IN WHAT was regarded as a first in local racing history, the Narciso Morales stable won five straight races to highlight last Sunday’s 13-race program at the Metroturf in Malvar, Batangas.
Longshot Honeywersmypants, ridden by the veteran Kelvin Abobo, beat eight others including coupled entry Formidable Foe to capture a group race over 1400 meters and start an amazing victory run by the stable that had fans wondering if this feat would be achieved again.
“I thank the good Lord for this achievement. I’m surprised we were able to achieve the feat,” said Morales, named recently as the 2016 Horseowner of the year by the Philippine Racing Commission.
Thirty-five minutes after Honeywersmypants’ win, Mandolin overwhelmed five others to rule Race 2, giving a good hint of what to expect from the Morales horses.
In the third race, underdog Hook’s Princess pulled off a wire-to-wire victory, before Pampangueno rallied to win Race 4 and top favorite Taipan One ruled the fifth race to complete the perfect 5-for-5 achievement.
The magnificent show forced television panelist Ira Herrera to comment that what the “Morales stable did this afternoon would go down as one of the greatest feats in local racing history.”
“I have seen a jockey win three, four or five races but not successively. But a stable winning five straight races? Wala pa, wala pa” said Herrera, also a resident race caller of Metroturf.
The Morales stable was not done yet in the afternoon.
Later on, Ultimate Royal andTellmamailbelate topped Races 8 and 10, respectively, giving the stable seven victories, something which many believed is also a record.
Truly, the 2017 racing season is proving to be kind to the Morales stable.
The businessman-lawyer remains on target of becoming No. 1 in winnings and earnings for the third straight year and fourth in the last six years. As of May, the Morales stable has garnered 105 wins, ahead by the proverbial mile over the second placer.
Last year, the stable posted a whopping 223-win total which went down as another first in the industry.