SECOND favorite Lollipop edged out the favorite in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office 3YO Open last Saturday (Mar. 12) at the Philippine Racing Club’s Santa Ana Park.
Lollipop came in fourth in the trial race held Feb. 26 and was sent off as second favorite before the actual race started. Frontrunning Indianpana grabbed the lead with Lollipop running off the pace. Strung out behind them were World Famous and Silhouette.
Lollipop rallied at the back and took front position at the far turn, going on to win by four lengths. The colt’s owner Mayor Sandy Javier, trainer Renato Yamco, and jockey Jordan Cordova are among those who will share the P600,000 first prize.
Their team also earned the P50,000 breeders purse. It was Mayor Javier’s Royal Maverick Ranch that bred Lollipop (Twirling Candy x Heavenly Sister).
Total time 1:19.6 (4-22-23-27 ‘) for 1,300 meters. Silhouette 2nd, Indianapana 3rd, World Famous 4th. Big Cat Drama: early scratch.
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Wo Wo Duck (Real Spicy x Triregal) ruled the Philracom 2nd leg Import/Local Challenge last Sunday (Mar. 13). Twelve entries battled over 1,600 meters at Santa Ana Park, but it was the entry owned by lawyer Sixto Esquivias IV, trained by Renato Yamco, and ridden by Jordan Cordova that hit the wire first.
Total time 1:42.6 (29-24’-24-27). Tap Dance 2nd, Our Angel’s Dream 3rd, Love To Death 4th.
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The Philippine Racing Commission recently announced that in the interest of equitability, it amended a rule regarding suspended jockeys allowing them to ride while under a pending appeal.
Philippine racing rule (PR) 29-F states that “a suspended jockey shall still be allowed to ride if he has already been declared for a race prior to his suspension.”
This was amended on March 2 by Resolution 23-16 by the addition of the phrase “or in case he has appealed his suspension.”
Section 1 of the same rule allows a jockey who is suspended for 12 racing days or less to be declared by his trainer or owner to ride while his case is still on appeal.
The amendment is a logical extension of that section to cover all similar cases regardless of the length of suspension.
The jockeys association had been requesting for the change in the rule for some time, pointing out that this ‘stay of execution’ while an appeal is pending is also the usual practice in the United States.
The jockeys said the most frequent instance when this rule came into question what when jockeys halted their jockeys during the race when they suspected lameness. The jockey would then be suspended. In 99 percent of the cases, the investigation would validate the findings of lameness, but by the time the process had run its course, the jockey had already been suspended and lost corresponding income.
The amendment allows the jockey to ride until the completion of his appeal process.
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There’s still time to participate in the 2nd Jockeys Charity Footrace happening on Apr. 24 at Santa Ana Park.
The event raises funds for the Disabled Jockeys Fund. Sponsors may donate P5,000 for each jockey to run in the sponsor’s preferred outfit, such as a shirt with a corporate or charity logo.
There are many other ways to help the jockeys. Please check out their Facebook page: New Philippine Jockeys Association.
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