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THE
Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) affirmed the
suspension of sensational rider Pati Dilema, who was
sacked during last Sunday’s racing at the San Lazaro
Leisure Park (SLLP) in Carmona, Cavite.
Jockey
Dilema was given a four-week suspension, a relatively
heavy penalty for a rider who is considered one of the
superstars in the local racing scene, for “being
noncompetitive” while onboard a top favorite.
His
mount, Kilimanjaro, which cornered the biggest sales
among the horses that participated in a certain race
last Sunday, only came in fourth to eventual winner and
longshot Dato’s Pride.
Sources
said that the connections of the Kilimanjaro vigorously
protested the way jockey Dilema handled their horse,
thus an investigation was made a race after it was ran.
Jockey Dilema reasoned out to the board of stewards (who
did the investigation) that he could not squeeze out
more than enough from his horse because he knew that it
had just came out from a leg injury.
Jockey
Dilema said that he was surprised when it was announced
later on that he was given a four-week suspension “for
not being competitive,” thus his appeal early this week
to the Philracom. His suspension is now in effect and
shall run up to second week of March.
***
THE
Philracom had already released the official list of
protagonists in the first leg of the Philracom Imported
Stakes Series.
Six
tough and tested imported gallopers are entered in this
P800,000 event, the first in a series of big-money
sponsored races by the Philracom this year, that will be
run over the 1,500-meter distance at the SLLP.
Vying
for the top prize of P480,000 are: Hermie Esguerra’s
Denseuse, Val Dilema 56; Gerald Cunanan’s Deputy
Stravinsky, Julio Manalo 52; Ever Mine Now, Jonathan
Hernandez 56; David Lee’s Fairy Queen, Lord Santos 52;
Joseph Dyhengco’s Glory And Honour, Pati Dilema (under
suspension) 56; and SC Stockfarm’s Ziraz, RK Hipolito
52.
The
runner-up here picks up P180,000, while the third and
fourth placer receive P100,000 and P40,000,
respectively.
Meanwhile, the list of nominated entries for the 2007
Philracom Chairman’s Cup include: Amazing Jel,
Conquistaroyal, Defiant, Ger Francis, Golden Sutter, Hot
Shower, Ididitmyway,
Iron Tower,
Legendary, Lord Boni, Magic Cue, Miguelito, My Neneng,
Perfect Revenge, Storm Hall, Tiger Raffy, Twining Honour
and
Western City.
These
are all three-year-olds who are all prepping up for the
rich Triple Crown Championship Series this year.
The
winner here will receive the top prize of P900,000 while
the runner-up receives P337,500, third P187,500, and
fourth P75,000.
The
Philracom Chairman’s Cup, contrary to the beliefs of
some sectors, is in honor of one of the past chairmen of
the office. This year, we are one in proposing that it
must be aptly dedicated to former chairman Jose Avelino
Jr., who passed away only last December. I learned of
chairman Avelino’s death from Atty. Boying Cruz, now a
GSIS official who formerly served as his executive
director in the said office.
***
THE crop
of three-year-olds in the land is considered small if
you compare it with those that are running in the United
States these days and are all prepping up for the
US
version of the Triple Crown Series.
As of
this writing, there is a record 450 horses that have
been nominated for this year’s coveted series. The three
Grade-1 race series three-year-olds starts with the
133rd running of the 1-1/4-mile Kentucky Derby on May 5
at Churchill Downs. That will be followed by the 132nd
Preakness Stakes at 1-3/16 miles over the Pimlico Race
Course in
Baltimore,
Maryland,
on May 19 and the 139th Belmont Stakes at
Belmont Park
in New York at a distance of 1-1/2 miles on June 9.
The
challenge of sweeping the three-race series has not been
met since Affirmed turned the trick in 1978.
After
falling out of the top spot among sires last year after
heading the list for three previous years, AP Indy
rebounded to share the top spot this year with 12
nominees. Fusaichi Pegasus, the 2000 Derby champion,
shares the spotlight with the 1992 Belmont Stakes winner
and Horse of the Year.
Perennial leading sire Storm Cat is a close second with
11, followed by the popular young stallion Tiznow with
10. A couple of other youngsters in the breeding shed,
Giant’s Causeway and Officer shared the next spot—at
nine—with well-established sire Unbridled’s Song.
Filling out the top 10 are Distorted Humor, Dynaformer,
El Dubai and El Corredor with eight each.
Experts’
top picks this early include: Barclay Tagg’s Nobiz Like
Shobiz (by Albert the Great out of Nightstorm by Storm
Cat); Mike McCarthy’s Ravel (Fusaichi Pegasus-Let, by AP
Indy); Carl Nafger’s Street Sense (Street Cry-Bedazzle,
by Dixieland Band); Todd Pletcher’s Any Given Saturday
(Distorted Humor-Weekend in Indy, by AP Indy) and
Circular Quay (Thunder Gulch-Circle Of Life, by Belong
To Me); Larry Jones’s Hard Spun (Danzig-Turkish Tryst,
by Turkoman), Doug O’Neill’s Great Hunter
(Aptitude-Zenith, by Roy) and Liquidity (Tiznow-Boa, by
Rahy); Bill Kaplan’s Dreams Of Thunder
(Concerto-Parental Uproar, by Future Storm); and Anthony
Sciarnetta’s Scat Daddy (Johannesburg-Love Style, by Mr.
Prospector).
***
WE have
been receiving reports regarding some riders who “seem
to have licenses to pull their mounts” in blatant
disregard of racing laws but got away easily because of
their connections to some higher-ups.
Take the
case of this one jockey who was seen pulling his mount
near the finish line. His mount came in fourth but had
“he not pulled his mount,” he could have placed third in
that race. “Ang pangit tingnan. Talagang pinigil niya
’yung kabayo niya na dapat sanang dumating na tersero.
Talagang garapal ’yung ginawa niya pero ni hindi man
lang siya pinansin ng mga opisyal,” commented one angry
racing fan. “Ang balita nga namin eh hindi raw puwedeng
pansinin sa ginagawa niya ’yan dahil hinete siya ng
isang Philracom official!” |
