Page 15 - 7 July 2012

with a third party the agreed upon stake, or through a “bookie,” where the interested party informs him under what conditions he wants to bet his money so he may find the match- ing bet. If he is able to find a matching bet, he then informs both parties and issues to each a ticket which serves as proof. For this service he charges the winner a 10% commission fee.
The bet is then received or paid, as appro- priate, once the official verdict is issued, which is based on the finish photo taken by photogra- phers hired specifically by the event organizer.
In many installations, musical groups play live music in order to liven the event further, acquiring that festive ambience that both winners and losers can cordially enjoy. It is said that “the races are among friends.” There is a very healthy sports rivalry which comes from the friendship and prior meet- ing of the horse owners. That is the heart of match racing in Mexico!
tHe tRiple cRown
The El Hipodromo de Hermosillo in Sonora is a pioneering track in the realization of match racing futurities, not only for the genetic quality and number of individual participants, but its organization, the way to qualify for the final, installations, and prize money.
There is a futurity that has been tradition- ally raced for two decades at 300 yards whose final would be July 3, 2012. However, two more events were added: one at 220 yards, called Especial (Special), where 41 animals started in the trials and whose final was April 15, resulting in the PYC Paint Your Wagon son Mackies Wagon (El Micky) as Champion
Allens Cash (El Taliban) and La Chavita in one of their exquisite performances in Carril El Verdugo, Puebla.
2-Year-Old; and El Selecto (The Selected), run at 330 yards, which will begin July 8. It is a Triple Crown Match Race for 2-Year-Olds; an event that for the first time is being held in Hermosillo and all of Mexico.
A pass on to the finals is obtained by the five runners with the best times during the elimination phase. They are very demand- ing races due to the young age of the colts and fillies, the high prevailing temperatures in spring and summer, and the aspiration to qualify to the finals.
Without a doubt, the match racing futuri- ties of El Hipodromo de Hermosillo are, as
of today, the best in Mexico after the close of operations in 2009 for the racetracks of Cañada Park, in Ramos Arizpe in Coahuila, and the racetrack in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.
In many other parts of Mexico’s geography there are similar events but of lesser magnitude, which is the case for Cardenas Racetrack, in the state of Tabasco, and various other racing theatres in Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla and Mexico State, among others.
Winning connections of the colt Mackies Wagon (El Micky), winner of the Especial Futurity at Hermosillo Racetrack in Sonora.
SPEEDHORSE, July 6, 2012 15
AROUND THE GLOBE
David Johnson
David Hernández