Always keep the memory of the past. It helps you to construct the future.

Every wonderful, delightful thrill, experience and emotion life has to offer has been to all the family of yours.

Rather, recall him with a fond smile as the husband, father, grandfather, and friend who shared laughter, tears, and dreams through the years ...

He lived a goodly span of years. Laughed a lot, cried a little . . . seen a thousand sunsets -- played many a game of racing as the dawn broke over the hills, and then on into the big adventure of his life as a husband to your grandmother and a father to your father.

The memories of the years he turn over slowly -- like the pages of a book. There were victories, and he gave life zest. There were defeats, and he made him stronger. Perhaps the greatest adventure of all has been the spiritual search, which really began when you were small.

As a grandson . . . you cradle two lovely daughters in your arms now . . . . . . and then one day welcome into your heart other sons, daughters, and grandchildren. What a blessings he gave to all of you. Cherish the peace and joy you have found, your daughter and a supportive dad beside you and a friend that is always there for you.

In growing up, you raced with many contemporaries and knew the thrill of achieving. Like your grandfather “Jockey Elias”. A second time you knew this thrill in the achievements of your children.

Life was good . . . Think of those happy times: Christmases . . . the nights you slept out under the stars . . . vacations when you traveled to far places . . . camping beside mountain streams . . . the books you read . . . watching an ocean roll and gathering seashells . . .Thanksgiving dinners . . . the pets you loved . . searching for and finding indications of earlier civilizations. . . campfires . . . the ol' swimming holes . . . and most of all, remember the thousands of times you were all together as a family.

No one dies as long as there is one person left in the living world who remembers with fond recall . . . and shares a thought, though that person has gone ahead.

Some day you may be looking thoughtfully at the vast Pacific Ocean, assessing its beauty and changing moods -- you may feel a sudden, warm, soft breeze across your cheek . . . you will know that he is there . . .

Or you might be standing on a mountain top, looking across a sweep of wooded foothills and valleys . . . and if there is a sudden, gentle stirring among the trees . . . feel that he is sharing the moment with you.

A person really never dies while there are those on earth who loved that person . . One is never gone as long as there are those who remember with fondness . . . and as long as memory evokes a wistful smile. All those who have loved, and who have been loved, have earned a piece of immortality . . .

MOST NUMBER OF GRAN COPA WINS

The IMPACT HORSES of our past.

HORSE / OWNER / JOCKEY / TRAINER

ROMPE CANDADO SANTIAGO TORNO
FORT KNOX CALALANG ELIAS Ordiales
MY PRAYER YUJUICO WILFREDO
MAGITING FERRER ERNIE
MAGSIMPAN MATEO SARATAN
HARTMOOR's JOY JACINTO LEONARDO
CITRUS WONDER CLOR ROLAN
MUTYA NG PASIG MUNZON RAGANAS
PANDEE BOY SAN JUAN BEBET
MAZURKA ISLETA BEBET
BOTA FLORES MORENO POL
ANGLE FERNANDEZ ABENIR
MUTYA NG PASIG MUNZON RAGANAS
COVENTINA ALVINA AC MANALO CASAL R.A.
AMERICAN SONG MENDOZA RG RECOSANA MENDOZA
EXPRESSO MERCADER RECOSANA FERNANDEZ JS
PACKAGE DEAL SALONGA VALENCIA
LLEWELYN COJUANGCO GALANG
ROYAL FEAST FernandoLolita GALANG
SMOOTH SAILING TEOPACO GALANG
SATANELLA KATIGBAK GALANG LAPID
STRAMBO GONZALES GALANG
HOME SWEET HOME COJUANGCO GALANG COJUANGCO
WICHITA LINEMAN PUYAT EDUARDO jr
CHEZSANA SANCHEZ EDUARDO jr
FLASH DANCE SANCHEZ EDUARDO jr
PROUD PINOY DYHENGCO GIL JS VICENTE
INFINITY FALCON LL GIL FALCON FR
GOLDEN NOTE JAVIER JR AGUILA JAVIER LM
IPSO FACTO PAMINTUAN AGUILA
DEPTH CHARGE SANTOS A.B. CAMU TUPAS RS
PROUD MICKY MACEDA CAMU
PAY D' CLAY SANTOS A.B. CAMU TUPAS RS
SKY HAWK SANTOS CAMU OLIVA P.M.
TERRIBLY TRUE PAMAN CAMU
REGALLY DE JESUS INFANTADO JG FRANCISCO jr
PERSIAN SAVAGE YABUT INFANTADO
GREY CHARM CO LEOPOLDO
WINTIMACY LAZARTE VIONG TUPAS RS
BULLDOZER KATKARIAN VIONG DOMINGO R.M.
THUNDER VIC FLOIRENDO DHUNOY EGOY
EXCHANGE DEAL VICENTE DHUNOY VICEN MARAGUA LGA metalcraft AB GUCE PABLITO G.
HOT DATE EFSGI CALINGASAN AGUILA RO
WONDER "B" SABIDO RENESAR
PRINCE ALEX ONG BONG
MAYON SABIDO BONG
KNOWS HOW HENSON BONG
Beneath My Wings ROJAS DAQUIS
BONA VENTURE ROJAS DAQUIS
OBRA MAESTRA JAVIER LM DAQUIS HENSON RR
MASTER IJHAY IWATA BACAYCAY
DEPUTY KNIGHTS LLANEZA JM SAULOG OLIVA P.M.
MODESTY ASIDE DE JESUS OYET
EARLY HOURS C & H ENT. OYET AC ALCASID
MY PREPERIDO MENDOZA PATI
BULL RIDER *** VILLA GILBERT FRAN
MEDIA NOCHE MORENO BOBOY
TALL N' TAN PUYAT CASTRO
GRACELAND SEVILLA CASTRO AZEVEDO
KELDA ISLE CASANOVA MACAHILIG
SHARP TASK FLOIRENDO GRADO
GO MO GO MORENO LYNDON
YOUNG TURK JOSEPH GUCE

