MAGIC Millions managing director David Chester is arriving on Monday and will personally invite local horsemen to join the highly successful June National Sales, considered to be the biggest horse auction in the northern hemisphere today, from June 2 to 16 at the Gold Coast.

David will be accompanied by the new Australian trade commission head Ross Bray and the newly designated Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith in presenting the event to local horsemen.

In an e-mail he sent recently, David said that the “Magic Millions [has] catalogued 2,600 horses for the national sale including 800 weanlings, 100 broodmares and 700 yearlings. In addition to these entries, Magic Millions [is] presently taking entries for a racehorse sale, which will be held on June 6, the last day of the Broodmare Sale. Heinrich Racing is dispersing 25 lots, including colts and fillies by Octagonal, Jeune, Danehill Dancer, King Cugat, Arena, Canny Lad, Snowland, Loup Sauvage, Telesto, Tobougg, Kings Best. In all, there will be catalogued 150 race fillies.”

Regarded as the southern hemisphere’s premier breeding stock, the sale will present an outstanding selection of lots across all sections of the auction. The auction kicks off with the National Weanling Sale and this year’s catalogue is the best-ever catalogued. All of the country’s leading sires are represented and a highlight will be the unreserved dispersal sale for Swettenham Stud. Among the star weanlings catalogued include (at least) half relations to Group One winners including Weekend Hussler, Fashions Afield, Nova Star, Reactive, Typhoon Zed, Mission Critical, Diatribe and Apercu.

The National Broodmare Sale has also brought together an outstanding collection of race fillies and mares to suit all buyers. No fewer than 100 stakes-performed mares are set for the auction, including Divine Madonna, Zagalia, Ateates, She Will Be Loved, Timbourina, Countess Christie, Segments, Sharp, Musidora, Purde, Shalt Not, Superfly, Vignette, Devil Inside, Diamond Cove, Fabiarna, Litter, Class Success and Jade Diva. Also catalogued are the proven producers of such stakes gallopers as Hasna, Strategic News, Vinaka, Amelia’s Dream, Danabaa, Innovation Girl, Rockabubble, Fantasia, Hurried Choice, Gallant Tess, Belcentra, I Have No Fear, Crimson Reign, Black Bean and No Questions.

THE Triple Crown fever is already here!

And we’re referring to the Triple Crown Series among the best three-year-olds that will be happening here and in the US almost simultaneously.

On the local front, nothing much can be talked about since the nomination of horses has been extended up to this afternoon by the sponsoring Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) in order to accommodate all aspirants.

There are reports that the Hopeful-stakes slots are already filled up as of this writing, while eight horses have already nominated in the main event. The first leg of the series will be disputed on May 18 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park with a whopping total prize of P3 million being offered by the Philracom.

The winner receives the top prize of P1.8 million, while its breeder gets a bonus of P100,000. The runner-up picks up P675,000, while the third and fourth placers get P375,000 and P150,000, respectively.

The final declaration of official entries will be on May 6, and it is expected that all the nominated entries (which pay a P15,000 nomination fee each) are the ones to be declared eventually and the fee here is P30,000.

Owners of so-so three-year-olds might have decided to enter their gallopers in the Hopeful Stakes instead, after seeing the domination of Don Enrico and Indelible Ink in the last few prep stakes races.

Although it is only secondary to the major event on May 18, the Hopeful Stakes nevertheless offers a whopping P1 million to the top-four placers with the winner receiving the top prize of P600,000, while its breeder receives a bonus of P30,000. The runner-up gets P225,000, while the third and fourth placers receive P125,000 and P50,000, respectively. The declaration of final entries is also the same with the main event.

WHILE there are only few things we can talk as of now about the local Triple Crown Series, the US version of the exciting event is already on its final stage of preparation.

