Sent in as the outstanding favorite in a nine-horse field, Wind Blown, winner of nine major stakes races, lived up to his reputation as he stalked the fast-stepping and erstwhile tormentor Sun City majority of the 1,900-meter before galloping to victory unopposed.
Jockey Pat Dilema, on top of the country’s premier horse for the first time, raised his arm in triumph as the four-year-old bay colt hits the wire with a clocking of two minutes flat.
The victory was worth another P1 million for owner Hermie Esguerra, who bought the prized charger from sportsman Sandy Javier last year.
Esguerra said later that he would be donating the P1 million purse to a future championship race that would involve Wind Blown and all the best horses in the country today.
Longshot Kiwi Rose came out from a big pack to snatch second place worth P300,000 for owner D.A. David while veteran stakes race campaigner High Roller, former Triple Crown leg champion Materiales Fuertes and Sky Hawk followed in that order.
Sun City, who humbled Wind Blown in a winners’ division race last April, failed to sustain his run and faded out as soon as Wind Blown gathered speed at the far turn, finishing out of the money race. — Ramon Romualdez