CLEAR NIGHT SKY VAL
COLOSSUS RED BAYOGO
SPUR LADY PAQUITO
GOLD PALANG EMITERIO





*** MOST NUMBER OF GRAN COPA WINS

Website: http://s1.webstarts.com/HorseSense/dividendazo.html

To Be Or Not To Be A Jockey by Rick Y. Lopez

Racing Memories:

• The day jockey Jesus Guce won his first ride on top of horse Short Circuit; the next race was Cool Town (I guess) and he won five rides on that Saturday morning.
• The likes of jockey Elias “Leleng” Ordiales considered “El Maestro”
• Jockey “Hataw” Fernando who whipped at average of 60 whips per minute, it seemed. He was just lucky that there was no ordinance against cruelty to animals yet. The moment the gates opened you could hear his whip go “whack, whack” unlike the moderate whipping that you hear now, for Jockey Fernando was really different.
• Jockey Wilfred, who became famous for his “monkey riding” on top of horse Top D’ World. As Tony Trinidad called the race, “It’s Top D’ World leading the pack by ten lengths with jockey Wilfredo in a monkey ride position on Top D’
• The beginning
• World…” That became a hit and other jockeys followed.
• Jockey Emeterio, the bravest and toughest. I was once watching over at the 15/16 mile post fence and saw him and Jockey Victor doing a neck-and-neck battle when someone grabbed Emeterio and tried to get off his feet from the stirrups and throw him off his mount. Emeterio was able to escape that and won the race. Nobody dared to go near him.
• Jockeys Pablito, Arturo, Macaraig, and Cresencio in their prime years - I remember winning bets every time these jockeys had rides.
• In some instances, jockeys held each others’ shoulders and tried to pull each other off before reaching the finish line.
• There was this jockey on top of horse Kahn Kaloo who was leading and tried to do some fancy riding and fell off - he was a new jockey.
• I even witnessed the actor Chiquito Pangan ride as a jockey. It was a comeback ride for him. I guess the racing management welcomed the idea to attract aficionados. He rode his own horses - Vilma’s Pet, Vilma’s Beauty - and they all won. He would carry 62kgs weight but still win.
• I also saw steel magnate Nicky Jacinto ride his horses and win, an instant first class jockey. All jockeys call him ‘Sir’ or ‘Boss’ and he always won his races. He won on top of horses Winged Heart, Royal Brandy, and Royal Scepter.
• Since I was just a kid at the time, I could sneak inside the VIP Room at Santa Ana Park. My dad knew Mr. Tos Reyes, the racetrack owner and owner of the famous Red Lion Stable; his star jockey was Rene Henson, I was also introduced to Mr. Reyes who even called Jockey Henson to train me to ride, but I asked my dad not to because I wanted to finished my studies. I was in 6^th grade and my lolo was against my riding.
• I remember winning with a dehado (longshot) horse. Mang Totoy Reyes had a horse called Cometa, who had come down from Group 17 to the last Group 24. That was the last double in Santa Ana, and the horse sold only less than a thousand pesos. The llamado (favorite), Forever My Love, with Jockey Rodrigo, was in stall number 14, and Cometa was next to him number 13. When the gates opened it was a scramble for positions, Rodrigo’s ride was ahead while Jockey Bert was with Cometa. We thanked Rodrigo for not closing on Bert’s ride till the first fifty meters in order to gain a good position.
• Before the race which Cometa won, I remember queuing up in front of small windows (bentanilla) to bet. From the pila (queue) you could already tell which horse was llamado, because you queued up according to the horse number you want to bet. The moment people saw someone betting alone on a dehado, they immediately spread the word. This time, no one paid attention to me since I was just a kid. I went to several windows and spread the bets at several bentanillas. Even my dad was at an off-track betting station. I had a stack of P2 tickets four inches thick. That’s how we hid Cometa’s sales. That was a great experience which I will never forget.

