Breeders’ Cup up at Sta. Ana

The fifth San Miguel Beer — MARHO Breeders’ Cup Racing Festival, the richest and most prestigious horse racing event of the year, unfolds this weekend at the Santa Ana Park.

This was announced yesterday by Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners chief Aristeo "Putch" Puyat during the weekly PSA Sports Forum at the Holiday Inn Manila Pavilion where he also underscored the significance of the event to the sport of horse racing and its allied industry of horse breeding.

"More than a championship forum, the San Miguel Beer — MARHO Breeders’ Cup serves as a rallying symbol to our fellow horse breeders, the principal proponents of this project, in improving the breed and quality of our horses and at the same time, elevating the standards of our racing," said Puyat.

Thirty of the country’s finest locally-bred racers are set to dispute the six division championships, including the Classic for older horses, the Colt Mile for three-year-old colts, the Distaff Mile for three-year-old fillies, the Juvenile Colts for two year-old colts, the Juvenile Fillies for two-year-old fillies and the Sprint for all qualified horses.

Defending Classic champion Streets of Gold stakes her claim anew for the Classic crown as she battles six other seasoned campaigners over a distance of 2,050-meters.

Expected to challenge her is recent tormentor Gold Edition and last year’s Distaff Mile winner, Jinska. The other challengers are Tough Cookie, Misty Rose, El Robusto and Bullet Train.

Track action is expected to be furious in the Colt Mile, as current track standout Wind Blown flexes his muscles against three other challengers over 1,600-meters. The massive colt is currently on a five-race winning streak. and looks hard to beat based on his most recent performance.

Millionaire filly and noted speedball Hazmoore heads the stellar cast of four hopefuls in the 1,600-meter Distaff. A recent winner of the Japan Racing Association Cup, Hazmoore will attempt to reassert anew her dominance of the distaff field challenge by Midnight Rose, Kiwi Rose and Agree To Agree.

Fast rising track star Silver Story banners the filed in the 1,500-meter Juvenile Colts, coming off four consecutive victories in stakes company against practically the same opposition. The remaining others who are still in the hunt for the lucrative bankroll include Bishop King, El Duque and All Smiles.