February 2009

THE HOARSE WHISPERER  By Jenny Ortuoste for Manila Standard-Today,  25 February 2009, Wednesday

 Go Army in Gintong Lahi

With the recent staging of this year’s annual Academy Awards in the United States, thoughts turn to the recognition programs put on by various organizations to honor the achievers in their fields.       

In Philippine horseracing, the only recognition program in the industry, the Gintong Lahi Awards, is run by the Philippine Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’ Organization. 

Founded in 1998, the group first held the event the following year, during the chairmanship of one of its founders, the late Speaker of the House of Representatives Ramon V. Mitra Jr.           

This year’s edition, the eleventh, was held at the Manila Polo Club last Monday night, the only day on which there are no horse races held and thus invitees from the industry may be expected to attend.           

The Turf Room was crammed with about a hundred guests from different sectors of the thoroughbred industry – owners and breeders (mostly from Philtobo), trainers, and representatives from the two racing clubs and from the Philippine Racing Commission.         

Guests at the event.

Plaques of appreciation were given to sponsors of Philtobo events, as well as fourteen major Gintong Lahi awards for accomplishments made in 2008.          

GLA trophies are replicas of the ones given away at the first event, in 1999.

For runners, the winners of the GLA are determined through a point system which takes into account only the wins in stakes races. Points are then awarded for each stakes race won, and highest pointers win.           

The winning stallion is chosen based on money earned by its progenies, and the winning broodmare based on the number of champion horses produced. No award was given this year in the Broodmare category.          

The winners in the Equine Categories: 2YO Colt – Go Army (unopposed), 330 points; 2YO Filly – Nuclear Power, 100 pts; 3YO Colt – Don Enrico, 220 pts; 3YO Filly – Indelible Ink, 210 pts; Older Filly/Mare – Es Twenty Six, 50 pts; Older Horse – Real Spicy, 220 pts; Sprinter – Million Dollar, 50 pts; and Imported Horse – La Tienne, 60 pts.           

Human Categories: Jockey of the Year – Jonathan B. Hernandez, 590 pts; Trainer of the Year – Nestor Manalang, 44o pts; and Owner of the Year – Herminio S. Esguerra, 1,080 pts.         

Esguerra accepts an award.

Breeding Categories:  Breeder of the Year – Herminio S. Esguerra, 1,430 pts; Stallion of the Year – Mr. Sutter, P6.66 million; Horse of the Year – Go Army, 330 pts.         

Prominent horseowner and breeder Esguerra went home with a total of eight Gintong Lahi trophies. Aside from his Owner and Breeder of the Year honors, he is also the owner of Real Spicy and Mr. Sutter, owner/breeder of Go Army, Nuclear Power, and Indelible Ink, and breeder of Don Enrico. For the 2007 GLA, he had a trophy haul of seven; in 2006, nine.       

As in previous years, Esguerra dominated the evening. He has been hailed GLA Owner of the Year from 2002 to 2008, Breeder of the Year from 2006 to 2008, while his horses have won in the various equine (shouldn’t it be termed “racing” instead?) and breeding categories.         

In his acceptance speeches, Esguerra said island-born track icons Real Spicy (Real Quiet-Spicy Tale) and Indelible Ink (Best of Luck-Sequin) have been retired from racing to his Herma Farms and Stud facility in Lipa, Batangas, to fulfill stud and broodmare duties respectively.            

Upon receiving the Horse of the Year award for Go Army (Mr. Sutter-J’Approve), he said that his success was a “result of my dedication to the sport I have chosen.” Go Army also won the GLA for 2YO Colt.

Esguerra raises Go Army’s Horse of the Year trophy. With him are Philtobo directors Kerby Chua, David Lee, Rene Villoria, Nonoy Niles (president), Albert Yam, Johnny Tionloc, and Manny Santos.

Meanwhile, speaking of Go Army, the colt that cowed his fellow juveniles last season suffered a crushing defeat at the flying hooves of longshot Dream Supreme in the Philracom Chairman’s Cup last Sunday at Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.

Chairman’s Cup trophies on display.

 Dream Supreme (Baseball Champion-Belle of Ack) was bred by owner Nel Velasco on his Red N Ranch in Batangas. Unraced as a 2YO, the come-from-behind artist came fresh to this fight and stunned a crowd of hundreds as he rallied down the stretch to overtake the outstanding favorite Go Army in the final stages of the race.

Philracom chairman Atty. Joy Rojas, race honoree former Philracom chairman Augusto Benedicto L. Santos, winning trainer Buboy Jacob, winning rider John B. Cordero with daughter, Nelson Lorica representing winning breeder and owner Nel Velasco, Philracom commissioner Boboc Domingo, and Philippine Racing Club EVP-COO Atty. Ramon P. Ereneta Jr.

