Guce steers Sepfourteen in sweep of Triple Crown

Sepfourteen entered the history books with his biggest, most dominant win yet as he pulled off a sweep of the Philippine Racing Commission's Triple Crown Series on Sunday at the Saddle & Clubs Leisure Park, in Naic, Cavite.

Jockey John Alvin Guce and the three-year-old chestnut colt delivered the emphatic win for SC Stockfarm – a seven-meter triumph against a fading bunch, led by eventual second placer Hiway One and third placer Smokin' Saturday.

More importantly, Sepfourteen clinched horseracing immortality as the 11th member of the legendary list of earlier Triple Crown winners such as Fair and Square in 1981, Skywalker (1983), Time Master (1987), Magic Showtime (1988), Sun Dancer (1989), Strong Material (1996), Real Top (1998), Silver Story (2001), Hagdang Bato (2012) and Kid Molave (2014), who, interestingly was also ridden by Guce.

Sepfourteen used his staying power in the 2,000-meter race, the longest in the three-leg series, to frustrate the nine-horse field as he caught up with the pack, led for most of the way by Smokin' Saturday, at the final 600 meters.

“Striking distance lang, mga third to place lang muna kami. Then, pa-half mile, doon kami kumilos. Naramdaman ko na po na malaki ang chance, kaya pagdating ng homestretch binigay ko na,” said Guce.

The three-year-old colt sired by Consolidator and Regal Boom then charged home with a final burst of speed to claim the win, which was worth 11.8 million for owner Oliver “Jojo” Velasquez, who counting his cash 1500,000 bonus for the sweep and their first two wins, earned a whopping 15.9 million in the series for Sepfourteen alone.

“Masaya, hindi ko ma-explain ang feeling. From the second leg, more than a month ang preparasyon, kaya sabi ko sa kanila, kailangan this time, convincing. And convincing naman,” said Velasquez. “Pahinga lang muna siya, then sasalihan namin 'yung malalaking yearend races.”

One of those big races is the Presidential Gold Cup in December.

Meanwhile, Metamorphosis, who raced instead in Philracom's Hopeful Stakes after two forgettable finishes in the Triple Crown's first two legs, beat Bossa Nova (second) and Cerveza Rosas (third) to win the 1600,000 prize for owner Hermie Esguerra, whose Salt and Pepper also topped Philracom's Locally-Bred Stakes Race, with Battle Chacha and Caloocan Zap in second and third place, respectively.

The three-leg series is patterned after the United States' Triple Crown, with its three legs comprised of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, also with progressively longer distances.

Also on Sunday, the Philracom began its random drug-testing protocols on horses, starting with Stony Road Horse's Oceanside, who ran in the 3YO Locally-Bred Stakes Race.