Carmona-Longshot Time For Glory got its moment of fame Friday, June 24, after running away with the 2022 Philippine Racing Commission-Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Cup at San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park here.
Time for Glory’s victory turned out to be biggest reversal in the “Araw ng Maynila Racing Festival” as the progeny of Not This Time and Glorified came out of nowhere to stun top favorite Darleb, second pick Shastaloo and other horses who got more sales like Super Ninja, Crowded Trade and coupled entry Truly Ponti and Dragon Butterfly.
Owned by former Philracom Commissioner Jun Sevilla, Time for Glory eventually won the 1,600-meter contest pulling away after making a bold at the clubhouse turn that saw him grab the lead before producing an electrifying burst of speed to build a six-length lead at the homestretch.
He negotiated the race in 1:39.4 (24’-23’-25’-27) to come away with the P300,000 top purse in the event also held in honor of former Mayor Mel C. Lopez Jr.
“Malakas ‘yung nasa unahan pero nandoon na agad ‘yung ability niya. So sin-swing ko at nag-tuloy-tuloy na siya,” said jockey Jeffril Zarate, who earlier steered Boss Emong to a resounding victory in the Gran Copa de Manila Cup – the highlight of the racing festival.Shastaloo finished a distant second worth P112,500 for her connections followed by Super Ninja (P62,500), and Truly Ponti (P25,000). Dragon Butterfly, Crowded Trade, Darleb ended up at fifth, sixth, and seventh.
The event marked the second time that the Philracom, under the leadership of chairman Aurelio “Reli” de Leon, staged the PSA Cup, with this edition drawing almost P1.7-million total sales.
“Next year we will also stage the PSA Cup in the same racing day of the Gran Copa de Manila to guarantee the success of the PSA Cup,” said de Leon. “I really pushed for the revival of the Gran Copa kasi mahal ng bayang karerista ito.”