What this means is that Go Army is not invincible and not a shoo-in for the Triple Crown series for local-bred 3YO later this year. It also means that this is going to be an exciting season for racing.    ***

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KARERA LANG!  By Jenny Ortuoste for Tumbok,  21 February 2009, Saturday

Chairman’s Cup, Philtobo Gintong Lahi Awards

Isang malaking karera ang lalarga bukas sa pista ng Philippine Racing Club sa Naic, Cavite. Ang Philippine Racing Commission Chairman’s Cup ay P2 million na kampeonato, kung saan tumataginting na P1.2 million ang para sa first place, at ang labi naman ay para sa second to fourth places. Mayroon ding P70,000 na premyo para sa mananalong nagpalahi (breeder).

Taunang stakes race ito na parangal sa mga dating pinuno ng ahensiya ng gobyerno na nagsu-supervise ng horseracing at breeding – ang Philracom. Ang Chairman’s Cup itong taon ay inialay kay Augusto “Ochie” Santos, na nagsilbi bilang Philracom chairman  noong 1986 to 1990.

Isa ring ma-impluwensiyang owner and breeder si Mr. Santos, na ilang dekada na ring bahagi ng industriya at haligi pa nito. Kabilang sa mga kampeong kabayo na kanyang palahi mula sa imported stock ay sina Luminary, Marangal, Balatkayo, Batangas Force, San Diego Force, Namaste, at ang undefeated na si Sun Dancer.

Dito sa 1,600-meter Chairman’s Cup, na bukas lamang sa 3YO Philippine-breds, ang mga kasali ay sina Dream Supreme ni Nel Velasco, na sasakyan ni John Cordero na may pesong 54 kgs.; Empress of Austria ni Rita Teresa Bustamante (Fernando M. Raquel Jr., 52); Go Army ni Herminio S. Esguerra (Jonathan B. Hernandez, 54), Heaven Sent ni Rita Pilapil (John Alvin Guce, 52); Rhea’s Gold ni Ric Aquino (AM Tancioco, 52), Scout Ranger ng Herma Farms (Manolito F. Daquis, 54), at Virgin Liberty ni Sonny Arevalo (Jesse B. Guce, 52).

Tingin ko angat dito si Go Army, na siyang nag-domina ang juvenile batch nila noong nakaraang taon.  May laban rin sina Dream Supreme at Heaven Sent.

Samantala, ang ika-11 na Gintong Lahi Awards ng Philippine Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’ Organization ay gaganapin sa Lunes, Feb. 23. Ito lamang ang programang parangal para sa mga achievers ng industriya.

Ang mga kategorya ng awards at nominees ay: Equine:  2YO Colt – Go Army (unopposed); 2YO Filly – Heaven Sent, Nuclear Power, Queen of Queens, Security World; 3YO Colt – Don Enrico, Hieroglyphics, Shining Fame; 3YO Filly – Anonymous, Blue Arch, Indelible Ink;

Older Filly/Mare – Es Twenty Six, Showtime Lady; Older Horse – Ibarra, Real Spicy; Sprinter – EJ’s Magic, Million Dollar; Imported Horse – Blind Date, Copper Dew, Great Emma, Holy Ridge, La Tienne, Mercurio, Ziraz.

Human Categories: Jockey of the Year – John Alvin Guce, Jesse B. Guce, Jonathan B. Hernandez, Jeffril T. Zarate; Trainer of the Year – Nestor E. Manalang, Arturo C. Sordan Jr., Joselito V. Tornandizo, Ruben S. Tupas, Edwin M. Vittali; Owner of the Year – Benhur C. Abalos, Herminio S. Esguerra, Antonio V. Tan Jr., Lorraine Uy Wi.

Breeding Categories: Breeder of the Year – Benhur C. Abalos, Herminio S. Esguerra, Aristeo G. Puyat; Stallion of the Year – Mr. Sutter, Royal Premier, Wind Blown; at para sa Horse of the Year – Don Enrico, Go Army, Ibarra, Indelible Ink, Real Spicy, Shining Fame.

Ang Philtobo, na itinayo noong 1990, ay gumagamit ng points system upang piliin ang mga winners sa bawat kategorya. Ang points sa runners ay base sa stakes races na napanalunan. Points sa stallions ay base sa money earned noong taon ng award, at ang points sa broodmares ay base sa bilang ng kampeong kabayong inanak niya. Lahat ng mananalo ay bibigyan ng tropeo. ***

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THE HOARSE WHISPERER  By Jenny Ortuoste for Manila Standard-Today,  18 February 2009, Wednesday

Chairman’s Cup on Sunday

The Philippine Racing Commission showcases the P2 million-Chairman’s Cup stakes on Sunday, February 22, at the Philippine Racing Club’s new Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.

