Wild Orphan sours up Real Spicy

Wild Orphan put one over fancied Real Spicy in their spirited duel for the top P1 million purse in the Klub Don Juan de Manila Derby, winning by five lengths before a big crowd at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite yesterday.

Ace jockey Fernando Raquel Jr. bounced back from a harrowing loss atop top favorite Dixie the Younger earlier as he steered Wild Orphan to a fantastic wire-to-wire victory over the punishing 2,000-meter race to bag the top purse of P1.186 million for owner Ed Moreno. She clocked 2:05 with fraction times of 25-23’-25’24’-26’.

Real Spicy, whose stablemate Don Exequiel upended Dixie the Younger to rule the juvenile colts stakes, spent the race chasing the fast-stepping Wild Orphan to no avail. — Ramon Romualdez