Sepfourteen seeks P1M pot, Triple Crown sweep

MANILA, Philippines - A cash windfall is at stake when the Philippine Racing Commission holds the third leg of its Triple Crown Series July 30, with Sepfourteen going for a historic sweep at the Saddle & Clubs Leisure Park, in Naic, Cavite.

The winning tandem of Sepfourteen and jockey John Alvin Guce made it two in a row in the Triple Crown series at the San Lazaro Park last month, putting the three-year-old colt of SC Stockfarm in a position to make history in the third leg of the series offering a guaranteed total prize of P3 million, with P1,800,000 going to the winner.

If Sepfourteen wins the third leg set over a longer distance of 2,000 meters, he’ll join Triple Crown winners Fair and Square (198), Skywalker (1983), Time Master (1987), Magic Showtime (1988), Sun Dancer (1989), Strong Material (1996), Real Top (1998), Silver Story (2001), Hagdang Bato (2012), and Kid Molave (2014).

Standing in Sepfourteen’s way is an elite cast, headed by Brilliance, Golden Kingdom and Smokin’ Saturday. Also in the fray in the nine-horse field are Batang Poblacion, Greatwall, Hiway One, Mount Pulag and Pangalusian Island.

Three stakes races, two charity races and eight rating-based races comprise Philracom’s racing extravaganza at the Philippine Racing Club’s track. The rating-based races are a result of the Philracom’s membership with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, whose mission is to promote good regulation and best practices in international matters pertaining to the sport.

The charity races have a guaranteed P300,000 in prizes, with P180,000 going to the winner. In the rating-based races, a guaranteed prize of P130,000 is allocated to the winner, sponsored by the PRCI. Added prizes in the rating-based handicapping system are a minimum of P180,000 to Class 1 races and P150,000 to Class 2. Classes 3 to 5 will get a minimum of P120,000, P90,000 and P60,000, respectively.

Also on tap on Sunday is the Philracom Hopeful Stakes Race offering P1 million in total prizes and the Philracom 3YO Locally Bred Stakes Race, with P500,000 at stake.

Bossa Nova, Cerveza Rosas, Metamorphosis and Stockholm will be dueling in the Hopeful Stakes Race, while Battle Chacha, Caloocan Zap, Kingship, Lemonada, Oceanside, Puwerto Prinsesa, Salt and Pepper, Sikat, Stravinsky and Temecula comprise the 3YO Locally Bred Stakes.

“We have prepared a solid lineup for our racing aficionados to enjoy. And I’m sure the increased prize money will be highly appreciated by horseowners, too,” Philracom chair Andrew Sanchez said.