Horse racing nears return

The plan is to resume races, but only during the weekend for six straight weeks starting on 19 July

Horse racing in the country could be back by the third week of July provided that the National Capital Region would be placed under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) chairman Andrew Sanchez said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Infectious Diseases allowed them to operate under the MGCQ, but without the usual clubs and fans at the racing clubs.

“The plan is to resume races, but only during the weekend for six straight weeks starting on 19 July, or possibly 18 July, at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite, before the two other racing clubs take their equal turns to host the weekend races,” said Sanchez upon getting a reply from IATF head of secretariat Kenneth Ronquillo.

The San Lazaro Leisure Park of the Manila Jockey Club hosts the races again on 8 and 9 August while the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park of the Philippine Racing Club in Naic, Cavite, holds the weekly races on 24 and 25 July and 15 and 16 August.

The Metro Manila Turf Club Inc. in Malvar, Batangas, takes its turn on 1, 2, 22 and 23 August.

Horse racing in the Philippines is a billion-peso industry.

For the last decade, horse racing has contributed an average of P1.3 billion to the national coffers, including P1,352,930,422 last year.

Philracom is planning a maximum of 10 races from the usual 12 — with priority on the rating-based races — for the Sunday schedule, which it calls as Priority Day.