Philippine horse-racing back in July?

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine horse-racing could be back by the third weekend of July, without the usual crowd and fans at the racing clubs, provided the National Capital Region eases to modified general community quarantine.

“The plan is to resume races, but only during the weekend for six straight weeks starting July 19 or possibly 18 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite, before the two other racing clubs take their equal turns to host the weekend races,” said Philippine Racing Commission chairman Andrew Sanchez.

The San Lazaro Leisure Park of the Manila Jockey Club hosts the races again on Aug. 8 and 9, while the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park of the Philippine Racing Club in Naic, Cavite holds the weekly races on July 24 and 25 and Aug. 15 and 16. The Metro Manila Turf Club Inc. in Malvar, Batangas takes its turn on Aug. 1 and 2 and 22 and 23.

Horse-racing in the Philippines is a billion-peso industry. For the last decade, horse-racing has contributed an average of P1.3 billion to the national coffers, including P1,352,930,422 last year.

A maximum of 10 races from the usual 12, with priority on the Rating-Based races, are being planned by Philracom for the Sunday schedule, which it calls Priority Day. If entries exceed the maximum number of 10, the excess entries will be bunched for another schedule of races a day before.

The Philracom will guarantee a gross prize of P200,000, distributed from first to fourth places, subject to government taxes for Sunday races only. Owners of horses, which fail to land in the Top 4 of all races, including the Saturday schedule, will get an incentive prize of P1,000.

“We will start the races by 1 p.m. from the usual 3 p.m. on Sunday so that aficionados and those involved in the conduct of the races will be home early,” said Sanchez.

While horse-racing slowly returns to normalcy, some aspects of it will, however, have drastic changes.

Fans won’t be allowed to personally watch the races, with only the racing clubs’ employees, Philracom personnel, horse-owners, jockeys, trainers and special guests allowed at the venues, ensuring that only 25 percent of the usual crown will be present. Jockeys will be ordered to wear special face masks and eye gear, while trainers and other horse-racing personnel at the stables will be told to wear hazmats and other protective equipment.

On the other hand, horse-racing bettors will be asked to strictly undergo social-distancing while queueing for their bets at the Off-Track Betting Stations.

“That six-week period will determine whether we will increase the frequency of races,” said Sanchez, who added that the Philracom plans to start holding its stakes races beginning on August 30 (3YO Maiden Stakes Race and Road to the Triple Crown Stakes Race) and every week thereafter until the end of the year.

The biggest of those stakes races are the P5 million Ambassador Eduardo “Danding” M. Cojuangco Jr. Cup tentatively slated on Dec. 20, the Triple Crown Series, slated on Sept. 20, Oct. 18 and Nov. 15, with a combined prize money of P9 million, the P2 million Sampaguita Stakes Race (Sept. 6), the P2.5 million Juvenile Championship (Dec. 27) and the P2 million Chairman’s Cup (Dec. 13).