An annual event held in honor of past leaders of the government agency that regulates and supervises the sport, this year’s edition will be named for Augusto Benedicto L. Santos, who served as Philracom chairman from 1986 to 1990.

Santos is a noted breeder and horseowner and has been active in the industry since the ’70s, if not earlier. He bred many champions on his Batangas ranch from imported bloodstock. Among them were Triple Crown leg winner Luminary, Marangal, Balatkayo, Batangas Force, San Diego Force, Namaste, and undefeated racemare Sun Dancer.

The 1600-meter Chairman’s Cup is open only to 3YO local-breds. The declared runners are

Nel Velasco’s Dream Supreme (to be ridden by John B. Cordero with 54 kgs. handicap weight), Rita Teresa Bustamante’s Empress of Austria (Fernando M. Raquel Jr., 52), Herminio Esguerra’s Go Army (Jonathan B. Hernandez, 54), Rita Pilapil’s Heaven Sent (John Alvin Guce, 52), Ric G. Aquino’s Rhea’s Gold (AM Tancioco, 52), Herma Farms’ Scout Ranger (Manolito F. Daquis, 54), and Sonny Arevalo’s Virgin Liberty (Jesse B. Guce, 52).

Go Army, who cowed his fellow juveniles last season in a sweeping campaign that crushed all opposition, is expected to dominate this race. Dream Supreme will put up a good fight, along with 2008 Philracom-MARHO Breeders’ Cup Juveniles Fillies winner Heaven Sent.

But with the race scheduled to take place at PRC’s Naic track, some railbirds say that anything could happen. Given the banking on the outer part of the tracks and the thick, fresh layers of sand on the surface, which, while retarding speed somewhat, serves to cushion thin but powerful thoroughbred ankles, stayers now have a better chance against sprinters over short distances.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’ Organization is preparing for its yearly recognition program – the 11^th Gintong Lahi awards. To be held on February 23 at the Manila Polo Club, the event pays tribute to achievers in the world of horseracing.

The nominees in the Equine Categories are:  2YO Colt – Go Army (unopposed); 2YO Filly – Heaven Sent, Nuclear Power, Queen of Queens, Security World; 3YO Colt – Don Enrico, Hieroglyphics, Shining Fame; 3YO Filly – Anonymous, Blue Arch, Indelible Ink;

Older Filly/Mare – Es Twenty Six, Showtime Lady; Older Horse – Ibarra, Real Spicy; Sprinter – EJ’s Magic, Million Dollar; Imported Horse – Blind Date, Copper Dew, Great Emma, Holy Ridge, La Tienne, Mercurio, and Ziraz.

Nominees in the Human Categories: Jockey of the Year – John Alvin Guce, Jesse B. Guce, Jonathan B. Hernandez, and Jeffril T. Zarate; Trainer of the Year – Nestor E. Manalang, Arturo C. Sordan Jr., Joselito V. Tornandizo, Ruben S. Tupas, and Edwin M. Vittali; Owner of the Year – Benhur C. Abalos, Herminio S. Esguerra, Antonio V. Tan Jr., and Lorraine Uy Wi.

Nominees in the Breeding Categories: Breeder of the Year – Benhur C. Abalos, Herminio S. Esguerra, and Aristeo G. Puyat; Stallion of the Year – Mr. Sutter, Royal Premier, and Wind Blown; and Horse of the Year – Don Enrico, Go Army, Ibarra, Indelible Ink, Real Spicy, and Shining Fame.

Philtobo, established in 1990, determines the winners of the Gintong Lahi through a system which awards points to runners based on stakes races won. Points to stallions are based on money earned that particular year of the award, and to broodmares based on number of champion horses produced. Winners will receive trophies. ***

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KARERA LANG!  By Jenny Ortuoste for Tumbok,  14 February 2009, Saturday

Karerahan sa Hong Kong

Sobrang ganda ng karerahan sa Hong Kong. Ito ay isang truly world-class operation sa ilalim ng Hong Kong Jockey Club, na isang private company na isa sa pinakamalaking taxpayer sa bansa. Higit 11% ng income tax na nakakalap ng Hong Kong ay mula sa HKJC.

Lahat ng kita ng HKJC ay pumupunta sa charity efforts, at marami pa itong sinusuportahan ng mga endeavors tulad ng Panda Habitat sa Ocean Park resort.

Dalawa ang racetrack ng HKJC – ang Happy Valley, na unang itinayo sa gitna mismo ng siyudad ng Hong Kong, at ang Sha Tin facility sa New Territories.

Ang schedule ng racing sa Hong Kong ay magaan lang – dalawang araw kada linggo, mula Setyembre hanggang Hunyo. Miyerkoles ang karera sa Happy Valley, at Linggo sa Sha Tin.

