By Jenny Ortuoste
Marking the gradual loss of stalwarts from horseracing’s glory days, multi-awarded racehorse trainer Antonio C. Alcasid Sr. passed away in the wee hours of Dec. 24 after a lingering illness. He was 80.
Dr. Antonio Alcasid Sr.
Alcasid, a veterinarian educated at the University of the Philippines, was renowned in the sport for several decades beginning in the 1970s. He retired in September 2006 as the all-time number one trainer in terms of stakes races and awards won.
He held 12 Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Presidential Gold Cup victories, won in various years from 1977 to 2001, a record so far unequalled.
The PCSO Gold Cup is the sport’s most prestigious and richest annual race. He won it back-to-back four times: with Little Morning and Gypsy Grey in 1977 and 1978, with Fair and Square in 1981 and 1982, with Dino Bambino and Headmaster in 1984 and 1985, and with Time Master and Thriller in 1987 and 1988.
“Doc,” as he was known in racing circles, also won the PCSO Gold Cup three consecutive times with Grand Party, Fair Start, and Crown Colony in 1992, 1993, and 1994.
While all these Gold Cup victories were memorable, he wrote that the one with Crown Colony was the most special because the winning jockey was his son, Antonio “Oyet” B. Alcasid Jr., who is now racing manager of Santa Ana Park, Philippine Racing Club’s racetrack at Naic, Cavite.
In an article for Horseman’s Digest magazine in the mid-2000s, he wrote about that race: “She broke last from the gate and trailed the field by many lengths. A strong rally in the middle stages and an impressive finishing kick gave her the victory. When she won the race, no less than President Fidel V. Ramos handed us the trophies during the awards presentation.”
Dr. Alcasid also won the PCSO First Lady Silver Cup twice, in 2002 with Wind Blown and 2005 with Cover Girl. He also holds 17 Triple Crown leg victories, several of them grand slams.
Alcasid leaves behind his wife, Gloria, children Irma, Gigi, Oyet, Michael, Gary, and Philip, nine granddaughters and a great-grandson.
He won so many Trainer of the Year awards he could not remember them all.
For his achievements, he was recognized as one of the sport’s icons in “The Front Runner,” a coffee-table book marking the 150th anniversary of the Manila Jockey Club that was launched earlier this month.
As a trainer, he believed the horse’s health was paramount. In past interviews, he emphasized good nutrition for horses at all stages and rejected the use of stimulants or performance boosters, saying they were bad for the health in the long run.
He rarely ran horses as two-year-olds, saying “I tried to develop an athlete that would last and maintain its form throughout its career. [I trained many that retired] sound in spite of campaigning for stakes races where the competition was top caliber.”
Source: Manila Bulletin
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