ANOTHER set of three-year-old colts will test the mettle of the top Triple Crown contender and undefeated Magna Carta in this Sunday’s 2011 Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) Diamond III Stakes, which serves as another major prep race, at the Santa Ana park.
The heavily favored colt by Woodman out of Pledge The Fifth is up against 13 other three-year-old colts in the 1,600-meter race sponsored by the Philracom that offers a total prize of P500,000.
Magna Carta is back with his regular jockey, Jesse Guce, whose 312 racing-day suspension was lifted by the Philracom after more than three weeks of waiting.
The other officially declared runners include Arvin Dugo (Jonathan Hernandez and owned by Ralph Javier), Charming Santi (Pati Dilema or Prince Isiah and owned by Joseph Dyhengco), Dear John (Val Dilema and owned by SC Stockfarm),Major Major (Karbin Malapira and owned by Atty. Narciso Morales), Platinum Lance (Deo Fernandez and owned by AlbinoFerreras), Raon (John Paolo Guce), Smart Guru (Antonio Alcasid Jr. and owned by Honorato Neri), Sulong Pinoy (Chris Garganta and owned by Wilber Tan), Tensile Strength (Lito Daquis and owned by Felizardo Sevilla Jr.), The Rock (Fernando Raquel Jr. and owned by Nel Velasco), Urgent (Mark Alvarez and owned by Ruben Dimacuha) and Whistler (John Cordero and owned by Ofelia Ibaviosa).
The undefeated Magna Carta, being trained by the veteran Rey Henson, tries to extend his undefeated run with another expected runaway victory here. That is if no monumental upset would happen this Sunday, just like what happened in last weekend’s Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
It was newcomer Toby’s Corner who snatched top honors after beating by a neck the onrushing Arthur’s Tale. The two upset the heavily favored Uncle Mo, who simply crumpled in the final straight but still finish a game third.
Toby’s Corner duplicated the feat of his sire Bellamy Road (he’s out of Brandon Ride by Mister Frisky), who bagged the Wood Memorial in 2005 with a 17-and-a-half length victory.
It was a major upset for Uncle Mo that can be compared with the loss of the legendary Secretariat in the 1973 Wood Memorial. But Secretariat went on to sweep the Triple Crown Series that year.
A win last weekend could install Uncle Mo as the heavy favorite to sweep the series for the best three-year-olds in the US.
Back here, Magna Carta’s victory this Sunday would surely install him as the odds-on choice in the coming 2011 Triple Crown Series that would begin this May.
The big guns among the three-year-olds are all missing in this Sunday’s race that offers the top prize of P300,000. The runner-up picks up P112,500, while the third placer gets P62,500 and the fourth placer P25,000.
Just like what happened in the Woods Memorial last weekend, this Sunday’s event for the colts is seemingly wanting with heavy gunners for the coming Triple Crown Series. The likes of Bosbarawana, Lord Of War, Barkley, Hi Money and several others will surely be missed here.
Meanwhile, an open race is expected in the 2011 Diamond II Stakes, open to all three-year-old fillies, that will be run on Saturday.
The officially declared runners here are Antoine D’Ugo (Jonathan Hernandez) and Cheese Mosa (Pati Dilema) owned by Sito Esquivias IV, Comitatus (John Paolo Guce, Gaudencio Pamaos), Constatic (Antonio Alcasid Jr., Ronald Tan), Prime Rate (Mark Alvarez, Felizardo Sevilla Jr.) and Rhea’s Angel (Fernando Raquel Jr., Ric Aquino).
The race has the same set of prizes and will also be run over the same distance of 1,600 meters.
****
MEANWHILE, the local racing scene was surprised to hear the retirement of AP Indy, a two-time leading North American sire, at the Lane’s End Farm.
AP Indy, the 22-year-old son of Seattle Slew, is said to be suffering from the age-related testicular degeneration disease and wasn’t able to impregnate any of the 25 mares that were bred to him during the 2011 season.
This is the second major sire from the said farm to be retired due to fertility problem. The other one is Kingmambo, who was retired last year.
AP Indy was bred in Kentucky by William Farish and WS Kilroy at Lane’s End Farm and was sold for a staggering $2.9 million to Tomonori Tsurumaki and ended his career with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
AP Indy sired more than 135 stakes winners that included champions Mineshaft, Bernardini, Rags To Riches, Marchfield and Serenading.
