'Ang Gintong Pangarap' to benefit Olympic bets

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Olympic team has found another friend in the Philippine Racing Commission.

The Philracom, headed by chairman Angel Castano Jr. is sponsoring a P300,000  race in today’s well-balanced 13-race program at the San Lazaro Leisure Park for the benefit of the London-bound  Filipino athletes.

Dubbed “Áng Gintong Pangarap” race, the 1500-meter event will feature top seven three-year-olds – Time To Shine Dad, Mr. Tatler, Miss Malapia, Dancing Rags, Top Meat, Clean Air and Coterminous – with the winner taking P180,000.

Philippine  Olympic team chief of mission Manny Lopez said the Philippine Olympic Committee headed by Peping Cojuangco and the Filipino athletes are grateful for the help extended by the local horseracing body.

“We are thankful to Mr. Castano and the board for being a partner in our bid to win that very elusive gold medal in the Olympics,” said Lopez, who is also the POC vice-president.

Scheduled at 4 p.m., the  race is actually the main supporting  event in the program that will feature the 17th running of the PCSO Silver Cup race.

Comebacking Magna Carta, the reigning Philippine Sportswriters Association horse of the year, heads a nine-horse field vying for a cash pot of P3.8 million, with the champion taking home P2.5 million.