CHAMPION. Philippine Racing Commission chair Reli de Leon, Manila Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto and Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan (4th to 6th from left) pose with the winning jockey and owners at the Gran Copa de Manila horseracing event at Metro Turf in Malvar, Batangas on Saturday (June 24, 2023). “Boss Emong” ruled Division 1 in the race coinciding with the 452nd founding anniversary of Manila. (Courtesy of Philracom)
MANILA – Boss Emong, owned by Kennedy Morales and bred by Antonio Tan Jr., was crowned Gran Copa de Manila Division 1 champion at Metro Turf in Malvar, Batangas over the weekend.
The seven-year-old gray charger by Dance City out of Chica Una won the race in 1:39 flat with quarters of 25-22’-24-27.
Engineer Jun Sevilla's Don Julio (Adios Reality-Guatemala) placed second, followed by Jungkook (Low Profile-Liquid Oxygen) and Magtotobetsy (Zap out of Will Soon).
Meanwhile, Cluster (Hakassan-Local Color), also owned by Sevilla and bred by Joseph Duhengco, ruled Division 2 after clocking 1:40.6 (25'-23'-23'-28) to beat Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.’s Prime Billing by one length at the wire.
Badboy MJ and Boat Buying were third and fourth, respectively.
"This was a collaborative effort between the city government of Manila and the Philracom (Philippine Racing Commission) to make this event a very successful one. Nandito din po ‘yung ating mga city government official, mga department head, mga barangay official (Also here are our city government officials, department heads, and barangay officials) who came here all the way from Manila just to support the culminating event in celebration of our city's day," Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, honoree of the main event, said in her speech.
Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto, former Manila mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, Third District Rep. Joel Chua, and councilors of Manila's six districts also attended the event, held on the 452nd founding anniversary of the capital city.
"Congratulations to the bayang karerista at naibabalik na ang taon-taong Gran Copa de Manila na inaabangan ever since kahit nung bata ako. I'm proud of Mayor Honey Lacuna na naibalik itong celebration na ito (Congratulations to the racing community and the return of the annual Gran Copa de Manila that has been awaited ever since even I was a child. I’m proud of Mayor Honey Lacuna as this celebration has been resumed),” said Domagoso, in whose honor Division 2 event was held.
Philracom chair Reli de Leon said “it was a great day of racing” and thanked Manila officials for making fans happy. (PNA)