Ang Happy Valley ay pinapaligiran ng mga office buildings at residential condos, at ito’y napakasayang lugar. Punong-puno ito ng karerista kada Miyerkoles. 

Skyscrapers surround Happy Valley.

Turf o grass ang pista dito. Maganda ang mga marketing plans. Noong Peb. 4, ang event nila ay “Race in the City”. Parang ginaya ang “Sex in the City” bilang come-on o attraction para sa kababaihan. May mga manghuhula ng tarot cards, libreng manicure, and free-flowing na San Miguel Beer! Kaya talagang dinumog ang karerahan noong araw na iyon.

San Miguel Beer was free-flowing – for free! – at this tent. A tour guide said that the San Miguel Beer sold in the city was made in Hong Kong from German brewing equipment. “It tastes different,” he said, but his face implied “better” not “different”. Not being a beer drinker, I was unable to disprove his assertion.

A racegoer has her nails done – for free – while beside her is a glass of ice-cold San Miguel Beer.

Tuwing Linggo naman ang karera sa Sha Tin. Ito’y napakalaking facility at dito na inilipat ang lahat ng mga cuadra. Pati ang mga kabayong tumatakbo sa Happy Valley ay dinadala nalang doon mula Sha Tin sa trailer o “horse box” na may capacity na 9 kabayo.

Dahil sa limitado ang espasyo at lupa sa Hong Kong, ang mga cuadra doon ay mga gusaling tatlong palapag kataas. Ang access dito ay panay rampa. Mistulang parking lot sa mall ang mga ito.

Kumpleto rin ang Sha Tin sa mga facilities tulad ng equine laboratory, hospital, equine pool, at forge.

Ang equine lab, sa pamumuno ni chemist Dr. Terence Wan, ay isa sa apat na kilalang equine lab sa mundo. Ang tatlo pa ay nasa US, France, at Australia. Higit US$8 million ang halaga ng equipment ng HKJC lab, ayon kay Dr. Wan.  

Ang equine hospital sa ilalim ni Dr. Lawrence Chan ay state-of-the-art din. May hydraulic table ang operating theater, at gamma ray machine upang silipin ang loob ng kabayo, bukod pa sa x-ray at ultrasound machines. May mga treadmills din for testing ng cardiovascular health ng kabayo.

Sa forge naman ginagawa at kinukumpuni ng mga trained blacksmiths ang mga bakal na kagamitan sa karera tulad ng sapatos ng kabayo (horseshoes o racing plates), bits, at iba pa.

Ang equine pool naman ay nasa loob ng one-story na gusali. Rubber slip-proof matting ang nakalatag sa sahig upang di masaktan o madulas ang mga kabayo. Mayroon din padded barriers papasok sa pool bilang karagdagang proteksiyon.

Pagkatapos ng workout sa pool, maaring magpa-infrared heat treatment ang kabayo sa katabing solarium.

Turf at dirt ang mga pista sa Sha Tin. Ang kanilang mga hinete ay karamihan foreigners, tulad ni Douglas Whyte, ang pangunahing jockey doon ngayon, at si Cristophe Soumillon ng France. Kada karera sa Sha Tin noong araw ng Peb. 8 ay sponsored stakes race ng Jebsen Company, kaya may awarding pagkatapos ng bawat karera.

Racegoers get trackside seats at Sha Tin.

 Napakaganda rin ng broadcast. Bukod sa pagka-class ng production, tatlo ang sets ng commentators nila – may English, Cantonese, at Putonghua (Mandarin), kaya lahat ng manonood ay makakaintindi ng race analysis at iba pang komentaryo.

Talagang nakakahanga ang mga facilities ng HKJC, at dapat lang dahil higit sa US$12 billion kada taon ang sales nila. Kahit di natin mapantayan ang ganda ng kanilang karerahan, at least makakakuha tayo ng “best practices” na maaring i-apply sa ating lokal na sitwasyon na ikabubuti ng karerang Pilipino.

Happy Valentine’s Day sa lahat ng mambabasa ng “Karera Lang!” at Tumbok. Enjoy your day kasama ang minamahal sa buhay!   ***

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THE HOARSE WHISPERER By Jenny Ortuoste for Manila Standard-Today, 11 February 2009, Wednesday

Hong Kong Racing, Part 1

Horseracing is one of the most exciting spectacles, wherever in the world it may be found. In Hong Kong, the 124-year old Hong Kong Jockey Club has raised racing to new heights with its operations at its two racecourses – at Happy Valley and Sha Tin racecourses.

Happy Valley is the older of the two tracks and is the place to go “for fun”, as a tour guide in Hong Kong said. Sha Tin is “world-class”.