The 134th running of the Kentucky Derby, which offers a whopping $2 million to the winners, will be held on Sunday (Manila time) at the Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. And for those who have been closely following the Run For The Roses, here are the 20 lucky official starters together with their respective jockeys and trainers and their morning-line odds. (Entries are according to: post position, horse, jockey, trainer, morning-line odds)

                1              Cool Coal Man, Julien Leparoux, Nick Zito, 20-1

                2              Tale of Ekati, Eibar Coa, Barclay Tagg, 15-1

                3              Anak Nakal, Rafael Bejarano, Nick Zito, 30-1

                4              Court Vision, Garrett Gomez, Bill Mott, 20-1

                5              Eight Belles (f), Gabriel Saez, Larry Jones, 15-1

                6              Z Fortune, Robby Albarado, Steve Asmussen, 30-1

                7              Big Truck, Javier Catellano, Barclay Tagg, 50-1

                8              isionaire, Jose Lezcano, Michael Matz, 20-1

                9              Pyro, Shaun Bridgmohan, Steve Asmussen, 6-1

                10           Colonel John, Corey Nakatani, Eoin Harty, 4-1

                11           Z Humor, Rene Douglas, Bill Mott, 30-1

                12           Smooth Air, Manoel Cruz, Bennie Stutts Jr., 20-1

                13           Bob Jack Black, Rich Migliore, James Kasparoff, 0-1

                14           Monba, Ramon Dominguez, Todd Pletcher, 15-1

                15           Adriano, Edgar Prado, Graham Motion, 30-1

                16           Denis of Cork, Calvin Borel, David Carroll, 20-1

                17           Cowboy Cal, John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 20-1

                18           Recapturetheglory, E.T. Baird, Louie Roussel, 20-1

                19           Gayego, Mike Smith, Paulo Lobo, 15-1

                20           Big Brown, Kent Desormeaux, Rick Dutrow Jr., 3-1

Only Eight Belles is the filly among the participants, the first such entry since 1999. Only three have won, with Winning Colors the last to do so in 1988. “We’re going to give it a whirl,” said Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones, who finished second in last year’s Derby with Hard Spun.

“If she runs her race against the colts and doesn’t get intimidated, we feel like she can be right there.”

The undefeated Big Brown of Rick Dutrow Jr. is the early favorite despite having the outermost post position. The inexperienced Big Brown burst into the Derby scene with a 12 and-three-fourths-length  romp in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 5. A five-length win in the Florida Derby made him three-for-three in his career.

Only 11 horses have won the elusive US Triple Crown.

The grueling schedule of three races in five weeks at longer distances than most have run previously in their careers is probably the most difficult task any horse will face in his racing career. Affirmed in 1978 still remains the last Triple Crown winner. Sadly, the last Triple Crown winner left alive, Seattle Slew, passed away on May 7, 2002.

The roll call of US Triple Crown champions include: Sir Barton in 1919; Gallant Fox in 1930; Omaha in 1935; War Admiral in 1937; Whirlaway in 1941; Count Fleet in 1943; Assault in 1946; Citation in 1948; Secretariat in 1973; Seattle Slew in 1977; and Affirmed in 1978.

Thanks for the memories, Suns…

…Or maybe that Shaquille O’Neal deal really wasn’t such a good idea.

Not that all us skeptics were saying that when they won 15 of their last 20 and ran over the Spurs in San Antonio and coach Gregg Popovich said they were the hottest team in the West.

RP-Nokia 5, Franz expecting worse

KUALA LUMPUR—The Philippines was to meet host Malaysia late Thursday and what kept head coach Franz Pumaren worried was that he would be going to a war zone aware of the possible scenarios, but not about how strong or weak the enemy would be.

THE Ginebra Gin Kings will try to score their first win this tournament as they go up against a similarly struggling Purefoods TJ Giants tonight in the ongoing elimination round of the Smart-PBA Fiesta Conference.

BURGER King ended its elimination campaign on a high note after beating Pharex, 69-65, in the 2008 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup yesterday at the Gov. Ayong Maliksi Gym in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

SO David Diaz is insisting Manny Pacquiao will be his biggest fight ever? Ask Team Pacquiao and they will tell you this will also be the Filipino fighter’s toughest challenge to date.

FIVE more Filipino swimmers will attempt to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

Philippine Amateur Swimming Association president Mark Joseph said that female swimmers Erika Totten, Marichi Gadiongco, Jackie Pangilinan and Denjylie Cordero, and lone male tanker Kendrick Uy will compete in various meets in the US, particularly in the Janet Evans International Meet at the University of South California this June.

MAGIC Millions managing director David Chester is arriving on Monday and will personally invite local horsemen to join the highly successful June National Sales, considered to be the biggest horse auction in the northern hemisphere today, from June 2 to 16 at the Gold Coast.