Gepnits, Obra Maestra crowned Juvenile Stakes champs

MANILA, Philippines — Gepnits and Obra Maestra showcased their wares in front of racing enthusiasts and the country’s top horse trainers as they ruled their separate 2018 Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) Juvenile Stakes Races worth a whopping P2 million Sunday at San Lazaro Leisure Park, Carmona, Cavite.

The Edgar Salvador-owned Gepnits outclassed his fellow young colts in the third leg of the Philracom Juvenile Colts Stakes Race with a convincing victory and took home the hefty P1.2 million purse from the guaranteed total prize of P2 million, including the P70,000 breeder’s take for Augusto de Jesus.

Trailing for half the race, Gepnits whipped up a storm from behind before barging into the two-horse party of Iron Hook and Big Boss James midway the 1,400-meter race and pulling away by seven lengths to secure the jewel.

“Hindi naman po naging problema ang slow start, kasi kalkulado ko nga po ‘yung kabayo. Tsaka alam ko naman po na handang-handa po siya sa karerang ‘to,” said jockey RG Fernandez.

Cinderella King (owner Jacqueline Patricia Michelle Velasco, jockey CP Henson) finished second for P450,000, followed by Barayong (Cipriano Sison Jr, KB Abobo) and Turns Gold (Joseph Dyhengco, JB Bacaycay) bagging P250,000 and P100,000, respectively, for the third and fourth places.

Later in the afternoon, Obra Maestra continued to reign as one of the youngsters to watch after claiming another emphatic victory and adding the third leg of P2-million 2018 Philracom Juvenile Fillies Stakes crown under her belt.

It was a highly contested race with an ensemble of elite fillies before Obra Maestra and jockey JB Guce made their move in the last 100 meters for the win.

Obra Maestra gave her owner Sandy Javier a whopping P1.2 million for her successful run, including awards for her stable and the P70,000 breeder’s purse.

Mood Swing (owner SC Stockfarm, jockey JA Guce) won P450,000 for the runner-up finish, while Full of Grace (Alfredo Santos, CP Henson) clinched third place worth P250,000 and Mona’s Mark (Raymund Puyat, JB Hernandez) pocketed P100,000 for fourth.

Other winners for the day held in conjunction with the Philippine Race Horse Trainers Association, Inc. were Magnificent in the PCSO-PRHTAI Trophy Race, Alfie in Team Performance Makati-PRHTAI Trophy Race, Agent Zarto in the Philracom-PRHTAI Trophy Race, Classic Gee in the Philracom-PRHTAI (Division II) Trophy Race, Kita Muna in the FR Sevilla Industrial and Development Corp.-PRHTAI Trophy Race, Master Maker in the JS Rabano Construction and Supply-PRHTAI Trophy Race, War Dancer in the Fundador-PRHTAI Trophy Race, Icon in the Manila Horsepower Org.-PRHTAI Trophy Race, Easy to Win in the PRHTAI seventh Annual Racing Festival Trophy Race and Cannonball in the PCSO-PRHTAI (Division II) Trophy Race.

Meanwhile, several prominent stakes races are still coming in the final month of the racing season. They are the Grand Sprint Championship on Dec. 2, the Chairman’s Cup, Philtobo Racing Event and the second leg of the 3YO Open Challenge Series on Dec. 16 and the Juvenile Championship, KDJM Racing Event and the third leg of the 3YO Open Challenge Series on Dec. 31.