Since land is at a premium in Hong Kong, stables aren’t single-story barns like they are here or in Australia, the USA, or most other racing nations. Rather, stables are three- or four-story buildings accessed via ramps. They look like mall parking lots.

Multi-storey stables at Sha Tin are accessed via ramps.

All the stables are located at Sha Tin, in the New Territories. That same facility includes an elegant clubhouse; equine hospital; equine pool; forge; and chemical laboratory, one of only four top-class equine labs in the world.

Facade of Sha Tin Racecourse, New Territories

Attention to detail: a horseshoe-shaped drain

Training track at Sha Tin

Hong Kong’s top female apprentice brushes her horse’s tail. The bedding, changed twice a day,  is of shredded newspapers.

A curious horse peeks at visitors.

The equine hospital is headed by veterinarian Dr. Lawrence Chan. Since there are no vet schools in Hong Kong, he took his degree in Australia. Dr. Chan pointed out that his hospital has state-of-the art ultrasound equipment; an operating theatre with a large hydraulic table; a gamma ray machine; treadmills to gauge horses’ cardiac health; and an overhead pulley system to transport horses all around the hospital in slings. Surveillance is via a 24-hour CCTV system.

The equine operating theater has a hydraulic table.

Dr. Chan in the recovery room beside the operating theater.

The equine pool is large and very clean. The flooring is of rubberized matting to protect horses’ hooves. After a dip, a trainer may opt for heat treatment for his horse at the adjacent solarium and its bank of infrared lights.

A horse is worked in the equine pool.

After a pool workout, the horse gets an infrared heat treatment in the solarium.

The forge is also high-tech. Several blacksmiths are on duty to create and repair horseshoes, bits, and other metal tack used in riding.

The forge.

The laboratory, headed by chemist Dr. Terence Wan, contains over US$8 million worth of equipment and is upgraded as often as new equipment is invented. The lab, which monitors equine and urine samples in compliance with the HKJC’s strict rules against horse doping, has received many awards for its accomplishments.

Dr. Terence Wan in the HKJC laboratory.

Dr. Wan, who formerly worked in forensics, instituted several streamlining and safeguarding procedures to ensure the credibility of his lab’s findings so that they are admissible in court. Among his innovations are security cameras that record all lab technicians’ movements during investigation of a sample. When the technicians leave their counter, the cameras guard the samples.

The HKJC lab also has huge vaults where the specimens are stored. Access to these vaults, and to those drawers that hold other chemicals, are strictly regulated, with multiple backup and failsafe systems.

The lab processes equine and human (jockeys’) blood and urine samples, and monitors feeds and supplements as well. Their equipment is so sensitive that they can detect the presence of chemicals in the parts per billion. Samples from all over the world are sent to them for testing.

Dr. Wan points out the difference in samples of horses’ urine held by his assistant Jenny. The lighter-colored sample has had its sediments removed and is now ready for analysis. Dr. Wan says is harder to analyze horses’ urine – “We prefer human urine any day!”

Dr. Wan says their lab, staffed with 43 chemists, is so efficient that they have “never had a false positive”.

The racecourses, both at Happy Valley and Sha Tin, are magnificent. Happy Valley has turf, while Sha Tin has both turf and dirt (which they call an “all-weather surface”). Racing is held only twice a week from September to June – Wednesdays at Happy Valley, and Sundays at Sha Tin. The latter has its own MTR (train) station that makes a detour to the racecourse on racedays only.

Happy Valley’s turf track is nestled in the heart of the city.

Sha Tin’s turf and dirt tracks

With racing revenues at over US$12 billion a year, it is no wonder that the HKJC can afford such world-class facilities.  Philippine racing makes P8 billion annually, which could be more if illegal bookie operations were halted. With the limitation in our resources, the most we can do is emulate the best practices we observe in racing abroad, and tailor them to fit our local circumstances.   ***

All photos by Jenny Ortuoste, taken with a Nikon D60, basic lens.

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THE HOARSE WHISPERER  By Jenny Ortuoste for Manila Standard-Today,  4 February 2009, Wednesday

Amethyst I on Sunday

The Philippine Racing Commission starts February off with the Amethyst I stakes, running over a mile on Sunday, February 8, at the new Santa Ana Park racetrack at Saddle and Clubs, Naic, Cavite.

