Hitting Spree out to stretchwinning streak

MANILA, Philippines — Defending champion Hitting Spree tries to make it three in a row in the 2019 Ambassador Eduardo M. Cojuangco Jr. Cup tomorrow at the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park Racetrack in Naic, Cavite.

The SC Stockfarm-owned Hitting Spree delivered an emphatic five-length victory in keeping her Ambassador Eduardo M. Cojuangco Jr. Cup crown last year at the same venue.

For the third straight year, Hitting Spree will be ridden by jockey Kelvin Abobo in the prestigious 2,000-meter race offering a whopping total purse of P3.15 million and held in honor of the San Miguel Corp. chairman, a stalwart in the horseracing industry.

Twelve other thoroughbreds, led by Hitting Spree’s stablemate and Triple Crown winner Sepfourteen (jockey JA Guce), will be crowding the reigning titlist for the top purse of P1.8 million in the rich racing weekend put up by the Philippine Racing Commission.

Runner-up gets P675,000 while third, fourth and fifth placers will receive P375,000, P150,000 and P100,000, respectively.

Cojuangco himself has donated special championship trophies to the winners and a medallion to the champion jockey.

Joining the fray are Bugle Notes (jockey JB Hernandez, owner Bell Racing Stable); Certain To Win (CP Henson, Bingson Tecson); Christmas Sky (Pat R Dilema, C&H Enterprises, Inc.); Greatwall (FM Raquel Jr., Robert Ramirez); Metamorphosis (CS Pare Jr., Francisco Paulo Crisostomo); Murika (RG Fernandez, Joseph Dyhengco); Super Sonic (JB Guce, Leonardo Javier Jr.); Time and Again (Val Dilema, Napoleon Magno); Truly Ponti (PM Cabalejo, Narciso Morales); UND Kantar (Ro Niu Jr., Melaine Habla); and Viva Morena (Dan Camañero, Bienvenido Pierre Niles III.)