SC Stockfarm-raised Smart Candy scored a sweet and emphatic win in the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) 3YO Local Fillies and Colts Stakes Race recently at the San Lazaro Leisure Park, Carmona, Cavite.
Right of the bat, Smart Candy rushed into a swift start, leaving the field following his trail.
Smart Candy’s quick burst of speed surprised no one, even winning jockey Kelvin Abobo, who knows the capability of his filly to sustain a good lead and he used it to the hilt as part of their game plan.
When it was over, Smart Candy was eight lengths ahead of her closest pursuers.
“Ang order sa akin, unahan na. Ang kabayo ko, magaling kapag nasa unahan. Talagang banderista ito,” said the 34-year-old Abobo, who won for Smart Candy owner SC Stockfarm of Oliver Velasquez the top purse of P600,000 from the total guaranteed purse of P1,000,000 up for grabs in the stakes race.
The 3-year-old dark bay filly reached the finish line of the 1,500-meter course in one minute, 32.6 seconds.
The battle for the second proved to be more tense as Here’s To Life (jockey EP Nahilat and owner Jose Quiros) nipped Perlas ng Silanganan in a photo finish for the P225,00 runner-up prize.
Third placer Perlas ng Silanganan earned P125,00 for owner Hermie Esguerra, while 4th placer Misha, who placed second in the first leg, took home P50,000 for owner Leonardo Javier Jr.
First-leg winner and the Napoleon Magno-owned Probinsyano with jockey Mark Angelo Alvarez aboard was out of the top five.
It was the longest race that Smart Candy ran this year and so far, she had already finished on top of five races.
“Malayo ang lamang namin. Mga eight paces. Pinilit ko talagang mauna,” added Abobo.
Last February, Smart Candy topped the 1,300-meter course of two 3-year old races and two 1,000-meter races last January, with Abobo also on top.
Abobo also guided Crème Brule to second place behind Play It Safe in the NPJAI Trophy Race, also on Sunday.
But with Brilliance, Abobo came up empty-handed in the 2018 Philracom-Manila Horsepower Organization Race, which Manda ruled.