Dubbed the second leg of the Imported-Local challenge, the starting gate will be crammed to capacity with fourteen entries: Ascendant of Ascendant Ranch and Stable Farms, to be ridden by jockey VM Camanero, with a handicap weight of 55kg; Daitoryosan of Raymund B. Puyat (CB Tamano, 55); Fairy Queen of David C. Lee (LC Lunar, 56); Fond Embrace of Joy S. Santos (JB Cordero, 55); Irene’s Fantasy of Ruben B. Laureano (VR Dilema, 54); Leave No Doubt of Bienvenido C. Niles Jr. (JT Zarate, 57);   

Lim Expensive Toys of Roland T.Lim (JA Guce, 55); Manhattan of Edgardo M. Mailom (LD Balboa, 56); Miss Elliott of David B. Puyat(MF Daquis, 55); Miss Fantastic of Herminio S. Esguerra (JB Hernandez, 55); Tiwi Magic of Antonio V. Tan Jr. (JB Guce, 54); Traditional of Don Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. (FM Raquel Jr., 54); Weder Weder Lang of Jan Michael Santos (KE Malapira, 53); and Ziraz of SC Stockfarm (RK Hipolito, 55).

Among those that track pundits are watching are Fairy Queen, who won the Philracom Garnet I stakes last January 11; Daitoryosan, victor of the January 18 Mowelfund Cup; Ascendant, who’s been performing well lately; and Traditional, who has a strong catch-up rally that could serve her will in this 1,600-meter race.

However, none of the others can be discounted as they are all talented runners. And with these many runners, there’s going to be a lot of traffic and jockeying for position en route to the finish line.

In addition, the new Santa Ana Park’s long stretch lane will give plenty of opportunities for stayers to come from behind.

Meanwhile, Philracom has released the list of horses for mandatory retirement on their foaling dates this year. Imported horses retire at 7YO while local horses at 12YO.

Imported runners that we won’t be seeing anymore include Anahita, Dalcross, Dancing Polly, Dream Cross, Great Emma, Heroics, La Tienne, Simply Angie, Snowdipped, and Zoe’s Lass.

Also barred from further competition is Wild Orchid, the champion racemare from Australia who still holds several track records. So far unbeaten are her times of 1:25 for 1,400 meters; 1:30.8 for 1,500 meters; and 2:04.4 in the 2,000 meters (tied with import Stowaway Lass).

Among the local runners, Gemstone, Letshaveaparty, Premiere Act, Something Silver, and “iron horse” Vinfa’s Pride are some of those who are no longer allowed to run.

Speaking of retirement, island-born track star Real Spicy has been retired to stud at his owner Herminio S. Esguerra’s Herma Farms breeding ranch in Batangas.

There, the son of American champion Real Quiet out of Spicy Tale will join Philippine champion Wind Blown in the stallion barn, among the other quality sires there.

Another track icon who’s been retired to the breeding shed is Esguerra’s champion racemare Indelible Ink (Best of Luck-Seaquin), also an island-born. Juvenile champion of her batch, she went on to win many other stakes races as a 3YO.   ***

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KARERA LANG! By Jenny Ortuoste for Tumbok,  31 January 2008, Saturday

Amethyst I and II, Malapit Na!

Tiyak na hitik ang aksiyon sa darating na Amethyst I and Amethyst II stakes races ng Philippine Racing Commission.

Milya (1,600 meters) ang distansiya ng Amethyst I sa Feb. 8 sa bagong Santa Ana Park ng Philippine Racing Club sa Saddle and Clubs, Naic, Cavite.

Ito’y tinaguriang “2nd leg Imported/Local Challenge”. Katorse ang nagpadeklara:

Ascendant ng Ascendant Ranch and Stable Farms, sasakyan ni jockey VM Camanero, 55kg ang timbang; Daitoryosan ni Raymund B. Puyat (CB Tamano, 55); Fairy Queen ni David C. Lee (LC Lunar, 56); Fond Embrace ni Joy S. Santos (JB Cordero, 55); Irene’s Fantasy ni Ruben B. Laureano (VR Dilema, 54); Leave No Doubt ni Bienvenido C. Niles Jr. (JT Zarate, 57);

Lim Expensive Toys ni Roland T.Lim (JA Guce, 55); Manhattan ni Edgardo M. Mailom (LD Balboa, 56); Miss Elliott ni David B. Puyat(MF Daquis, 55); Miss Fantastic ni Herminio S. Esguerra (JB Hernandez, 55); Tiwi Magic ni Antonio V. Tan Jr. (JB Guce, 54); Traditional ni Don Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. (FM Raquel Jr., 54); Weder Weder Lang ni Jan Michael Santos (KE Malapira, 53); at Ziraz ng SC Stockfarm (RK Hipolito, 55).

Whew! Mahirap na karera, hindi lang dahil marami sila, kundi dahil magagaling rin ang mga ito. Anybody’s race, take your pick.

Ang  Amethyst II ay 1,500 meters sa Feb. 15 sa San Lazaro Leisure Park ng Manila Jockey Club sa Carmona, Cavite.

