P11M staked in Cojuangco Cup, MARHO Classic races
A total of P11 million in prizes will be up for grabs in a weekend of high-stakes racing, highlighted by the Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. Cup and the San Miguel Beer Marho Breeders Championship Classic at the Sta. Ana Racetrack in Naic, Cavite.
Three record holders in Sakima, Shukriya and Smokin’ Saturday banner the elite cast of horses scheduled to run today.
SC Stockfarm’s Sakima, which submitted the record time in the 1,800 meters last Oct. 1 with a 1:50 clocking, sets out as the favorite in the Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. Cup, held in honor of the San Miguel Corp. chairman, a stalwart in the horseracing industry.
To be ridden by Jockey JA Guce, Sakima is expected to face stiff competition from stablemate Hitting Spree (Jockey KB Abobo), Joseph Dyhengco’s Atomic seventy nine (JT Zarate), Narciso Morales’ Messi (EG Esguerra) and Cool Summer Farm’s She’s Incredible (OP Cortez) in the Cojuangco Cup offering a total purse of P2.5 million.
Smokin’ Saturday of owner Roberto Inigo and Shukriya of Amado Bagatsing lead the roster in the Philippine Racing Commission’s second leg 3YO Imported Fillies Stakes, which offers a total prize of P500,000.
Shukriya, to be ridden by MM Gonzales, owns the record time of 1:11.0 in the 1,200 meters last Oct. 1, while Smokin’ Saturday, which will have JT Zarate as her jockey on Sunday, set the record in the 1,600 meters of 1:37.6, achieved only last Oct. 22.
The Marho (Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners) Breeders Classic Championship, one of the country’s biggest racing events, is a culmination of a three-leg series of high-powered events held simultaneously with the Marho Invitational Races leading to the big race.
Other races slated today are the Mayor Leonardo “Sandy” Javier Jr. Thanksgiving Cup 3YO Colt Mile, the Andoks Litson Corp. Cup-3 YO Filly Mile, the Marho Breeders Championship 2YO Juvenile Colts and the PCSO-backed Sprint Race.
The first leg of the Road to the Marho Breeders Championship was sponsored by the Philippine Racing Commission. Kanlaon, owned by Benjamin Abalos Jr., won this race with a cash prize of P500,000. Kanlaon also won the second leg of the classic race, while Mayor Benhur’s other horse, Lakan, won the third leg race, sponsored by the Philippine Racing Club Inc.
Meanwhile, for the first MARHO Invitational Race, which was sponsored by the Manila Jockey Club Inc. with P500,000 cash prize, the winning horse was Malaya, also owned by Abalos. The second leg was won by Bite the Dust owned by Antonio Tan and the third leg Invitational trophy by Sakima of new MARHO member, Oliver Velasquez from SC Stock Farms.