Hagdang Bato routs Cojuangco Cup field

Underscoring his fine form, Hagdang Bato hardly worked up a sweat under Jonathan Hernandez in ruling the Ambassador Danding Cojuangco Cup of the Marho Ruby Festival last Sunday at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

The massive five-year-old horse, the Triple Crown champion five years ago, turned his rematch with imported charger Crucis into a ho-hum affair and almost broke the record in the lung-busting 2,000-meter race.

Hagdang Bato, a chestnut by Quaker Ridge out of Fire Down Under, timed 2 minutes 04.6 seconds, broken down in impressive quarter times of 15, 23, 25’, 25’ and 25’. The time for the wire-to-wire win was just two-tenths of a second shy of the mark jointly held by Yes Pogi, Stowaway Lass and the iconic import Wild Orchid.

Strong Champion checked in second while Crucis arrived a badly beaten third after a futile race-long chase of the unruffled Hagdang Bato.

The Marho, the oldest organization of racehorse owners in the country, celebrated its 40th anniversary with a full packed lineup of high-caliber races.

The Cojuangco Cup, held in honor of the founding chair of Marho and the Philippine Racing Commission, was sponsored by the Philippine Racing Commission.

Hot and Spicy, partnered by Jordan Cordova, ruled the SMC Classic, while Marinx, ridden by the veteran Patty Dilema, topped the PCSO Filly-Mile.

Other outstanding winners in the Philracom-backed races were Kanlaon in the Phracom Colt-Mile, Skyhook in the Juvenile Colts and Driven in the Juvenile-Fillies.

Nemesis ruled the MJCI-sponsored Sprint Race under Cristopher Garganta.