January 2010

THE HOARSE WHISPERER By Jenny Ortuoste for Manila Standard-Today, 20 January 2010, Wednesday

Ibarra Wins Garnet II

After a challenging season that saw him bow under consecutive losses in major stakes races, track icon Ibarra (Yonaguska – Fire Down Under) rebounded with a win in the Philippine Racing Commission Garnet II Stakes last Sunday.

Held at the Manila Jockey Club’s San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite, the 1,500-meter race was the first in the Local vs. Imported Challenge Series that is actually a free-for-all for all comers, unlike other stakes races that differentiate between Philippine-bred runners and imports in an effort to level the playing field.

Ibarra is an “island-born”, meaning his dam, Fire Down Under, was imported from the US into this country while in foal (pregnant) to the stallion Yonaguska. Local-bred horses are the produce of matings conducted in the country. Ibarra was the only island-born in the eight-horse field; the rest were imports.

The Garnet II was an easy win for the Ruben Tupas-trained Ibarra in a comeback of sorts that saw the feisty horse maintain a four-length lead wire to wire until the finish line, clocking 18-24′-24′-25 for a total time of 1:32.

Ibarra takes the lead from the get-go and never looks back.

Guided for the first time by jockey Jesse Guce, Ibarra needed hardly any urging and no whipping at all to bring home the top prize of P300,00 to his owner, Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos.

Ibarra shows off his winning form.

Australian imports Tiwi Magic placed second and Best of Tsuimai fourth, and American import Fierce Fighter took third.

Jockey Jesse Guce salutes the stewards after the race.

At the awarding ceremony: MJC chairman and CEO Atty. Alfonso R. Reyno Jr., Philracom chairman Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II, trainer Ruben S. Tupas, Philracom commissioners James Paman and Eduardo C. Domingo Jr., and guest Richard Merck.

Jockey Jesse Guce, daughter Ina, and singer Richard Merck.

All photos by Ben Maniclang.

This weekend at the Philippine Racing Club’s Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite, the events to watch are the Philracom Garnet III on Saturday and the Garnet IV on Sunday. Both are mile races that are tune-ups for the summer’s Triple Crown competition for elite 3YO.

The Garnet III showcases fillies Andalucia, Ice Storm, Tiger Moon, Well Well Well, and Viva Vola. The colts running in the Garnet IV are Final Judgement, Gastambide, Lakota Creek, Pinakamagaling, and Righthererightnow.

Meanwhile, the Philracom continues its revision of Philippine racing rules and regulations. Known as the “Blue Book”, the handbook has been printed several times over the past couple of decades but gets outdated as changes are made to make the rules more fair and responsive.

According to Philracom chairman lawyer Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II, the agency “is bringing the rules up to date by incorporating changes brought about by amendments and Board resolutions, streamlining procedures, and doing everything else that needs to be done.”

The rules, cited as “PR”, encompass all aspects of racing that Philracom has jurisdiction over, from qualifications and responsibilities of horseowners, trainers, jockeys, and grooms to rules on race conduct, drug-testing protocols, and Stud Book rules. The revised and updated Blue Book is expected to be released within the year.   *** (Web: http://jennyo.net)

ERRATUM: Thanks to Josh (“Nihawma”) of thewinnersleague.com for pointing out that Jesse Guce has ridden Ibarra before – and also guided him to victory in  a major stakes race. See http://jennyo.net/gogirlracing/?p=1012

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THE HOARSE WHISPERER  By Jenny Ortuoste for Manila Standard-Today,  13 January 2010, Wednesday

 Racing Looks Forward

Overall, last year was a moderately challenging one for the Philippine horseracing industry. A steady dip in sales, operational glitches, and Acts of God were speed bumps along the track; yet, as always, racetrackers and racing fans pulled together and made it through another year.

Among this year’s highlights:

January marked a historic event – the move of the Philippine Racing Club from its 72 year old racetrack in Makati to new facilities in Naic, also called Santa Ana Park. An entire community was uprooted as all horses and the majority of trainers, jockeys, grooms, other racetrack workers, and their families moved south en masse.

In May, Manila Jockey Club had persistent problems with its broadcast transmission of their live races because of equipment problems. Over at the Philippine Racing Club’s Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite, heavy rains wrought havoc on the months-old track, causing injuries to some horses. The problem was smoothed over by the following raceweek.

