The Prince of Wales Stakes horse race is is considered the “second jewel in Canada´s Triple Crown horse racing” the Queen´Plate and the Breeders. So when this year, a “Panamanian mystery horse” named Golden Moka won the big race at Fort Erie near Toronto and across the border from Buffalo, NY, all eyes were fixed on the horse and his home country of Panama.

Golden Moka went off at 10-1 with apprentice jockey Anthony Stephen in the stirrups. Stephen kept the horse on task and came through on the rail to win going away by 23/4 lengths. Queen’s Plate winner A horse named Big Red Mike, who won the recent Queen’s Plate race was sent to post as the 4-5 favourite, and jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva were quick out of the gate to take a front-running position along the rail. [ more ]

The Panama Property Exchange is soon to be launched by former US commercial real estate professional Tom Brymer. He is also the founder of the Panama Advisory International Group, his marketing platform, “still in its infancy,” he says, that “has attracted attention from investors from around the world who want to learn more about Panama and potentially invest here.”

The property exchange will be its own blog format website, aimed at people looking to get out of their investment here and slip into another one anywhere in there world through a sort of match-maker brokerage where trade is at the center of the game instead of cash.

“It’s kind of like taking somebody on a blind date,” explains Tom, “but the idea of trading a Casco Viejo property for a Paris apartment or 100 hectares in Pedasi for a construciton lot on Miami Beach has already proved to be very interesting to several people who got my first email blast about it.” [ more ]

The daily La Prensa reported that Tocumen International Airport is estimated to host eight million passengers per year by 2015. The airport administration is preparing the design of a “market town”, which would complement the airport infrastructure being built today with hotels, convention centers and stores.

During the third quarter of 2010, total transits and tonnage of the Panama Canal registered a marginal decline, while some key segments reported growth compared with the same period of last year. The total transits fell slightly by 2.8%, from 3,576 to 3,476. National News.

The US Embassy in Panama announced the opening of the 2011-2012 Fulbright Scholarship Program for a period of three months, aimed at teachers and professionals from the Caribbean and Central America. The limit to deliver the completed application to the embassy is October 4.

The daily La Prensa reported that a consortium formed by one Venezuelan and two Spanish companies, among which is the entity that manages the Barcelona Metro, was recommended this week to manage the work of the Metro Line 1 and train personnel who will operate the system. The group presented the lowest bid, $27.9 million and also has the best technical qualifications.

The daily Estrella de Panamá reported that the US Embassy in Panama is satisfied with the Panamanian government’s decision not to open the Darien Gap. A statement from the embassy quoted the charge d’affaires, David Gilmour, “that it takes into account the environmental hazards and national security, and we welcome the Government’s response to the issue.”