Horseowners boycott races, want revamp in Philracom

MANILA, Philippines - Horseowners belonging to the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners (Marho), the Philippine Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Organization (Philtobo) and Klub Don Juan de Manila (KDJM) will stage a racing holiday starting today to protest over the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) leadership even as they called for its immediate revamp.

“We are the members of the three big horseowners organizations (Tri-Org) and we have banded together to call for changes at Philracom,” said the group in a press conference held at the Centennial Hall of Club Filipino in San Juan last night.

Several horseowners were present, including Mahro’s Eric Tagle, Don Juan’s Tony Eleazar and Nonoy Niles of Philtobo in a show of force against the Philracom. The group has a membership of about 700 horseowners owning horses numbering to 2,000 plus, not counting the hundreds of breeders.

The owners decided to scratch all entries in today’s program although some of their members have reportedly assured the Philracom that they would take part in the races.

The group, which also includes Aristeo “Putch” Puyat and Dondon Bagatsing, also threatened to boycott the Silver Cup at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite this Sunday and the Triple Crown the following week at Sta. Ana Park, also in Cavite.

The horseowners blamed the Philracom for the decline in sales in 2011, citing figures that showed -1.40 percent (P7.90 billion) in 2010 from P7.99B in 2009. In 2012, it showed -4.40 percent (P7.55B) despite strong economic growth (6.8 percent GDP growth in 2012).

It also scored the Philracom for failing to promote horseracing as provided for in Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 420, Philracom’s charter, wherein the state’s declared policy is to “promote and direct the accelerated development and continued growth of horse racing.”

The group also raised the issue for collecting fees for a proposed drug testing facility.

Other matters related to the three racetracks such as the scheduling of races, regulation, and unification of the betting system also remained unresolved, according to the group.

The owners also hit the Philracom’s latest response on the issue of the three-percent deduction from horseowners’ prizes for the trainers’ fund, claiming there was no legal basis for the move.

“The present commission has failed to fulfill their mandate and are not doing their duty to the people and to the President,” they said. “We humbly and urgently appeal to President Aquino to grant our industry relief by immediately replacing the present Philracom leadership with people who can find solutions to changes.”