Sta. Ana hosts Sta. Lucia racing festival today

Real estate giant Sta. Lucia Realty & Development, Inc. (SLRD) renews its partnership with the vibrant local racing industry as it teams up with the Philippine Racing Club, Inc. (PRCI) in the staging of the marquee Sta. Lucia Racing Festival today at the Sta. Ana Park.

With total prizes of more than P3 million at stake in the daylong racefest, this year’s celebration will include 12 exciting top-money races highlighted by the centerpiece Sta. Lucia Realty Cup with a guaranteed purse of P450,000.

Set to do battle in the 1,600-meter event are some of the current headliners in the imported group division, including recent stakes winners Midnight Lady and Buena Sera, as well as, Triple Crown double leg winner West Bound, the only local-bred galloper in the field of nine entries. Others in contention include Neat Laurel, Triregal, You Know That, Absolute Charmer, Sunny Contender and Catwalk Pia.

Lending support to the day’s main event would be running of the Saddle & Clubs Special Race, a 1,500-meter event that will serve as the first comeback race for local track champion Wind Blown since coming off vacation.

The six-year-old champion horse has been assigned top weight of 58 kgs. for the race facing a credible field of imports and locals chasing the P250,000 winner’s guaranteed prize.

The other featured track encounters for today include the La Mirada Invitational, Orchard Town Homes Invitational, Club Morocco Invitational, Pinewoods Invitational, Victoria Place Invitational and the Greenwoods Invitational, each carrying a top prize of P200,000.

Also on tap for the action-packed card are three P400,000 Philracom Octoberfest Invitational Races and the rich PCSO Sweepstakes Race for maiden gallopers, slated as the day’s first race.

Simultaneous with the staging of the Sta. Lucia Racefest, SLRD will also be holding a daylong Real Estate Fair at the Santa Ana Park grounds, showcasing other Sta. Lucia Realty projects, including the Saddle & Clubs Leisure Park, a mixed-used commercial, residential and leisure complex in Cavite which is envisioned to become the new home of Santa Ana Park; the Club Morocco Beach & Residential Estates, Orchard Town Homes in Dasmariñas, Cavite; Pinewoods Golf & Residential Estates in Baguio City; Lakewood City in Cabanatuan; La Mirada in Plaridel, Bulacan and the Victoria Place and Greenwoods in Pasig City. —Ramon Romualdez