FOREST Cover paced itself until the last 300 meters before edging Mona’s Mark and Electrify to rule the second leg of the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) Juvenile Fillies and Colts Stakes Race at the Saddle and Leisure Park in Naic, Cavite, on Sunday.
It was a close battle down to the line for the three-horse party of Forest Cover, Mona’s Mark and Electrify, but it was the Aristeo Puyat-owned filly who won by a head in the 1,300-meter race.
Winning jockey O’Neal Cortez shared how they managed to squeeze past the opposition and collect his first victory with Forest Cover.
“We first tested where she gets comfortably fast before we hiked the pace,” said Cortez, who steered the filly to a fitting follow up to her victory in the previous leg of the Philracom Triple Crown Series in July.
Forest Cover won P600,000 for owner Puyat, with CM Vicente earning the Breeder’s Purse of P30,000. Vicente also received the winner’s trophy for Puyat.
Mona’s Mark settled for the runner-up purse of P225,000, while Electrify took home P125,000 and Barayong pocketed P50,000.
Earlier in the day, Caloocan Girl and rider Ryan Garcia topped the KDJM Juvenile Fillies Stakes Race. Caloocan Girl secured P300,000 from the win, which was Garcia’s biggest yet in his young career as a jockey.
The other winners in the 12-race Philippine Racing Club Inc. Sunday schedule were Cojuangco Cup champion Hitting Spree (Race 1), Summer Cruise (Race 2), Ace Up (Race 4), Kingship (Race 5), Shadow Of The Sun (Race 7), Pride Of Laguna (Race 8), Lakambini Stakes winner Disyembreasais (Race 9), Silver Glow (Race 10), Shoo In (Race 11) and Minotaur (Race 12).