Spectrum, Hot Dog score in stakes race

MANILA, Philippines - Top favorite Spectrum made it two in a row in the Juvenile Colts-Fillies stakes series while stablemate Hot Dog debuted with an easy victory in the rich PCSO 2-Year-Old special race yesterday at the Santa Ana Park in Imus, Cavite.

  Handled by regular rider Dan Camanero, Spectrum pulled away as the field turned for home in the 1200-m run, winning by four lengths over second choice Subterranean River in a big followup to his easy win in the kickoff of the four-leg series last month.

As dominating was stablemate Hot Dog, who led from start to finish under veteran Jeff Zarate to beat four colts and two fillies in the 1200-meter event as she established herself also as a horse to be reckoned with in next year’s Triple Crown.

“A lucky day for the stable. I doff my hat to the team which handles my horses and thank the fans who support them,” said business-sportsman Narciso Morales, owner of the two promising juveniles.    

Spectrum timed 1 minute, 13.4 seconds, hitting the wire a clear winner over Subterranean River, who dug deep at the far turn to give Spectrum a challenge but failed horribly.

Finishing third behind Spectrum and Subterranean River was Killer Hook, a fighting runner-up in the first leg.

Spectrum tries to make it 3-for-3 when he runs in the third leg next month at the San Lazaro Leisure Park, possibly against the same batch of contenders.

“We’ll rest him (Spectrum) for a few weeks and then enter him in the third leg,” added Morales,  the runaway leader in money winnings among  owners eight months into the season.

Spectrum raised his career record to three wins in as many starts while boosting his earnings to P1.8 million, including P600,000 which he earned for winning yesterday’s race.

Like Spectrum, Hot Dog delivered a P600,000 paycheck to the Morales stable.

Breaking out well in the seventh stall, Hot Dog immediately took the lead with hardly a challenge from any one and built a three-length lead over the Jonathan Hernandez-ridden  Sky Dancer  as the field approached the final turn.

Hot Dog finished a length in front of stayer Sky Dancer, clocking 1 minute and 13.4 seconds with clips of 24-1/2, 22-1/2 and 26-1/2 as she lived up to her high billing after handily winning the trial run two weeks ago.