Gutmoore, putting behind her a string of losses in stakes-race events, put one hell of a run in the last 400 meters yesterday to beat Ilocandia Slew and the fading Speed Goddess and rule the SMB-MARHO Juvenile Fillies Championship of the Breeders’ Cup before a stunned Saturday crowd at the Santa Ana Park.
The victory was surprising as it was stunning as Gutmoore, fourth pick in a field of six, broke out of the stall second to last, dropped farther back at the clubhouse turn but proved to have the strongest finishing kick to win by a length over third choice Ilocandia Slew.
It was worth P600,000 for owner Jose Mari Franco, but what made the victory sweeter was that it proved that the two-year-old chestnut filly by Gut Feel out of Hannah Moore had the skill to humble the very same field which dominated her in the past bigtime races.
That included top pick Speed Goddess and second choice Hammerhead, the vastly-improved filly which won three straight races since finishing second to Speed Goddess in the Mitra Cup.
Luck also played a role in Gutmoore’s scintillating win, with jockey Manolito Daquis, the winning rider, notching his second straight victory after steering Diamond’s Dollar in the SMB-MARHO 900m sprint race, the kickoff event of six high-caliber races worth P5.6 million spread over two days.
But the Diamond’s Dollar win was expected. What was not was Gutmoore’s, particularly when she bolted out fifth and trailed the field at the first bend.
Gutmoore, however, was far from finished.
With Speed Goddess losing steam after dictating the 1,500-meter race with two, three-length leads over Ilocandia Slew, Daquis urged his mount at the far turn and Gutmoore responded.
Mightily.
Rushing past Jinky, Terribly One and Hammerhead like a speeding racing car, Gutmoore caught up with Ilocandia Slew and Speed Goddess at the top of the stretch, then outduelled the former in their mad dash for home to win in one minute, 38 seconds.
Earlier, Daquis was impressive in jumping Diamond’s Dollar upfront over a lean four-horse field in the sprint race, never giving Video Classic, Flirting Hero and Belle D’Amour any chance for a rally as the five-year-old grey filly strode home unopposed in 55 seconds for the victory worth P360,000 for the EP Logarta family.
Daquis’ luck, however, was abruptly stopped later in the afternoon by Joey Macaraig, who rode Midnight Rose to a one-length victory over Agree to Agree in the SMB-MARHO Fillies Championship for three-year-olds.
The Daquis-powered Hazmoore set the pace majority of the 1600m race, but Hazmoore just couldn’t turn back the challenge of Midnight Rose and faded out in the last 200 meters and settled for third.
Midnight Rose, one of the fastest fillies in the land, let Hazmoore do the pacing and watched behind like an eagle on its prey, seizing the lead at the last bend for home, then thwarting the stretch run bid of Agree to Agree to bag the top purse of P600,000 for the MV Tirona family.
Focus, however, will be on Silver Story, regarded as the best charger to have come out of the ranks as he guns for a fifth straight stakes race win in the SMB-MARHO Juvenile Championship for colts today.
The grey colt by Conquistarose out of Far North-Northern Edge is heavily favored to rule the event owing to his solid performances in the last seven months when he won P2.6 million for owner Patrick Uy.
Also on tap in the day capping an explosive four-day racing festival, which is expected to draw a total of P103.1 million in gross sales, are championships for three-year-old colts and the centerpiece SMB-MARHO Classic starring Streets of Gold.