The Greatest PCSO event of all time

CLASSIC ENCOUNTER

PERSIAN EMPIRE TAKETO
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The Greatest PCSO event of all time
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It was one of those very memorable Sweepstakes races but
to those who have a keener sense of history, it was
THE most glorious sweeps of all time...a dream race actually.
During those times, fans were well-informed when there
was a forth-coming maiden race with thoroughbreds running.
Nothing is more memorable than the first race of any
good horse, or make it a superhorse for that matter.
Weeks before the main event , the usual silip ng silip.
The workouts were just too good, very impressive with
Taketo enjoying the slight edge in the clockings.
Add to that the psychological edge - its rider Elias Ordiales.
As expected - he was the favorite in the actual race.

After 74 years

The Beginning....

During the 1930s, as the Great Depression unfolded -- scarring the lives of millions of Americans and spurring debates amongst seasoned economists as to what caused it -- the Philippines, a US protectorate, radiated confidence despite some dark clouds that hovered over its economic and political landscapes.

Although ruled ineligible for American citizenship and barred from immigrating to the United States, the Filipinos somehow never lost their faith in the Great American Dream. To ease this astonishing prohibition, the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1935 allowed a quota of 50 Filipinos a year to immigrate to the US, though the anti-miscegenation law enacted two years later deemed inter-racial marriage (between a Filipino and a white American) illegal.

Nonetheless, this seemingly unwelcome mat didn't sully the inherent hospitality of the Filipinos.

During the late 1930s, while a Miami port turned away the liner St. Louis with a boatload of 900 Jews (reflecting America's anti-Semitic policy during that period), about 1,200 German and Austrian Jews found sanctuary in the Philippines. They arrived in Manila's port from Shanghai while it was then under siege by the Japanese. Thousands more of these European Jews were to come and call the Philippines their new home.

And as millions of folks across the United States grappled with the oppressive burdens of the Great Depression, over at the ultra-modern Crystal Arcade building on Escolta -- which had become Manila's "peacetime" stock exchange -- stockholders of mining firms feverishly traded stocks amongst themselves, though most were worthless. That was because these gold companies very rarely conducted any actual mining; thus, the "gold profits" they boasted, if any, were nothing more than paper profits.

The blinding prospect of becoming rich overnight somehow obscured reality, allowing the gold mine boom of the hard-up 1930s to continue undeterred.

But what was to eventually become a major hit amongst the local folks, which made many of them rich overnight indeed, was the Sweepstakes. In one instance, on September 8, 1935, jockey Ordiales rode "Sugar Babe" to a victory, giving a 12-year-old peasant girl from Tayabas -- who was the holder of the lucky ticket -- a whopping 75 thousand pesos. An enormous fortune at that time.

Meanwhile, back in the States, it was also a race horse that was becoming a symbol of hope; a cultural icon, in fact.

This stallion's riveting tale of grit, grace, luck, and an underdog's stubborn determination was swaying over the nation's imagination. Over terrible handicaps this horse triumphed; becoming a champion and a legend of the racetrack. But more astoundingly, this horse healed the wearied soul of a nation battered by a staggering financial collapse. The horse's name was Seabiscuit.

SOURCES:

The Philippines: A Unique Nation
by Sonia M. Zaide
All Nations Publishing O, Inc.

Manila, My Manila
by Nick Joaquin

Seabiscuit: An American Legend
by Laura Hillenbrand
Ballantine Books

* * *

LEAD PHOTO:
Old Houses on Arlegui Street
© Señor Enrique