Union Bell, Exponential clash in interesting race

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s best two-year-old horses, led by Union Bell and Exponential, clash for supremacy and bragging rights in the Philippine Racing Commission’s final offering for the year – the 2019 Juvenile Championship at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite Tuesday.

Easily the most impressive in the six-horse field, Union Bell (sire Union Rags, USA; dam Tocqueville, ARG),  will be shooting for a fourth straight win in the Juvenile Series and the whopping P1.5-million prize that goes with it.

The Elmer de Leon-owned Union Bell started its amazing streak with an emphatic five-length win in the first leg of the Juvenile Fillies and Colts Stakes Race at the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park in Naic, Cavite last October, before making it two in a row in the second leg at the Metro Manila Turf Club in Malvar, Batangas the following month.

Proving that it is one of the country’s fastest-rising young horses, Union Bell completed a hat trick of sorts by winning the Juvenile Colts Stakes Race at the San Lazaro Leisure Park recently, hinting at its readiness to compete against the big guns in the Triple Crown series next year.

But first things first. The Juvenile Championship crown is up for grabs.

“Masyadong magaling ang kabayo ko, ready na ito next year sa Triple Crown, pero may mga karera pa na dapat takbuhin,” said Union Bell’s jockey Jonathan Hernandez.

On the same day that Union Bell won the Juvenile Colts’ title, Exponential quietly took the female side of the series, topping the Juvenile Fillies Stakes Race with an impressive five-length triumph, with interestingly, JB Hernandez, on its mount.

Hernandez, however, will ride Union Bell in the Juvenile Championship, leaving the Raymund Puyat-owned Exponential to the guidance of jockey PM Cabalejo.

Standing in the way of these two favorites are SC Stockfarm’s coupled entries After Party (jockey MM Gonzales) and Our Secret (Kevin Abobo).

Completing the participants are Lucky Savings (jockey JA Guce, owner Antonio Coyco) and Puro Asset (JL Paano, Melanie Habla).

A total guaranteed prize of P2.5 million is being put up by the sponsoring Philracom for the Juvenile Stakes Race. 

Runner-up gets P562,500, while third and fourth placers will receive P312,000 and P125,000, respectively. The breeder of the winning horse pockets P75,000.