SMB-MARHO racefest unfolds at Santa Ana

MANILA, Philippines - Six stakes races featuring a long list of prominent horses will highlight the 15th San Miguel Beer-MARHO Cup Racing Festival on Sunday at the Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.

The biggest of these prize-rich events is the Classic, a lung-busting 2000-meter run to be contested by seven tested runners led by former Presidential Gold Cup titlist Native Land and Triple Crown veterans Heaven Sent and Go Army.

The PCSO Filly Mile, SMB Colt Mile, Philracom Juvenile Colts, Philracom Juvenile Fillies and the Santa Ana Sprint are the five other big events lined up on the last day of the festival, which fired off last Tuesday with an eight-race program.

The event was established in 1996 by the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners under chairman Sandy Javier Jr. and president emeritus Putch Puyat, with San Miguel Beer as its foremost backer.  

Only local-bred horses are qualified to run in the six special events, but imports and island-born horses have been allowed to compete in numerous trophy races in recognition of their big contribution to the improvement of the local bloodline.

Shining Fame, Joshua’s Laughter, Schadow Strafze and Defiant complete the 7-horse cast in the Classic where Go Army and Heaven Sent are expected to start as the hottest favorites.

Other top horses running on Sunday include 2010 two-leg Triple Crown winner Yes Pogi and Gastambide in the Colt Mile, Barkley and Arvin Dugo in the Juvenile Colts, and Eternal Flame and EJ’s Magic in the 1,000-meter Sprint. 

The lineups:

Classic (2000 meters)-Heaven Sent (RG Fernandez), Joshua’s Laughter (JPA Guce), Go Army (JB Hernandez), Schadow Strafze (KB Abobo), Native Land (JA Guce), Shining Fame (JB Guce), Defiant JT Zarate)

Colt Mile -Thotis Best (DL Camanero), Yes Pogi (FM Raquel), Flair Bottons (AB Alcasid), Gastambide (JPA Guce), Darleb (JT Zarate)

Filly Mile-My Sweet Leonora (JG Tinte), Woodsy Ribbon (RG Fernandez), Redemption (JB Guce), May Bukas Pa (JT Zarate), Apo Bell (AB Alcasid), Westerly Wind (KB Abobo)      

Juvenile Colts -- Hi-Money (Pat Dilema); Beyond Good (JG Tinte); Barkley (JB Guce) ; Lexibonn (JPA Guce); Lord of War( JB Hernandez); and Arvin Dugo (JA Guce).

Juvenile Fillies-- Seeds of Wisdom (AF Sullano); Antoine Dugo (JA Guce); Gandang Pinay (JB Guce); Homerun Queen (JT Zarate); Elusive Wind (AM Tancioco); Immaculate ( PR Dilema); Dimasalang (JB Hernandez); and Kitty West ( AB Alcasid Jr).

Sprint (1,000 meters): Bumble Bee (JT Zarate), Lively Dude (JA Guce); s EJ’s Magic

(FM Raquel Jr); Music King (PR Dilema), Eternal Flame (JB Guce)