IT’S always interesting to watch races featuring elite horses, particularly those with a special twist, and that’s what racing fans are going to get this Sunday (Nov. 12) at Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.
The Philippine Racing Commission’s 2nd leg 3YO Imported Fillies Stakes attracted five entries, among the best young female horses campaigning.
Entered in the 1,800-meter race are SC Stockfarm’s Already Feisty and Brilliance, Mark Anthonny A. Calixto’s Anino, Amado S. Bagatsing’s Shukriya, and Roberto Iñigo’s Smokin Saturday.
Aside from the fact that SC Stockfarm is running coupled entries, giving you two bangs for your buck, I really like Brilliance’s past performance although I would not discount Smokin Saturday either.
Total prize money is P500,000, with P300,000 going to the winner and corresponding purses up to fourth.
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Congratulations to the winners of the Breeders’ Cup Championships held Nov. 3 and 4 at Del Mar racetrack in California.
The $6 million BC Classic was won by Gun Runner, who ran wire-to-wire with Collected running off the pace. They picked up speed at the far turn and battled down the stretch, Gun Runner winning by 2-1/4 lengths. The favorite, Arrogate, placed 5th in this, the final race of his career. 2nd Collected, 3rd West Coast.
Here are some other races I was interested in:
In the Turf, Talismanic’s jockey Mickael Barzalona guided his mount between Beach Patrol and Highland Reel to nip their chances and win his first Cup. 2nd Beach Patrol, 3rd Highland Reel.
In the Juvenile, Bolt d’Oro, the favorite, took the first and second turns much too wide, allowing Good Magic to get a good position behind US Navy Flag and Solomini and rally down the stretch to win by 4-1/4 lengths. 2nd Solomini, 3rd Bolt d’Oro.
In the Mile, World Approval, the favorite, ran off the pace from Heart to Heart and rallied close to the wire, winning by 1-1/4 lengths. 2nd Lancaster Bomber, 3rd Blackjackcat.
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I must admit I had my heart set on Arrogate in the Classic and was disappointed when he failed to fire.
Arrogate’s jockey, Mike Smith, blamed the track for his mount’s poor start. “He just doesn’t like this track. For whatever reason, I hate to say it, he has shown it time and time again and showed it today.”
I believe this because horses have personalities of their own. Quirks like preferring one track to another do exist and it’s a factor that must be considered when deciding where to run a horse or whether to back one.
The 4YO Arrogate will now retire to stud. He ends his career with 7 wins out of 11 races and more than $17 million in earnings. Along with many other racing fans, I look forward to his future progeny with interest.
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Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer and researcher. Facebook: Gogirl Racing and Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @gogirlracing and @jennyortuoste
