First all-apprentice jockey race today

The Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) in cooperation with the Philippine Racing Club, Inc. (PRCI), is set to unveil the very first all-apprentice jockey invitational race, one of two featured events scheduled today at the Santa Ana Park.

Patterned after the international jockey competition regularly conducted during the biennial Asian Racing Conference (ARC) and the annual Apprentice Jockey Races spearheaded by the Macau Jockey Club (MJC), the local version of the featured invitational is an exclusive race for apprentice or novice jockeys, recent graduates of the Philippine Jockeys Academy (PJA), who have been assigned to ride five evenly-matched gallopers over a distance 1,600 meters.

To be known as the "Sec. Emilia Boncodin Apprentice Jockeys’ Cup," the highlight race carries a total guaranteed pot of P500,000, with the winner assured of P300,000 in top money. — Ramon Romualdez

The assignment of riders for every entry was done through lottery last Friday, giving the new riders barely two days to familiarize themselves with their assigned mounts.

Among the apprentice jockeys who will compete in the featured "Boncodin Cup" are lady rider Annalyn Reloto together with fellow apprentice Joel Juan Francisco, Randy Lagrata, Alexander Gamboa and Francisco Tuazon. Reloto, Francisco, Lagrata, Gamboa and Tuazon will ride horses Hezagonebabes, Tiny Giant, Count Your Blessings, Princess Sophia and E Mail, respectively, for the competition carrying even handicap weights of 53 kgs. each.

Meanwhile, six foreign-bred gallopers are set to dispute the third leg of the Philracom Imported Stakes Race Series, a 1,500-meter contest that carries a total prize pot of P450,000.

Heading the chase for the P270,000 top prize is consistent performer You Know That (AUS), a five-year-old race mare by Honour And Glory out of Virgin Princess. The quick-striding mare is owned by industrialist Norberto Quisumbing Jr.’s EFSGI and will be skippered for the first time by jockey Jeffrey Bacaycay. The Arnel La Rosa-trained galloper has already won two races and has never been worse than second in five official starts.

Expected to pose a big challenge for the top spot is the steadily-improving Catwalk Pia (AUS), also a five-year-old bay mare, by Danzero out of Scotch And Coke, who is set to be ridden by jockey Jeffril Zarate.

Others in the hunt for the top spot are American Dame (AUS), Tiger Babes (NZ), Cosanne (AUS) and Time Gentleman (AUS), to be ridden by jockey Patricio Dilema, Antonio Alcasid Jr., Jonathan Hernandez and Valentin Dilema, respectively.

Undersecretary Luis Liwanag of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will represent DBM Secretary Emilia Boncodin in the awarding of trophies in the "Boncodin Cup" and will be joined by PJA director George Stribling, chairman Jaime Dilag and his fellow commissioners in the Philracom board.