Top-notch racing set at S Lazaro

Manila Jockey Club Inc. (MJCI) ushers in the start of championship racing season this week at the San Lazaro Leisure Park (SLLP) as it hosts the second annual staging of the coveted "Don Juan Derby" racefest and the sixth and final leg of the Philracom "Imported Stakes Series" this Sunday in Carmona, Cavite.

Sunday’s "Don Juan Derby" racing extravaganza caps MJCI’s week-long schedule, which includes four night racing cards of nine races each from Tuesday through Friday and a complement of 14 and 13 races each on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

"Racing fans can look forward to another week of top-notch racing action at the San Lazaro Park as we unveil our action-packed Octoberfest calendar with the staging of the blue-ribbon Don Juan Derby," said MJCI vice president for marketing and corporate affairs Henri Kahn.

Spearheaded by Klub Don Juan de Manila, an emerging force in local racing, the second Don Juan Derby racefest will showcase two featured championships races – the P1-million KDJM Derby and the P500,000 KDJM Golden Girl Stakes.

Expected to draw equal attention is the running of the sixth and final leg of the Philracom "Imported Stakes Series," a P450,000 race which has lured seven crack imports vying for a slot at the "All-Import Grand Championship" Nov. 23.

The KDJM Derby is an all-comers stakes race for three-year-old gallopers set over a classic distance of 2,000 meters. Four classy chargers are officially declared to compete in the Philracom-backed race, including crack local bets Security Master and High Octane, as well as, import group standouts’ Absolute Charmer and Midnight Lady.