|
MANY
racing aficionados were really surprised with the
outcome of the 2008 Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom)
Diamond II on Sunday, which served as the second leg of
the Imported/Local Challenge Race at the Santa Ana Park.
Longshot
Mercurio, a June 2006 graduate of the Magic Millions
National Sale, virtually “brought the house down” as he
fashioned out a magnificent stretch drive to win the
event that attracted an almost powerhouse cast.
The
four-year-old bay horse, owned by Mercury Freight and
Holdings chairman and president Bayani Coching,
momentarily snatched the lead from the pacesetting local
horse Bumble Bee but was overtaken by the onrushing
second choice Drama Belle (another imported runner which
won the P4-million Amb. Cojuangco Cup last year).
But as
the five-year-old mare owned by Joseph Dyhengco raced to
the payoff wire, Mercurio, whose rider Jericho Serrano
had just won his first-ever major victory, came charging
back in the last 200 meters and collared the eventual
runner-up to win the top prize of 300,000. “Naka-tsamba
ho! Maganda ang itinakbo niya ngayon at nakadikit kaagad
kami sa unahan. Masyado hong matulin ang aire kaya hindi
na nakahabol ’yung iba,” said the overjoyed jockey
Serrano.
“Nag-mature
na ng husto si kabayo. He’s only three years old
by now. I am very thankful for winning this event, which
has a powerhouse cast,” said Coching, a frequent buyer
of horses in the Magic Millions, who personally received
the elegant glass trophy from Philracom chairman Jose
Ferdinand Rojas II.
Drama
Belle checked in second but was disqualified when it was
found out that it impeded the way of third-placer La
Tienne in the mad dash for home. Thus, La Tienne was
declared second and picked up the runner-up prize of
P112,500, with Drama Belle settling for the third prize
of P62,500 and fourth-placer Sweet Xarah salvaging
P25,000. Other finishers in the 1,600-meter race in
their order of arrival were Fierce Fighter,
Manhattan,
Mr. Victory, Midnight King, Bumble Bee, Great Emma, and
the heavily favored Real Spicy dead last.
With the
kind of lineup that was made, many are asking if it is
possible that another race could be made for the said
participants in the future. Many are predicting more
interesting results if another race with the same lineup
can be done soon. They also added that the additional
P20,000 prizes put up by the Philracom and the host
Philippine Racing Club for the first three placers of
each race on Sunday helped rekindle the sizzling
excitement for the whole day of racing. They said they
served not only as additional incentives to the owners
but also attracted additional high-caliber horses for
each of the races for the whole day.
One
comment was that those supporting races should have been
designated as trophy races, where a winning owner could
also win a trophy. “Aside from giving additional
incentive to the owner, puwede kasi itong makadagdag
ng kasiyahan at umakit ng maraming mananaya sa
loob at labas ng karerahan!” one veteran racing fan
said.
****
I REALLY
love the way they scrap the bottom of the best
three-year-olds in the United States as the Road to
Kentucky Derby gets closer and tighter.
There
are only 20 horses which could enter the Run for the
Roses on the first Saturday of May at the historic track
of Churchill Downs. And only those who are in the Top 20
after the April 19 Grade-II Coolmore Lexington Stakes
have the luxury of being given the ticket for an easy
entry to the Kentucky Derby. Those who are out of the
Magic 20 would have to wish that somebody would want to
skip the biggest two-minute show on earth this year
before they can enter or participate.
As of
today, four new names have barged into the magic circle
of 20 and they were Grade-II Arkansas Derby champ Gayego;
Grade-I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Monba; Z
Fortune, runner-up in the Hot Springs; and Cowboy Cal,
runner-up in the Blue Grass.
Trainer
Paulo Lobo’s Gayego went home with the top prize of
$600,000 to add to his only $40,000 to be in sixth place
overall, while Monba’s Blue Grass winnings propelled it
to No. 9 overall with $515,000.
But lots
of things are sure to happen when the April 19 Lexington
Stakes blasts off, the last among the graded stakes
races where derby hopefuls could earn the much-needed
show money.
****
MANY
were surprised to hear the news that the Fasig-Tipton,
North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auction company,
will be bought by Dubai-based Synergy Investments, which
is headed by Abdullah al-Habbai, a close associate of
Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum.
“It was
remarkably unremarkable. We were approached by [Sheikh
Mohammed’s bloodstock manager] John Ferguson on behalf
of the buyer, who had expressed a level of interest. We
discussed some range of evaluations and that information
was shared with our key ownership component. They gave
me some indications, and both sides were able to come to
an agreement in terms of both the tangible elements of a
purchase and the intangible elements of how the business
was going to move forward, and they were in sync,” said
Boyd Browning, the chief operating officer and executive
vice president of Fasig-Tipton.
For his
part, DG Van Clief Jr., the Fasig-Tipton chairman, was
quoted as saying: “Our agreement includes an
understanding that Fasig-Tipton will be operated in a
manner consistent with the principles of integrity,
customer service and industry service, which has been so
critical to our success since controlling interest was
obtained by the Hettinger family in 1991. Those
assurances were critical to John and his son Bill
Hettinger, and our entire board of directors, in
agreeing to this transaction.
“We are
delighted to be acquiring Fasig-Tipton. The company has
a long history of service to the North American
Thoroughbred industry and has demonstrated significant
growth in recent years. We believe there is potential
for continued growth and superior levels of service in
the future,” al-Habbai said in a statement.
Founded
in 1898, Fasig-Tipton currently conducts auctions in
Lexington, Kentucky, Saratoga Springs, New York,
Timonium, Maryland, Miami, Florida, and Grand Prairie,
Texas. |
