The Creative Genius Behind the World Class Padre Garcia Racing Complex
As a young twenty-two-year-old university student Efren Reyes “Bong” Lopez, was already hooked on racehorses. He grew up in Makati City just a stone’s throw away from the old Santa Ana racetrack, so it was no wonder he began to follow the sport from a young age. As well, his father Ponching had raced horses since the early sixties. On his regular visits to Santa Ana Park, Bong was captivated by the magnificent looking thoroughbred horses and the jockeys, as they raced full gallop around the track in their colorful silks; it ignited a passion in him that developed into a lifelong love of horse racing.
For a time, he even had aspirations of becoming a jockey and follow in the footsteps of his idols, like Jesus “El Maestro” Guce and Eduardo ‘Bobok” Domingo Jr. However, by the time he had finished high school he had gained too much weight. With that dream gone, he decided to focus on the much more lucrative profession of an architect. A move that would see him work extensively throughout the Philippines and Asia, on many major high-rise projects.
In his senior year at Adamson University when choosing his thesis, he still could not get away from the racing bug, opting to choose a racetrack design as his project. He created a state-of-the-art racetrack design supposedly located in Marakina. Fast forward forty-eight years later and Bong is now living that dream, as he puts the finishing touches to the Philippine Jockey Club’s new world class racetrack at Padre Garcia.
“Yes, how amazing is it that after 48 years of practicing architecture, I am now living out my dream in designing this track.” he said.
“I have never lost my love for horse racing since I was a kid. I owned my first horse back in 1996 when I was working in Hong Kong back then. When I returned to the Philippines in 2018, I got right back into the racing straight away until now.”
In his many years working overseas, Bong was involved in many high-rise projects in Hong Kong, and also worked extensively in Mainland China on high rise constructions during the building boom. Locally his expertise was involved with the construction of the National Museum of Natural History in Manila, the Greenbelt Chapel in Makati, and the Velaris Residences in Pasig City as well as projects in Mandue Cebu.
I caught up with Bong Lopez at the Padre Garcia site just prior to our inaugural raceday, and amidst the noise of the construction crew and the piercing high-pitched sounds of angle grinders and electric saws, he took me for a guided tour of the grandstand, giving me an insight into the inspiration for the layout of the track, and the design of the magnificent parade rings and public amenities.
“The track layout is based a lot on the contours of our land site. It was decided that we needed twin oval tracks with a 1600-meter outer racetrack, and an inner multi-purpose track for training and racing.
“The shape of the track is identical to Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky. The difference in our track is we have a separate 1300-meter chute and a 1400-meter chute because of the creek at the side of the track, whereas Churchill Downs has their 1400-meter chute straight off the back stretch,” he said
The track has a natural depression from the 750 meters, and then a slight rise up approaching the home turn after the 400-meter point giving it a certain uniqueness. The track surface itself was laid down by the renowned USA track Guru Steve Wood. It is fitted with a complete vertical drainage system, that has certainly been put to the test of late with the numerous typhoons. It has long sweeping turns from the straights that are cambered with a 5% angle, designed to give every horse a chance.
That said, the outer track is no place for the faint hearted, those that run to too hard too early will pay the penalty. However, it was great to see horses that were rated well winning off the front over the four days racing on opening week; as well, horses were winning from midfield and well back in the run. It was also noticeable that there was no track bias inside or out. The inner track should prove to be a great benefit to the fast on speed type runners that might be tested on the bigger circuit. So, all horses are catered for.
In the same style as the USA tracks, the full stabling area is situated in the back straight. The horses’ boxes are set in large open barns with a center walkway, with the living quarters one floor above to allow the maximum air flow right through the center of the barn.
On the grandstand side it's much like Churchill Downs. There is a tunnel walkway that brings the horses from the saddling paddock to the parade ring, and then onto the track at the front of the grandstand. Both the tunnel and the parade ring give the racing public a real up close and personal feel, creating a more exciting and memorable racing experience.
The ground floor offers a wide-open public area with betting terminals, where the Bayang Karerista can roam freely with views of the horse tunnel, as well as the back parade ring. It’s also an easy walk to the front viewing deck by the parade ring, and to the lower grandstand section that Bong refers to as the bleaches area.
“This is the public viewing deck. I would like to see Food and Beveridge stalls here much the same as you see in Hong Kong and other international venues. The lower grandstand bleaches can easily handle around 800 people and looks down on the parade ring.”
From there we moved to the spacious second floor and the fully glassed-in air-conditioned area to that he refers to as the members area.
“This is what I personally call the members area that looks out over the parade ring and racetrack. This room can comfortably table seat around 180 people, and then on either side of this area are more viewing decks above the parade ring, we can easily accommodate in total another 500 people. The betting terminals are easy to access from all sections.”
The third floor VIP area houses a total of seventeen boxes available for rental. There is a large Presidential box directly in front of the winning post, plus two spacious Executive boxes either side. They are flanked left and right by more adequately sized VIP boxes that total 12, with two more Executive viewing boxes at each end of the grandstand. The other inside third floor area will house more tables for the patrons with the betting terminals located nearby.
On the fourth floor there is a large restaurant area able to easily accommodate 500 people, with betting terminals adjacent. The fourth floor is also where the judge’s box is located, and above the fourth floor there is a mezzanine level, that houses the photo finish room, stewards viewing room and the commentary panel.
It’s a very impressive spacious grandstand complex that Bong estimates can handle up to 3000 people easily; and that does not include the outer open ground areas, where the public can roam freely and still have a great view of the horse racing.
Of the many horses Bong has raced over the years he rates Money For Shelltex (Phi) as his favorite horse.
“I love them all, but she is my favorite, she has won me 20 races so far and still winning.”
Money For Shelltex, is a nine year locally bred daughter of Shining Fame (Phi) and Shining Again (Phi), that is still racing with plenty of zest, evidenced by her fast finishing second to Grand Monarch in the Class 5 over 1200 meters on our inaugural raceday November 12. That effort suggests a win might not be too far away for the mare.
Imagine, winning your first race at the fabulous Padre Garcia racetrack, your dream project as young Uni student, and with your favorite horse; now, that would certainly mark the dream fulfilled.
