By Carla Calleja, MBA, REB
Cover image: AI-generated illustration / dramatization. Not an actual photo of the Santa Ana race track.
The quiz: when did horse racing start in Makati?
A) 1901 B) 1937 C) 1965
If you answered B) 1937, tama ka. Long before the condo towers and nightlife of today’s Circuit Makati, this part of the city was a horse racing track.
The short answer
The Philippine Racing Club opened its Santa Ana race track in Makati in 1937. Racing continued here for about seven decades. In the late 2000s, the races moved to a larger track in Cavite, which kept the Santa Ana Park name. The old Makati site was then redeveloped by Ayala Land, in partnership with the Philippine Racing Club, into Circuit Makati.
A Makati weekend tradition
For generations, a day at the races meant a trip to Makati. The track was owned and run by the Philippine Racing Club, and it sat on a large piece of open land in a city that would soon fill up with offices and homes.
Why the horses moved out
As Makati grew into the country’s business capital, a racetrack in the middle of the city became one of its most valuable undeveloped sites. Racing left the Makati track in the late 2000s and moved to a new, bigger facility in Cavite. Sources differ slightly on the exact closing date (2008 or early 2009) and on the Cavite town, so we simply say “the late 2000s” and “Cavite.”
From racetrack to Circuit Makati
Ayala Land, in partnership with the Philippine Racing Club, turned the former racetrack into Circuit Makati: a mixed-use district with residential towers, offices, and entertainment spaces. Today, people live and work on the same ground where horses once thundered down the home stretch.
Why this matters if you own or buy property
- Land use changes over time. A site’s history (racetrack, army camp, hacienda, farmland) can explain its zoning, title history and redevelopment potential.
- Big open parcels drive value. Large, single-owner parcels in a growing city often become master-planned districts.
- Read the title and tax declaration history. Older documents may describe a property very differently from how it looks today.
FAQ
What was Circuit Makati before?
It was the Santa Ana race track of the Philippine Racing Club, which opened in 1937.
Where did horse racing move after Makati?
To a larger track in Cavite that kept the Santa Ana Park name.
Who developed Circuit Makati?
Ayala Land, in partnership with the Philippine Racing Club.
Was the Santa Ana race track in Santa Ana, Manila?
No. Despite the name, the race track was in Makati.
Ask Broker Carla
Which old Makati landmark should I feature next? Comment RACE on my post, message me on Facebook at facebook.com/carlacallejabrokerphilippines, or email buyrentph@gmail.com. Thinking of buying or selling in Makati? Send me your “Broker Carla, …” question.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Santa Ana Park (Makati) (citing the Philippine Racing Club, The Philippine Star and GMA News)
- The Urban Roamer: Santa Ana Park Race Track
- Wikipedia: Circuit Makati
Carla Calleja, MBA, REB
Licensed Real Estate Broker · PRC License 0021912 · DHSUD Accred. No. 0024330