Apat pa lang ang nagpadeklara dito as of presstime – sine Empire King, Don Enrico, Native Land, at Manhattan. Maaring madagdagan pa ang lineup na ito.

Sa Pebrero rin nakatakda ang Philracom Chairman’s Cup, in honor ng dating pinuno ng ahensiya, ang horseowner at breeder na si Mr. Augusto Benedicto “Ochie” Santos.

Tungkol naman sa ibang malalaking karera itong taon, naghahanda ang pamilya Bagatsing ng racing festival bilang parangal sa kanilang yumaong ama, horseowner and Manila Mayor Ramon Bagatsing Sr., “Father of the Gran Copa de Manila”.

Magkakaroon ng isang linggong pakarera at memorial race, bukod sa iba pang pinaplanong activities. August 19 ang birthday ng dating Mayor, at sa raceweek ng petsang ito idaraos ang event.

Samantala, binalita ni vet Dr. Josie Miranda na narinig raw nilang binanggit sa TV show na “Game Ka Na Ba?” ang tanong na ito – “Sa aling pahayagan makikita ang Karera Lang! column ni Jenny Ortuoste?” Wow,sikat ang Tumbok! Salamat sa inyong pagtangkilik, mga kaibigan, at ganoon din sa pamunuan ng naturang palabas.

Pasensiya na po sa mga tagasubaybay ng aking Internet blog “Gogirl Racing” sa http://jennyo.net. Madalas na naging “down” ang aking website dahil ayon sa technician ng aking webhost, Philhosting.net, their servers were “attacked” at ipapakiusap niya pa raw sa “Admin” na “i-restart ang server” upang “mai-up permanently” ang aking website.

Madalas itong mangyari sa aking website. Kahit na anong pakiusap ko na ayusin ng Philhosting.net ang kanilang serbisyo ay di nila tinupad. Kaya lumipat ako sa ibang webhost at ngayon maayos na ang takbo ng aking website. Dalaw na po uli. ***

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THE HOARSE WHISPERER By Jenny Ortuoste for Manila Standard-Today,  28 January 2009, Wednesday

Amethyst, Chairman’s Cup Next Month

Happy Lunar New Year to all! What are horse racing fans looking forward to next month?

After the salvo of Philippine Racing Commission-sponsored January stakes races – the Garnet I and the Garnet II – the next fusillade erupts on February 8, with the running of the Philracom’s Amethyst I mile at Philippine Racing Club’s New Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.

The race is the second leg of the Imported/Local Challenge and has total prizes of P500,000 allocated from first to fourth, as is usual practice.

February 15 at the Manila Jockey Club’s San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite, will showcase the 1500-meter Amethyst II, a handicap race open to the special class division runners of the three highest groups. The twist here is that it is open to local-breds only. Such races are always interesting to watch, to see how much thoroughbred breeding has improved in the country in the past several decades.

Speaking of breeding, one of the major contributors to this effort will be honored on February 22.

The 2009 Philracom Chairman’s Cup stakes, in honor of past leaders of the government agency that regulates and supervises the sport, will be named for Augusto Benedicto L. Santos, who served from 1986 to 1990.

Santos is also a noted breeder and horseowner and has been active in the industry since the ’70s, if not earlier. He bred many champions on his Batangas ranch. Many of his winners were the progeny of stock imported by his father, Augusto A. Santos, also a noted horseman who entered the sport in 1956.

In the ’80s, there were the likes of Luminary (2^nd leg Triple Crown champion), Rocket Star, and Little Hut.

In the ’90s, Marangal reigned supreme. He was bred by Santos in New Zealand. Other winners on the roster are Gold Cup victor Balatkayo and the undefeated racemare Sun Dancer.

In the new millennium, his stakes performers included Flirting Hero, Batangas Force, I Love This Game, San Diego Force, Namaste, and Cat’s Eye.

The 1600-meter Chairman’s Cup is open to 3YO local-breds and carries a total pot of P2 million. There is also a P70,000 prize to the winner of the breeder. These serve as hefty incentives to local breeders to continue to upgrade their bloodstock.

Meanwhile, the Philracom has released the rankings of the Top Fifty Horses, Owners, Trainers, and Jockeys of 2008. Space constraints prevent me from listing them all, but here are those who made the official Top Ten:

Horses: Indelible Ink, Don Enrico, Shining Fame, Go Army, Real Spicy, Ibarra, Terry Toon, Es Twenty Six, Hieroglyphics, and Good Humour.

Owners: Herminio S. Esguerra, Aristeo G. Puyat, Antonio O. Floirendo Sr., Ricardo G. Aquino, Antonio V. Tan Jr., Emmanuel A. Santos, Leonardo M. Naval, George M. Lazarte, Jeci A. Lapus, and Antonio G. de Ubago Jr.

