Ten of the country’s finest thoroughbreds, led by Smart Candy and Wonderland, face off for the third and final leg of the most prestigious racing extravaganza for three-year-old horses—the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom)-backed Triple Crown series on Sunday at the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park in Naic, Cavite.
Smart Candy, the SC Stockfarm three-year-old filly who won two of the three legs of Philracom’s 3YO Stakes Race series early this year and the first leg of the Triple Crown last May, will try to notch her second win in the series against nine others, led by TC second-leg winner Wonderland, ridden by FM Raquel and owned by Herminio Esguerra. Wonderland placed third in the first leg.
The duel between two is particularly interesting as it was Wonderland, which quashed Smart Candy’s hopes of a Triple Crown sweep by ruling the second leg, relegating the SC Stockfarm filly to the runner-up post.
Stamina could very well decide Sunday’s Triple Crown third-leg winner as the series heads to its longest route of 2,000 meters.
“Smart Candy and Wonderland are expected to go at it in the final leg, but there’s no reason why eight other horses can’t crash that two-horse party. It will surely be a treat to all racing aficionados,” said Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez.
Smart Candy will be joined in the battle for the P1.8 million top purse by her stablemates Box Office, to be ridden by jockey JB Hernandez, and El Debarge, with JA Guce on board.
Standing in their way are Critical Moment to be ridden by jockey RO Niu Jr. and owned by Melanie C. Habla; Disyembreasais (JB Cordova, Alfredo R. Santos); Goldsmith (RG Fernandez, Cpriano T. Sison Jr.); Prosperity (JB Guce, Leonardo M. Javier Jr.); Speedmatic (PR Dilema, Herma Farms & Stud. Inc.) and Victorious Colt (OP Cortez, Jose Antonio G. Zialcita).
A guaranteed total of P3 million in prizes will be up for grabs in the race, with P675,000 allocated for the runner-up. Third and fourth placers get P375,000 and P150,000, respectively. The breeder’s purse is P100,000.
Also highly anticipated on Sunday is the P1-million 2018 Philracom Hopeful Stakes Race offering P600,000 to the champion, and the P500,000-3YO Locally Bred Stakes Race, which awards P300,000 to the winner.
Eight horses make up the Hopeful Stakes’ roster, namely Aphrodisiac (jockey CS Pare Jr., owner Herminio S. Esguerra); Be The One (OP Cortez, Running Rich Racing, Inc.); Eli Brassous (Ro Niu Jr., Running Rich Racing, Inc.); Jack Hammer (JB Hernandez, Leandro M. Naval); Royal Signal, (MB Pilapil, Peter L. Aguila); Talitha Koum (RG Fernandez, George R. Raquidan); Tapster (Ja Guce, James Albert C. Dichaves) and The Best Ever (PR Dilema, Herminio S. Esguerra).
Meanwhile, Courageous (JB Hernandez, Narciso O. Morales); Misha (JB Guce, Leonardo M. Javier Jr.); Perlas ng Silangan (FM Raquel, Herminio S. Esguerra); Smell My Tail (MB Pilapil, Mark Vincent A. Geron); The Barrister (JT Zarate, Daniel C. Tan) and Tipsy Tapsi (JV Ponce, John Ericson Avelino) will run in the 3YO Locally Bred Stakes Race.
The three-leg series is patterned after the United States’ Triple Crown, with its three legs comprised of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, also with progressively longer distances.