In the same month, a landmark bill was passed by the Lower House – the racing taxes bill (HB 4176). Authored by Palawan representative Abraham Mitra, son of the late Speaker of the House and prominent horseowner Ramon V. Mitra Jr., the bill seeks the rationalization of onerous racing taxes in order to make the activity more sustainable and viable as a business. The passage of this law by the Senate would ensure the survival of a hundreds-year-old tradition and industry that provides thousands with their livelihoods and generates income for the government.

August saw long-overdue recognition bestowed on one of the most influential figures in the sport – the late Manila Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing. The Bagatsing family and racing and corporate friends staged a week-long celebration at PRC’s Santa Ana Park that recalled the contributions of the late Mayor. Held during his birthday week, the festival saw cash prizes and sacks of rice awarded to an unsung yet vital sector of the industry – the grooms.

Typhoon Ondoy hit the country hard in the last week of September. Several racedays at both MJC and PRC were cancelled as people struggled to rebuild in the wake of the raging flash floods that inundated many parts of the city.

In the early part of October, racing fans were treated to the Klub Don Juan de Manila’s Don Juan Derby Festival at MJC’s San Lazaro Leisure Park.  This event emphasized fun and frolic and a good time was had by all.

The end of October unleashed the first wave of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Diamond Anniversary celebrations at Santa Ana Park in commemoration of the agency’s 75^th year. Followed by more special races and the culminating Diamond Cup in November, the events proved so popular with racing fans, becoming one of the highest grossing events of the year, that the PCSO Committee on Races is proposing that a similar festival – the Anniversary Races – be held yearly, bringing the agency’s annual major racing events to three, the other two being the First Spouse Silver Cup and the Presidential Gold Cup.

Traditionally held in the last PRC raceweek of November, the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners’ Jade Anniversary Breeders’ Cup event proved one of the year’s strongest draws, with the betting turnover grossing over P42 million on that raceweek’s Sunday. Six championship races with hefty prize money from corporate sponsors San Miguel Beer (through San Miguel Corporation chairman Eduardo M. Cojuangco Jr., one of MARHO’s founders) and Philracom attracted elite runners whose stellar performances elicited raves from aficionados.

The Philippine Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’ Association closed the year at Santa Ana Park with their 10^th Grand Championship Day, another much-awaited annual tradition.

The sport was dominated by 2YOs Azcarraga and Carriedo, 3YO Heaven Sent, and older horse Don Enrico. More on last year’s racing – and the Horse of the Year – next week.

A joyous new year to all as racing prepares for more interesting times in 2010.   *** (Web: http://jennyo.net)

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 THE HOARSE WHISPERER  By Jenny Ortuoste for Manila Standard-Today,  30 December 2009, Wednesday

 Philtobo Champions

 The racing year ended with a bang at the Philippine Racing Club’s New Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite, with the staging of the 10^th Philippine Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’ Grand Championship Day.

Philracom-Philtobo Juvenile Championship (1,600m): Once more Carriedo asserted his domination of the juvenile ranks by cruising to an easy win with jockey Jesse Guce, crushing a ten-horse field that included stablemate Gastambide who placed fourth. Aristeo Puyat’s longshot Rolling Thunder came in second, while FO Vergara’s Well Well Well came in third.

Carriedo (Deputy Bodman-Astuce) is owned and was bred by Herminio Esguerra. The Dave de la Cruz-trained bay colt clocked 25′-25-26-29′ for a total time of 1:46 to win the first place purse of P1.2 million.

Philtobo 3YO Fillies Championship (1,600m): As expected, Rita Pilapil’s Heaven Sent, steered by Mark Alvarez, pulverized opponents in this event. The Jose Mari Franco-bred and Nestor Manalang-trained gray filly by Hezagonewest out of Kiss and Run clocked 1:47 for the mile. Navratilova settled for second, while Frozen Margarita took third and Rosa’s Success fourth place.

Viva Prime-Philtobo 3YO Colts Championship (1,600m): Manny Santos’s Oh Wacky, the close second favorite in betting sales, clocked 1:46.7 to win first over placers Creation, Iconic, and Show Master. Ridden by promising youngster John Alvin Guce and trained by Manuel Vicente, the bay colt by Strong Material out of Tumataginting won another breeders’s prize for Herminio Esguerra.

 Philtobo Classic Championship (2,000m): Don Enrico, guided by Fernando Raquel Jr., romped home with top honors in a no-brainer that had fans wondering only in what fashion he would win and by how many lengths. Can you say “Horse of the Year”? The Lorraine Uy Wi-owned 4YO bay colt capped an outstanding year with this championship, winning wire-to-wire by eight over Bumble Bee, Ididitmyway, and Dumadagundong.

