Record purse staked in Presidential Gold Cup

The PCSO Presidential Gold Cup, the most prestigious horse racing event in the country, kicks off on Dec. 14 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

Considered as the highest point of the yearly racing calendar, the PCSO Presidential Gold Cup will again showcase the best thoroughbreds in the land competing for a record pot of P2.875 million over a classic distance of 2,000 meters.

The winner of the blue-ribbon classic is now guaranteed to receive P2 million, P1.5 million courtesy of the PCSO and P500,000 donated by Don Antonio Floreindo. A PCSO Presidential Gold Cup will also be awarded to the owner of the winning horse. P500,000, P250,000 and P125,000 will be pocketed by the second, third and fourth placers, respectively.

President Arroyo is expected to award the winning connection of this great racing spectacle in her honor.

Set to host the event for the 19th time since its inaugural staging in 1973 is the Manila Jockey Club, Inc. (MJCI), at its new racing complex in Carmona, Cavite.

"This event will further reinforce the time-tested partnership between the local horse racing industry and the PCSO in the noble task of generating funds for charity and much-needed revenues for the government," according to MJCI vice president for corporate management Henri Kahn.

"The Manila Jockey Club, Inc. is sponsoring the first Chairman Jaime Dilag and Commissioners’ Cup with a total prize money of P500,000. This in appreciation for his outstanding stewardship of the Philippine Racing Commission which brought the entire racing industry to greater heights and attaining its unprecedented growth, and also for the highest level of support, cooperation and dedication accorded to us by the members of the Commission," added Kahn.

To complete the day’s triple treat is the Philracom Hopeful Stakes Race carrying a total pot prize of P500,000 sponsored by Philracom.

Twelve battle-scarred chargers are set to parade to the starting post, led by last year’s impressive Cup winner Free Wind (JT Zarate), the multiple stakes winning four-year-old colt who’ll be gunning for a rare-Presidential Gold Cup double.

Others in the hunt for the crown include this year’s First Gent’s Silver Cup winner Golden Ballet (JB Hernandez), three-year-old division standouts West Bound (AB Alcasid Jr) and Success Story (FM Raquel Jr), 2001 Triple Crown Champion Silver Story (JB Guce), multiple stakes winners Lyonnais (VR Dilemma), Material Maker (PR Dilema) and High Octane (DH Borbe Jr), as well Perfect Storm (JM Ladiana, Diktador (EF Salvador), Mica’s Magic (CP Domingo Jr) and Red Star Rising (MF Daquis).