SC Stockfarm bets rule Philtobo juvenile race; El Debarge year’s best 2YO

MANILA, Philippines — Local racing powerhouse SC Stockfarm continued its winning tradition as  undefeated newcomer El Debarge hardly worked up a sweat in clinching the 2017 Philtobo PRCI Juvenile Championship to emerge as the undisputed leader of this year’s crop of freshman campaigners Sunday at the Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.

Going for her fourth major win in as many starts, the two-year-old dark bay filly took the best challenge of division rival Victorious Colt halfway into the 1,600-meter event but still emerged unscathed and blew away her game rival going into the final 600 meters to score an easy six-length victory with plenty to spare.

Skippered by regular jockey John Alvin Guce, the precocious filly by breakout stallion Cat Brulay out of Starlight Express by Wind Blown completed the mile event in 1:40.2 to bag the P1.8-million top prize, in what is dubbed as the richest two-year-old race in the country, co-presented by the Philippine Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Organization (Philtobo) and the Philippine Racing Club Inc. (PRCI).

 “She performed as expected and was hardly threatened all throughout the race. I expect her to further improve as a three-year-old next year,” said winning rider JA Guce who has skippered the filly in all her starts.

Earlier in the card, two other SC Stockfarm entries ruled their respective assignments in equally impressive fashion, with co-favorite Already Feisty (USA) winning the 2017 Philracom 3YO Imported Fillies championship and Royal Signal scoring an emphatic win in the Philtobo-PCSO Juvenile Fillies Division 1 to underscore the dominance of the SC Stockfarm racing stable.

 “SC Stockfarm’s current streak of major wins has been the result of fewer hits and many misses over time, the outcome of the concerted efforts of everyone involved in our breeding, training and racing program for the past 10 years,” said Oliver “Jojo” Velasquez, the main man of the emerging racing dynasty.

To date, SC Stockfarm has dominated both the three-year-old and two-year-old divisions, as well as the open (imported) and sprints and will very likely emerge as top owner and breeder of 2017.

Stable headliner and 2017 Triple Crown champion Sepfourteen will be attempting to complete his date with racing destiny by competing today in the P5-M PCSO Presidential Gold Cup against nine other seasoned track campaigners at the Metroturf in Malvar, Batangas.

 “The whole team is truly appreciative of the support and confidence given to us by Mr. Jojo Velasquez, and is only too pleased to follow his lead in his quest to make SC Stockfarm the premier breeding and racing operation in the country today,” said trainer Chito Santos, who has risen from the ranks as a former stable hand to become this year’s leading candidate for the training title.