 The win earned P300,000 for the owner and a breeder’s prize for Herminio Esguerra, who has won most of the breeder’s trophies this year for the victories of his Herma Farms and Stud produce. By Philippine champion Wind Blown out of Austalian broodmare Kayumanggi, Don Enrico, conditioned by Arturo Sordan Jr., looks likely to do well next season in stakes races for older horses.

The Hoarse Whisperer extends best wishes to all for a happy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year celebration, with best wishes for speed, endurance, and victory in all things. More hoarse whispers on horse matters in the year to come. *** (Web: jennyo.net)

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 THE HOARSE WHISPERER  By Jenny Ortuoste for Manila Standard-Today,  23 December 2009, Wednesday

 10^th Philtobo Championship Day

 Horseracing ushers out 2009 with the big explosive bang of the Philippine Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’ Organization’s 10^th Grand Championship Day, set for Sunday at the Philippine Racing Club’s New Santa Ana Park racecourse in Naic, Cavite.

Philtobo was established in 1998 to promote the breeding of quality Philippine racehorses on par with world standards. Over the years, Philtobo has initiated various programs that recognize and encourage excellence in the sport, among them the Gintong Lahi Awards and the Philtobo Championship Races, first known as the Philtobo Mitra Cup after one of its founding members, the late Speaker of the House of Representatives Ramon Mitra Jr.

Ten years has passed since the first Philtobo races were held, and this year marks a milestone in the history of the event. According to Philtobo president Bienvenido C. Niles Jr., “This year, the focus is on the juveniles, to encourage breeders and horseowners in the 2YO aspect of racing, and we include the island-born runners as eligible,” unlike other racing programs that restrict eligibility to Philippine-breds.

The prize money for the juvenile championship has been increased to P2 million. Four other championships will be held. There will also be special trophy races for 2YO with added prizes of P100,000.

2YO Championship Race (1,600m): For the first time in the history of this event, both juvenile colts and fillies groups will be merged to compete against each other against a mile, a hundred meters more than the 1,500 meters distance it used to be at the old Santa Ana Park racetrack in Makati.

The 13-horse field promises a well-contested fight between the best juveniles in the land, but it looks like coupled entries Carriedo and Azcarraga will be the favorites. Carriedo easily won the MARHO-Philracom Jade Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Colts fun at Naic last November 29 and the Philracom Juvenile Championship last December 6. Azcarraga has not had an easy time of it in her recent campaigns, but the island-born filly’s quality is expected to shine through in this race, having placed fourth to Carriedo in the Philracom Juvenile Championship.

Stiff opposition will be put up by Thoti’s Best, Gastambide, and Pinakamagaling, who placed second, third, and fourth respectively to Carriedo in the MARHO Jade Juvenile Colts. Pinakamagaling copped third in the recent Philracom Juvenile Championship. Tiger Moon, winner of the MARHO-Philracom Jade Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies race, will also show her mettle here, as will Thoti’s Best stablemate Perfect Material who placed third in that race.

Looking for a place in the limelight is Rolling Thunder, who won as a longshot also last November 29 in a MARHO Jade Trophy Race. The other entries in this race are Invincible, Well Well Well, Len Len, Toy Warrior, and Kristal Beauty.

3YO Fillies Championship (1,600m): It looks like a cinch for Heaven Sent in this race. The mile is her specialty, and she has the most experience in high-caliber stakes races, having won two legs of the Triple Crown this year, and recently placing second to Nuclear Power in the MARHO Jade Breeders’ Cup Filly Mile. Frozen Margarita, Navratilova, and Rosa’s Success will try their best to snag a win here, but will likely settle for places.

3YO Colts Championship (1,600m): Iconic easily won a recent tuneup race also at Naic during the OTB-SAPI races. Oh Wacky has been showing his class all year, winning a string of minor stakes races. Expected to put up a good fight are Creation and Showmaster, who might pull off upsets.

Classic Championship (2,000m): This race looks like a cinch for Don Enrico, who cruised to a win in the 2,000 meter MARHO-San Miguel Beer Jade Breeders’ Cup Classic by many lengths, without use of the whip. Ididitmyway placed third in that same race. Dumadagundong and Bumble Bee will strive for best places in this event. *** (Web: jennyo.net)

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