Probinsyano holds off field in close triumph
Probinsyano fended off the late charge of the field and pulled off an exciting half-a-length win in the 1st leg of the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) 3YO Local Fillies and Colts Stakes Race Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.
Ridden furiously by veteran jockey Mark Angelo Alvarez, Probinsyano burst out of the gates ahead of the pack, with The Barrister keeping him company for the lead.
Probinsyano left The Barrister and momentarily led by three lengths in the final 400 meters, with Misha and Sotogrande giving chase, but the local colt sired by Fantasticat out of Destiny’s Gold hang tough for the half-a-length win in the 1,400-meter race offering a total guaranteed prize of 1500,000 and hosted by the Manila Jockey Club, Inc.
“Nagkaraoon ng pressure sa unahan, pero napagtiyagaan ko naman. Ginamitan na lang natin ng horse power at jockey power,” said Alvarez. “Ginulo ni The Barrister ‘yung plano, mabuti na lang may naiwan pang lakas sa huli.”
The win was worth 1300,000 for Probinsyano owner Napoleon Magno, with Leonardo M. Javier settling for the 1112,500 runner-up prize for his horse Misha. Sotogrande’s thirdplace feat netted owner Dennis C. Tan 162,500. Fourth placer Smell My Tell and owner Antonio V. Tan got 125,000.
“That was a real racing treat to our horse-racing fans,” said Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez. “We are slowly reaping the fruits of our ratingbased handicapping system, wherein the horses that are pitted against each other are playing on an even field.”
In the Henry Cojuangco Golden Miles Stakes Race (Race 6), Tin Drum (Jockey JG Fernandez) beat Atomiseventynine (AP Asuncion) and Hitting Spree (KB Abobo).
Other Sunday winners include Truly Ponti (OP Cortez, Race 1), Creme Brule (RO Niu Jr., Race 2), Perlas ng Silangan (Pat R. Dilema, Race 3), Striking Colors (JB Guce, Race 4), Janders (RC Baldonido, Race 7), Eugene’s Fly Away (JB Cordova, Race 8), Diamond Away (JB Cordova, Race 9), Tan Goal (RG Fernandez, Race 10), Share Share (FM Raquel Jr., Race 11), Himpapawid (RO Niu Jr., Race 12) and Striking Move (JL Lazaro, Race 13).