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THE
imported horse that wowed local racing aficionados when
she swept almost all her major assignments two years ago
is slowly coming back into her former devastating form
after more than four months of hiatus.
Yes,
Wild Orchid was oozing with overwhelming power when she
returned on Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure Park (SLLP)
to reset another standing national record at the
racetrack to the big surprise of her followers.
Ridden
by the considered No. 1 rider of the Esguerra Stable
these days, jockey JB Hernandez, the five-year-old mare
by the prolific American stallion High Yield out of the
Irish broodmare Dove Orchid simply routed the field in a
regular race to reset the standing 1,400-meter mark of
1:25.8. It was set by another imported runner, Heroics,
in another regular race in August 5, 2006, at the same
racetrack.
On
Sunday, Wild Orchid stopped the clock at 1:25 (with
quarters of 12’-24’-23’-25’) to post the fastest time
ever in the distance locally. With that, she had already
announced her comeback in competitive racing after a
relatively dismal campaign last year.
She was
bought by Hermie Esguerra from its former owner and
importer, Atty. Ed Moreno, in a quiet negotiation that
sprung a big surprise in the industry before the end of
the year.
Although
she was still in tip-top shape in the early part of her
campaign last year and winning some major stakes race,
Wild Orchid’s performance suddenly made a big dive in
those last few months. The mare opened up 2006 with a
big win on February 19 at the SLLP over the then
stablemate Pine Needles. She then annexed the Don
Floirendo Golden Girl Stakes during the Don Juan Derby
celebration on October 15.
It was
after that victory that Wild Orchid was purchased by
Esguerra, who entered her in the November 19 Philippine
Racing Commission (Philracom) All-Imported Championship
that proved to be the start of her imminent downfall as
a track superstar. She finished a dismal fifth to Ever
Mine Now, whom she had beaten black and blue in all
their past several meetings, in a field of six.
The
worst of her performance came on December 31 when she
was defeated with a proverbial bang in the Philracom
Open Classic Championship. Wild Orchid finished eighth
and dead last but her owner celebrated nevertheless when
Esguerra’s premier horse Real Spicy dominated the event
and went home with the P1.8-million top prize, one of
the two biggest ever champion’s prize given last year.
Then
came the decision to bring Wild Orchid to the farm for
the much-needed respite. Right after that devastating
loss, Wild Orchid was motored back to the farm to fix
her weary legs.
After
four months, Wild Orchid breezed through her barrier
trial on May 8 in preparations for the big days of
racing ahead. On Sunday, she set out as the heavy
favorite and she showed not even a single sign of
rustiness from the long layoff. Right after getting the
lead in the backstretch, Wild Orchid was in full control
of the race as she zoomed ahead for good and crossed the
line blazing with awesome power.
And with
that Wild Orchid was a picture of a revitalized champ
with a new-found rider onboard, jockey JB Hernandez.
After a slew of riders on her back, it seems jockey
Hernandez is a perfect rider for the said mare in her
comeback trail.
Jockey
Pati Dilema and his brother Val tried but failed when
they rode her in the Philracom All-Imported Championship
and in the Philracom Open Classic, respectively. It was
her former rider, jockey Fernando Raquel Jr., who rode
her in the majority of her successful stakes campaign in
2005. In fact, Raquel was onboard when she established
two standing national records—a 1:29 flat in the 1,500
meters which she posted during a regular race on October
1, 2005 and a 2:04.4 in the 2,000 meters which she
recorded on December 24, 2005.
*****
THE
world still awaits the final composition of entries to
the 139th running of the Belmont Stakes in
Elmont,
New York,
as only five were listed as probables.
Preakness Stakes champ Curlin, who placed third in the
Kentucky Derby, will surely be back with the same rider
Robby Albarado onboard and so with Hard Spun who took in
a new rider in jockey Garrett Gomez. The others are Slew
Tizzy who will be guided by jockey John Velasquez, Tiago
who will be with jockey Mike Smith, and
Imawildandcrazyguy, fourth placer in the Kentucky Derby
with jockey Mark Guidry.
Yes,
Kentucky Derby winner and Peakness Stakes runner-up
Street Sense’s participation is still in the air as the
decision of its connections will come out early next
week.
The big
story for the moment was the surprised change of rider
for Hard Spun from jockey Mario Pino to jockey Garrett
Gomez. The connections of the horse decided to change
Pino after he committed “a big mistake” in the Preakness.
“[Mario]
knows a little daylight for Hard Spun is all she wrote.
He won’t rate unless he is directly behind horses, in my
opinion. Larry and I both came up with the idea of
switching to Gomez at the same time. I feel badly for
Mario, as he is truly a nice guy, but he made a mistake.
He didn’t think that by moving him out in the clear,
he’d have trouble rating. But when this horse sees an
opening, he wants to go and go fast,” Hard Spun owner
Rick Porter was quoted as saying.
With
Gomez riding Hard Spun and John Velazquez named to ride
Slew’s Tizzy, winner of the Coolmore Lexington Stakes
(gr. II) and Lone Star Derby (gr. III), Todd Pletcher,
who is expected to enter his Rags To Riches and Circular
Quay, was left without his major riders.
“All
that means is that those guys can’t wait around long
enough for somebody to make a decision. If he runs,
we’ll get somebody on him,” Pletcher was quoted as
saying, referring to Rags To Riches.
Meanwhile, Great Hunter, the 13th placer in the Kentucky
Derby and is an entry of Paul Redham who is already
training at the California’s Hollywood Park, suffered a
chipped ankle in his right front leg and was declared
out of the Belmont. |
