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Indelible Ink made a big step forward by achieving
another milestone in her career as she bagged the first
leg of the Triple Crown Championship Series on Sunday at
the jam-packed San Lazaro Leisure Park.
Making
the best of having a stablemate that served as her
rabbit, the three-year-old chestnut filly by Best of
Luck out of Seaquin easily grabbed the lead from the
fading archrival Don Enrico at the far turn. But she had
to stave off a searing stretch rally by another
contender, Shining Fame, by a head via photo finish to
win the major event.
“Nagpapasalamat
po ako sa lahat ng sumuporta at nagtiwala sa kakayahan
ni Indelible Ink. Ganun din sa lahat ng team na
bumubuo ng connections ni Indelible Ink na
nagtulung-tulong upang makaabot kami dito sa seryeng ito,”
said the beaming owner Hermie Esguerra. The filly was
saddled by trainer Nestor Manalang.
The top
choice in the 1,600-meter race among the best
three-year-olds in the land, Indelible Ink went home
P1.8-million richer and added another P100,000 bonus to
the winnings of her owner, who also happened to be
her breeder. The runner-up prize of P675,000 was given
to Shining Fame. Don Enrico checked in a game third for
P375,000, while Hieroglyphics was fourth for P150,000.
Unopposed and Queen Elena finished fifth and sixth,
respectively.
Indelible Ink stopped the clocked at 1:39 with quarters
of 23’, 23’, 24’, 27’.
Many
were surprised when jockey JB Hernandez, who was on top
of Don Enrico for the first time in such a major race,
chose to fight it out with Queen Elena (Indelible Ink’s
stablemate) right after the gates flew open. The
presence of Queen Elena (ridden by veteran rider Lito
Daquis) was clearly the “rabbit” in the said event. The
clocking for the three quarters (23’, 23’, 24’) clearly
showed how the lead was contested very tightly by both
Don Enrico (who bested Indelible Ink in their past two
major race encounters) and Doña Elena. Many said it was
a clear example of “how the Queen was able to go hand in
hand with the Don.”
Clearly spent after those three grueling quarters, Don
Enrico was simply easy picking for Indelible Ink, while
Shining Fame was starting to accelerate in fourth in the
mad dash for home.
Indelible Ink was moving ahead for two at the top of the
stretch when Shining Fame came thundering from the outer
rail. The two almost came as one at the payoff wire and
it took about a few minutes before it was decided that
Indelible Ink was the winner by a head.
There
were some few anxious moments behind the scenes as the
connections of Shining Fame, headed by owner Tony Tan
and trainer Ruben Tupas, were protesting the hastily
made announcement of winners, although they claimed that
“they had lodged a protest immediately after the race.”
Replays showed that Shining Fame was bumped hard by
Queen Elena right after the horses went out of the gate.
In the
P1-million Hopeful Stakes, third favorite Love Story
fashioned out a surprise runaway victory and went home
P600,000 richer for owner and Batangas City Mayor Eddie
Dimacuha.
The
three-year-old filly grabbed the early lead but gave way
to Luna Rossa after the first quarter and simply
followed her for the next two quarters. Sensing the
leader was becoming tired, Love Story moved ahead for
good in the mad dash for home and crossed the finish
line five lengths away from her closest pursuer.
Luna
Rossa checked in second for P225,000, while top favorite
Anonymous placed third for P125,000 and Champion of Show
fourth for P50,000. The other finishers included
Bohemian Dave, Angel Dugo, Makisig and Don Alejandro in
that order.
Philracom chairman Jose Ferdinand Rojas II was on hand
during the awarding ceremonies in both major races they
sponsored. The Philracom is also sponsoring the second
and third legs of the series that will be held on June
22 at a distance of 1,800 meters and July 20 at a
distance of 2,050 meters both at the Santa Ana Park.
****
IT’S Big
Brown, who else, in the Preakness Stakes!
As I
have been telling you before, this Big Brown is one
helluva of a horse and I am one of those who will not be
surprised when he sweeps the US Triple Crown this year.
The Belmont Stakes is just an easy picking and the only
reason I foresee that he could lose there is for him not
to show up at the post.
By the
way, for those who are asking for the lineup of
finishers in the Preakness Stakes, here they are in
their order of arrivals: Champion—Big Brown—Kent
Desormeaux; Macho Again—Julien Leparoux; Icabad
Crane—Jeremy Rose; Racecar Rhapsody—Robby Albarado;
Stevil—John Velasquez; Kentucky Bear—Jaime Theriot; Hey
Byrn—Chuck Lopez; Giant Moon—Ramon Dominguez; Tres
Borrachos—Tyler Baze; Yankee Bravo—Alex Solis; Gayego—Mike
Smith; Riley Tucker—Edgar Prado.
The three-year-old with the perfect record heads for the
Belmont Stakes in three weeks as the fourth horse this
decade to try for the triple, a sweep last accomplished
by Affirmed in 1978. The last to try was Smarty Jones in
2004.
In the
past 11 years six horses have won the first two legs of
the Triple Crown and gone on the Belmont with a shot at
the Triple Crown: Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (’98),
Charismatic (’99), War Emblem (’02), Funny Cide (’03)
and Smarty Jones (‘04).
The last
winner of the Triple Crown was Affirmed, who defeated
Alydar in all three legs in 1978. He joined Secretariat
(’73) and Seattle Slew as Triple Crown winners in the
1970s. Other winners are Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox
(’30), Omaha (’35), War Admiral (’38), Whirlaway (’41)
and Citation (’48).
Big
Brown earned $600,000 for the win and boosted his
earnings to $2,714,500 for Iavarone and Schiavo,
coowners of IEAH Stables, and Paul Pompa Jr. Pompa named
Big Brown in honor of UPS, a major client of his
Brooklyn trucking business. |
