JOHN ALVIN GUCE waited for the perfect moment to steer Big Lagoon to charge up front and win the P10-million Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom)-Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Presidential Gold Cup Sunday at the Metro Manila Turf Club in Malvar, Batangas.
The Melaine Habla-owned and bred Big Lagoon was nicely settled in fourth early in the lung-busting 2000-meter journey behind Sky Shot, Ambisioso and Silver Cup champion Boss Emong.
But came the final 600 meters when the five-year-old bay colt by Havana out of Blue Catch and Guce made their move to win the country’s richest race.
Big Lagoon won by one-and-a-half lengths over Leonardo “Sandy” Javier Jr.’s Super Swerte in two minutes and four seconds with clips of 24′-23-25-24-27′.
The win gave Big Lagoon’s connections the top prize of P6 million while Super Swerte earned P2 million. Boss Emong finished third for P1 million, followed by Sky Shot (P500,000 million) and Victorious Colt (P300,000).
Former Presidential Gold Cup champion Pangalusian Island, meanwhile, bid farewell to the track with a ceremonial gallop befitting a true-blue winner much to the delight of the thousands of fans who were in attendance and was accorded a thunderous applause.
The Presidential Gold Cup day lived up to its billing as one of the top draws in racing as the 13-race card brought in the highest single day sales for the year at P31,642,563 and the week’s P89,031,316 in sales is also the highest during the four-day week racing schedule.
“Congratulations to the connections of Big Lagoon for winning this year’s edition of the Presidential Gold Cup,” Philracom Chairman Reli de Leon said. “More so, I’d like to thank the racing aficionados who came to the track to show their support for their favorites, and also to those who went to the OTBs.”