MANILA, Philippines - With P1 million top prize on the line, last year’s horse of the year Yes Pogi and three others dispute top honors in the San Miguel Beer-Marho Classic as big-time racing returns with the holding of the prize-rich Marho Swift Sixteen racing festival this afternoon at the Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.
Yes Pogi, to be ridden again by veteran Manolito Daquis, is expected to set out as top favorite when he battles Carriedo, Gastambide and Darleb in the 2000-m classic, one of highlight races climaxing the six-day racing festival.
Five other races offering a cash pot of as high as P500,000 – SMB Colt Mile, PCSO Filly Mile, Philracom Juvenile Colts, Philracom Juvenile Fillies and Santa Ana Park-Sprint – will also be disputed during the festival where tested and promising horses in the land are running.
As an added attraction, the Ambassador Danding Cojuangco Jr. Cup will also be held with seven imported and one local horses disputing a cash pot totaling P2 million. The winner gets P1.2M.
“It will be an afternoon to remember since we have offered 13 rich, well-balanced races to the Bayang Karerista,” chorused Leonardo Javier Jr. and Eric Tagle, Marho chairman and president, respectively.
The races are also backed by Pagcor, Smart, and Waterfront Hotels and Casino. In an amazing season, Yes Pogi, owned by businessman Francis Lim, won the prestigious Presidential Gold Cup and the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Interestingly, the horse who denied him to become only the ninth horse in “Triple” history to sweep the event is running against him today. He’s Carriedo, who beat Yes Pogi by a nose in a pulse-pounding race during the third leg of the TC series.
Colt Hagdang Bato, to be ridden by Fernando Racquel, and Etcetera, handled by Mark Alvarez, are fancied to dominate the Juvenile races which offer P500,000 to the winner.
The lineups:
SMB-Classic (2,000 meters) – Gastambide, Carriedo, Yes Pogi, Darleb
SMB-Colt Mile (1600-m) – Arvin Dugo, Makers Mark, Barkley
PCSO-Filly Mile (1600-m) – Prime Rate 2, Kitty West, Coal Harbour, Dimasalang, Cheese Mosa
Philracom-Juvenile Colts (1600-m) – Steel Creation, Purple Ribbon, Golden Empire, Hagdang Bato, Yes I’m The One, Yes Yes Yes, Bechot, Angat ang Pinoy, Mr. Slim, Ikei
Philracom Juvenile Fillies (1600-m) – Cat’s Diamond, Storm Blast, Amazing Migs, Cheese Bianca, Jahan, Etcetera, Never Say Goodbye
Santa Ana Park-Sprint (1000-m) – Brother Barack, Heaven Sent, EJ’s Magic, Gabo, Go Army.