Morales horse racing No. 1 money earner

MANILA, Philippines - In his most productive month so far in the racing season, lawyer-businessman Narciso  Morales garnered 14 wins in July to take the No. 1 spot  in money winnings among horse owners even as Mark Angelo Alvarez stayed on top in the jockeys’ category.

Morales, the runaway winner of Philracom’s Most Reputable Horse Owner award last year, dislodged Jade Bros. Farm from the top spot thanks to a winning spree that was highlighted by Spectrum’s overpowering victory in a special PCSO Maiden Race late last month.

That PCSO win gave Morales a prize of P600,000, boosting the sportsman’s seven-month winnings to P8,577,395 on 51 wins and 56 runners-up, 57 third and 85 fourth place finishes to lead long-time leader Jade Bros. (P7,483,508 on 58-38-46-49 record) by P1,093,887.

“I’m thanking my grooms, trainers and jockeys for preparing my horses well and the fans for supporting them,” said Morales, who’s into land and air transportation business. “I guess we’ve got a lot of luck last month.”

Morales, who’s been in the horse racing industry for almost four decades now, is hopeful his other promising juvenile named Hot Dog would be as successful as Spectrum when she competes in another rich PCSO Maiden race next month.

“My team is preparing her (Hot Dog) well. I’m confident she will give her rivals a good fight,” said Morales, who has around 50 horses stabled in Rancho Narciso in Lipa City, Batangas.

“It’s a long way to go but it will be a great honor if our stable ends up on top this year. It’s not going to be easy (finishing first in winnings) given the depth and caliber of the other stables,” Morales added.