Asian Racing
Lucency in Record Breaking Win
USA import Lucency (Tapwrit USA), has stamped himself as the Philippines top racehorse with a dominant win in Sundays Group 3 Philracom – Manila Horse Power Stakes Race III over 1650 meters at Padre Garcia last Sunday.
Ridden by regular jockey Pati Dilema, Lucency simply destroyed his rivals to win by a massive 13.3 lengths at the line and set a new track record of 1:38.48, in the process beating the previous record holder Tough Customer (Candy Ride Arg), with Buzz Rocket (Curlin USA) a further two lengths back in third.
Prepared by Dante Salazar for owner Mr. Joseph Dyhengco, Lucency was coming off a slashing Group 3 victory in the 4YO and Above Local Challenge over the same distance on March 1st.
The six-year-old chestnut stallions Philippine record now reads eight starts for four wins and two second placed efforts. Prior to being purchased by Mr. Dyhengco, Lucency won six races and placed on five occasions at tracks like Churchill Downs, Aqueduct and Horseshoe Indianapolis in the USA, and earned the sum of USD$299,000 in prize money; it once again underlines the quality of racehorses in the Philippines.
One of Sunday's great attractions was the Philracom - MHP Stakes Race IV for All White Horses over 1400 meters, dedicated to the late horseman Rudy Mendoza. The eight-year-old mare Isla Puting Bato (Eagle Scout USA), pulled off a magnificent last to first performance to win running away at the line to win by a length and a half over California King (California Chrome USA), with Caring Melody (Adios Reality USA) back in third.
Prepared by Peter Aguila and ridden by Pabz Cabalejo, Isla Puting Bato is Spanish for "Island of White Rock" and is actually part of the main island of Polillo, an isolated province in the boundary of Burdeos, North East from the city of Manila.
Another good winner on the day was the Irish bred Legitify, who made it win number four from his ten starts since arriving in Manila. The five-year-old chestnut stallion is prepared by Renato Hipolito for owner Mr. Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr, and was ridden by Oneal Cortez. The entire has an interesting pedigree being bred along the same lines as the 2024 Epsom Derby winner City Of Troy, being by Justify (USA) from a Galileo (Ire) mare in Sarrocchi (Ire).
Legitify was brought out of California by the Manila based bloodstock agent and PJC director Manny Viray.
"I was initially hesitant at first as City Of Troy could not run well on the dirt, but then I saw him win a claiming race at Santa Anita in California and took a chance. He is a big rangy wide-bodied horse that has good speed that his sire Justify was known for." Manny Viray said.
Saturday and Sundays racecards celebrated the 19th Anniversary of the Manila Horse Power Racing Group, a dedicated band of horse owners, trainers and racing enthusiasts, who promote horse racing in collaboration with the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Their racing festivals are renowned for the high betting turnover, and last weekend was no exception, with a total of P 82,725,379 in betting turnover for the twenty races over Saturday and Sunday.
