974)

Dapat bigyan ng credit at pasasalamat dito si Mr. Stribling na sa loob ng 30 taon ay walang sawang namatnubay at nagturo sa mga hinete natin, karamihan ay baka kung ano nalang ang naging buhay kundi sila nag-aral sa Academy at naging hinete. Marami na sa kanila ngayon ang nagkaroon ng direksiyon sa buhay at napaginhawa ang buhay ng kanilang pamilya dahil na rin sa kanilang pagiging hinete.

Malaki ang naging papel ng Philracom dito dahil isa ito sa mga pangunahing nagbibigay ng suporta sa Academy.

Karera lang – walang personalan!  ***

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KARERA LANG!  By Jenny Ortuoste for Tumbok,  20 March 2008, Thursday

34th Philracom Anniversary

Sa susunod na Martes na ang ika-34th pagdiriwang ng anibersaryo ng Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom). Ang government agency na ito ay itinatag noong 1974 sa tulong ni horseowner Ambassador Eduardo “Danding” M. Cojuangco Jr. na siya ring naging kauna-unahang chairman ng ahensiyang taga-supervise at regulate ng sport ng horseracing.

Sa higit tatlong dekada ng Philracom, malayo na ang narating ng karera ng kabayo. Noong araw, mga “nativo” ang mga kabayong tumatakbo sa pista. Bihira ang mola o thoroughbred, ngunit sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Amb. Cojuangco, sumigla ang importation ng mga de-lahing kabayo hanggang sa puro mola na ang mga tumatakbo ngayon.

ECJ at the 11th MARHO Breeders’ Cup launch, Wack Wack, 2006.With him are MARHO directors Nestor Borromeo and Butch Mamon.

 Logical na kasunod ng importation ang pag-unlad ng breeding. Sa patuloy na pag-improve ng bloodstock sa bansa, nakakapag-produce na ang mga local na rancho ng mga kampeon. Isa na roon ang Royal Maverick Ranch (RMR) ni Sandy Javier, breeder nila Wind Blown, Empire King, Es Twenty Six, at napakarami pang matunog na pang- “Racing Hall of Fame”. Sa kasalukuyan marami na ring mga horseowners at breeders ang umuusbong dahil sa magandang klima para sa breeding na naitaguyod ng Philracom.

Through the years, maraming nagawang buti ang Philracom, at marami rin ang kapalpakan, depende sa liderato nito at sa mga attitude nila sa trabaho. Marami nang chairman at commissioners na dumating at umalis. Ngunit sa kabila ng mga kakulangan ng iba, masasabi pa rin na significant ang overall impact ng Philracom dahil hanggang ngayon, nariyan pa rin ang racing na buhay na buhay!

Philracom Commissioners Atty. Vey Cruz, Victor Tantoco, and Chairman Atty. Joy Rojas before the start of a Board meeting. On the wall behind them are photographs of past chairmen.

Sa totoo lang,  ang racing ay isa nang industriya na kumikita ng bilyong-bilyong piso, nag-aakyat ng malaking halaga sa kaban ng gobyero sa pamamagitan ng buwis, nagbibigay ng trabaho di lang sa mga racetrack kundi pati na rin sa mga rancho, at naging ugat na bagong industriya, ang thoroughbred breeding. Malaki ang papel na ginampanan ng Philracom upang makamit ang mga ito.

Ano kaya ang balak ng Philracom sa darating na panahon? Iyan ang tatalakayin ko sa Martes. Bukas po kasi ay Biernes Santo at wala po munang “Karera Lang!”.  Have a meaningful and peaceful Holy Week! Happy Easter in advance! ***

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KARERA LANG!  By Jenny Ortuoste for Tumbok,  18 March 2008, Tuesday

Anonymous sa Aquamarine II

Matindi ang bakbakan, walang urungan ang salpukan. Fight to the death ang magkatunggali sa laban, walang bigayan, ngunit iisa lamang ang maaring ideklarang “kampeon”.

Iyon ang naging eksena sa laban nila Pacquiao at Marquez noong Linggo. Tumagal ng twelve rounds ang makasaysayang suntukan na sa huli ay humantong sa split decision. In other words, close fight. Dikit ang laban at sa points lang nagkatalo. Mabuti nalang na si Pacquiao ang ginawaran ng kampeonato. Kung hindi, siguradong nagkagulo na ang sambayanang Pilipino at baka sinugod na ang mga boxing judges sa Las Vegas.

Teka, hindi pala ito boxing column kundi horseracing column.  Hehehe. Cencia na po. Medyo nadala tayo sa agos ng “Pacquiao fever” na kumalat sa buong Pilipinas noong Linggo. Tulad ng dati, kapag araw ng laban ni Pacquiao, tumigil ang buong Pilipinas. Zero ang crime rate. Nag-deklara ng ceasefire ang military sa laban nila sa mga rebelde. Mismong sa mga mall tulad ng Glorietta, halos walang tao. Iba talaga ang hatak ni Manny Pacquiao.

Kahit ang mga karerista, isinantabi muna ang pangangarera at pinanood muna ang makasaysayang labanan sa telebisyon. Gaya ng napansin na trend, medyo bumaba ang benta ng Santa Ana Park noong Linggo gawa ng ang atensiyon ng mananaya ay nasa ibang sport. Kaya ayaw na ayaw ng racing clubs na matapat sa kanila ang schedule ng laban ni Pacquiao, dahil tiyak na magsa-suffer ang sales nila for the day.

Kailan kaya mae-enjoy ng horseracing ang ganoon ka init na suporta mula sa publiko? Dito kasi sa Pilipinas, mas gusto ng taong panoorin ang “Three B’s” – basketball, boxing, at billiards. Kahit kailan ay hindi naging kasing-sikat na sport ang karera ng kabayo – o kahit na anong karera, for that matter.

Maaring dahil gambling ang tingin ng karamihan sa karera. Totoo namang may betting aspect, hindi mawawala iyan, dahil napakalaki ng perang kailangan upang mabuhay ang sport na ito. Sana lang, maunawaan ng tao na hindi lamang gaming ang racing, kundi isa itong sport, first and foremost. Tulad ng boxing, pagalingan din iyan. Importante ang ensayo at training. At ang parehong minimithi ay ang pagwawagi at pagiging kampeon.

Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao and his entire team. Nagbigay na naman siya ng karangalan sa bansa, at ipinakita sa buong mundo ang kakayahan ng atletang Pilipino.

Natabunan tuloy ang Aquamarine II stakes race noong Linggo. Si Anonymous, second favorite, ang nagwagi, sumegundo si Kai Jason, at tercero ang llamadong si EJ’s Magic. Matindi rin ang labanan, walang bigyan. At sa huli, isa lamang ang naideklarang kampeon.

Ang susunod na Philracom-sponsored stakes race ay ang milyang Diamond I Stakes sa San Lazaro Leisure Park sa April 6, para sa mga 3YO local-breds. Abangan po ito! At siguro naman maibibigay na natin ang ating buong atensiyon dito, dahil wala nang laban ni Pacquiao sa araw na iyon.                   

Karera lang – walang personalan!  ***

Photo of Manny Pacquiao from philerweb.wordpress.com

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