The event, experts say, will serve as part of Silver Story’s build-up for this year’s Triple Crown series which he is fancied to sweep with no other three-year-old bet seeming to have the talent to match Patrick Uy’s prized colt.
Mr. Purao, a quick-starting colt, and Speed Master may provide the early challenge but for how long, nobody knows although there are Zeus, Regalberto, Lord of All, Sky Hawk and Sovereignty who could, hopefully, pull off a surprise or two.
Silver Story, voted as last year’s best horse by both the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) and Philippine Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders’ Organization (Philtobo), swept all the major stakes events in the two-year-old division that included the three-leg Philracom Juvenile Colts Championship, the Mitra Cup for Juvenile Colts, the Marho Juvenile Colts Championship and the Philracom Juvenile Championship.
On the other hand, Wind Blown, whom Silver Story beat for the top honors, leads the cast in the other side of the day’s two featured races, the Chairman’s Cup, which also drew the likes of Hazmoore, Gold Edition, Bound To Be, Cougar, High Roller and Triple Crown leg winner Materiales Fuertes.
Winners in both the Commissioner’s and Chairman’s Cups will receive P270,000 with the second, third and fourth finishers receiving P101,250, P56,250 and P22,500, respectively. — R. Romualdez