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LIFE IN THE NEW PHILIPPINES
METRO SANTA ROSA
Santa Rosa Magazine's SPECIAL FEATURES Section
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FROM THE SPORT OF KINGS
TO THE KING OF SPORTS

After introducing world class horse racing to the Philippines 144 years ago, the successful and highly respected Manila Jockey Club leapt out of the starting gate of expansion with development of its downtown Manila racetrack in partnership with Ayala Land Inc.



Antique sepia photos illustrate the club's long and popular history.


The old Manila racetrack shown above is being redeveloped with Ayala Land Inc. into a thriving modern residential and commercial complex. Rising now from the old track are beautiful high-end homes, hi-tech office buildings, a hotel, and an entertainment venue.

The company moved in April 2003 to its new home, a 77-hectare property nestled in the foothills of Carmona, Cavite, only 30 minutes from the Makati Central Business District via the new SkyWay. Now known as the San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park (SLLBP), it consists of a twin oval dirt track, a 4-storey glass and steel building (a.k.a the "Turf Club"), fully equipped jockeys’ quarters, saddling paddocks, and stables for 1,800 horses.


San Lazaro racetrack, Carmona, Cavite: the spectacular grandstand view from MJC's superb Canyon Ranch residential development.

EXCITING LIVE SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENTS, AND CASINO JUST A FEW MINUTES FROM SANTA ROSA CITY!

HOW ABOUT THIS FOR STARTERS: Boxing enthusiasts on May 8 watched the Manny Pacquiao fight on a huge screen and enjoyed a great party with their friends and thousands of other Pacman fans. There was a free concert afterwards, and a free beer was included in the price of a ticket. It was a fantastic opportunity to get to know San Lazaro for anyone who had never been there before.
      Experiences like this, for which San Lazaro has rightly become famous, bring a lifetime of fun-filled memories. Ask any OFW what a difference it makes to share the experience of a Pacquiao fight. Thousands of OFWs around the world travel long distances to watch them in the company of other Filipinos. Those who can afford it go to see the fights live in Las Vegas, but many more go to big-screen gatherings of Filipinos nearer to where they live and work. This sharing with other Filipinos does make a very very big difference!
      Naturally horse racing is the principal attraction at San Lazaro and if you think this is only for the rich, think again. Sure it's dubbed the "sport of kings", but this is because historically kings could afford to own, train and race thoroughbred stallions and does not mean that ordinary people can't attend events, enjoy all the thrills of live races, and place bets on their favorite horses, trainers and jockeys.
      San Lazaro has a casino too. In 2006, MJC entered into a joint venture with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to operate a casino at its racetrack, resulting in the first "RACINO" in Asia. A racino is a combined racetrack and casino, which enhances the entertainment experience for racegoers, creates jobs, provides agricultural benefits, and generates tax revenues for the government. Come see for yourself and join the fun!
      To find out more about the horse racing, it's best to visit the Manila Jockey Club's official website where you can even place your bets online if you can't make it to the track on a race day. OFWs all over the world do this all the time.
      SLLBP was declared a Special Economic Zone for Tourism and Business with Information Technology components in 2008, and this is what triggered its website relaunch to bring Philippine horse racing to the global online market. It caters to the OFWs and other international fans by providing the latest racing news, tips, race programs, and live streaming videos of the races at San Lazaro.
      To push forward its modernization program, MJC then acquired its own Totalizator System to streamline off-track bet processing, and set up its own television and broadcast facility, establishing the San Lazaro Broadcasting Network. On race days SLBN broadcasts through Sky Cable channel 113, Destiny Cable channel 84, and a number of community-based cable TV providers.
      Other attractions at San Lazaro include banquet facilities that can be configured to suit weddings and other social events as well as corporate meetings and hospitality promos. If William and Kate had known about this, they would have held their wedding reception here and had much more fun with all their friends than at Buckingham Palace!
      Also at the Turf Club is the Chantilly Bar and Bistro, where you can enjoy delicious gourmet food, with a broad scenic view of the impressive racetrack and surrounding open landscape.
      A typically thrilling big race weekend was May 14-15, when the top 4 winning horses of 2 respective races each took home a share of 1 Million pesos for the "Hopeful Stakes Race" on May 14, and 3 Million pesos for the "Triple Crown Stakes Race" on May 15. This was a great experience of adrenaline-pumping excitement and a great introduction to horse racing for new spectators, because most of the country's top 3-year-olds (racehorses in their prime) were entered to run at San Lazaro that weekend.
      MJC is planning to establish SLLBP as a prime leisure and recreational destination offering a wide range of appealing entertainment activities for everyone, as much as for the horse racing fans. Coming soon is the membership club, hotel, and a number of commercial establishments.
      With its rich history, its progress built on strength, its dynamic present, and a future brimming with breathtaking developments, the Manila Jockey Club is achieving new goals and scaling new heights -- on track to realizing its declared aspiration of becoming one of Asia's finest clubs. In SRM's opinion it's already one of Asia's finest clubs.
      Of particular interest to athletic young people eager to make their personal future in sports, plans are also underway for expansion into other sporting disciplines, with a thrust in the grooming of professional athletes. Hence the title of our feature. MJC's innovatory and imaginative vision and mission have merged to achieve progressive expansion From the Sport of Kings to the King of Sports!
      MJC has been listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange since the 1950s - so after visiting San Lanzaro to see the horseracing, visit the casino, or to party with your friends at the next big sporting event to be shown on the giant screen, you can take your new love even further and buy stocks in the company to share in its profits!

                                                                                      - by SRM staff with thanks to MJC (Photos courtesy of Manila Jockey Club.)

MJC's Canyon Ranch overlooks the San Lazaro racetrack and scenic views beyond. A great place to live, only 30 minutes from Makati.
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