Trainers: Ruben S. Tupas, Raymundo R. Henson, Dave R. de la Cruz, Nestor E. Manalang, Ricardo P. Paman Jr., Felipe B. Buencamino, Orlando A. Velasquez, Ernesto S. Roxas, MM Vicente, Donato S. Sordan.

Jockeys: Jonathan B. Hernandez, Jesse B. Guce, Patricio R. Dilema, John Alvin A. Guce, Fernando M. Raquel Jr., Dominador H. Borbe Jr.,  Jeffril T. Zarate, Karvin E. Malapira, EP Nahilat, and John B. Cordero.

Rankings are based on “money earned”, or gross prizes won from first to fourth. For the full list and stats, visit www.philracom.gov.ph.   ***

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To all JENNYO.NET Readers – My apologies for this site being “down” for so long and so often.

The problem was my webhost – Philhosting.net. I had been with them ever since I moved my blogs away from a free blog site and put up my own website, jennyo.net, last July 2008.

It was okay for the first several weeks or so. Then the problems started – downtimes occurring regularly throughout the day for several hours. Often, because the server was down, I couldn’t see or access my blogs. I put up with it, thinking it was normal.

Then my IT guy checked my domain registration. Philhosting had charged me for two years’ worth of domain registration, which I paid. They even sent me on July 30 an email confirming my domain registration:

This message is to confirm that your domain purchase has been successful. The details of the domain purchase are below:

Registration Date: 07/29/2008
Domain: jennyo.net
Registration Period: 2 Year/s
Amount: P900.00 PHP
Next Due Date: 07/29/2010

You may login to your client area at https://philhosting.net to view the detail.

–
Sales Department
Philhosting.Net Philippine Web Services

My IT guy found out in September that only one year’s worth had been paid for the domain registration.

I complained to Philhosting. This is what they emailed in response on Sept. 12:

Hi!

FYI, our system will automatically renew it 15 days before the expiration date, that if you CHOOSE the domain to register in 2 year. Then we will billed you an invoice for 2 year.

Not only is the message grammatically incorrect, it also doesn’t make sense. And they misled me because they failed to explain all this in the first place. As the first email claimed, my “domain purchase” was “successful” with a “registration period of 2 year/s”.

They followed up later on by another email:

Hi!

jennyo.net has been successfully renewed.

If my IT guy hadn’t checked, we wouldn’t have known that Philhosting.net had paid only one year’s worth of my registration, although they had billed me for two years’ worth!

From there it became worse. Downtimes became more frequent, stretching from several hours for weeks in a row to entire days at a time. But their billings for the monthly fee were always prompt and up to date.

The last straw was during the holiday break. My site was down for five days. On Jan. 5 they said:

Hi jennifer,

your site is working fine now.

There is a problem happened this past holidays where some of our DNS server has been attacked that cause erratic server connection that affects clients site hosted in the server that has been attacked. This problem is already fixed and servers connection are now back to normal.

Regards!

“Attacked”? What, they don’t have security for their clients’ data?

The last straw was this late January. My site was down for five days again. I was given the run-around. I called a tech, who told me again that their servers had “been attacked” and that “Admin” was just “making sure that everything was okay” before restoring the servers.

Last Friday, this same guy said over the phone that he would “ask Admin” to “restart the server” and he would ask if my blog could be “permanently up”.

What the…?!

That was it. That Friday, my IT guy transferred my content to a different webhost. So far my site is running smoothly there.

I gave Philhosting.net every chance to fix it and make it right with me. Sadly, they gave me the worst service and the most horrible experience I have ever had with any company or service provider that I have dealt with.

I am very happy to be free of them. I just wish I had done my research before signing up with them in the first place. Google “philhosting sucks” and see what comes up. If only I had known this sooner!

In the six months I was with Philhosting.net, it cost me a lot in terms of readership lost, etc. Much of my hard work in building up my site was wasted.

And since Philhosting.net did not give me my oft-requested c-panel backup, my IT guy could only get my data out as XML files. Meaning I have to reconstruct my widgets from scratch all over again. That’s why my sites look so bare.

What a waste of time, effort, and money – all because a service provider that I trusted and paid hard-earned money to dicked around with my account and failed me.

The bright side is – there are alternatives. They are not the only webhost in the country, or on the planet for that matter.

There are choices. I could either stay with them and let them keep treating me like s**t, or I could stand up for my rights as a consumer, fire them, and find someone else who could deliver the services I paid for.

Sadly, a company with potential for a bright and profitable future is frittering it away with their horrible service. IT is a tough world; they have a lot of competitors. If they can’t deliver what they charge their clients for, then eventually they will lose their clients. It’s a fact of business. It’s their lookout.

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