PSA honors Hernandez, Real Spicy in annual rites

Veteran jockey Jonathan Hernandez and horse Real Spicy will be the recipients of the highest awards in horseracing to be handed out by the sportswriting fraternity during the SMC-PSA Annual Awards on Jan. 18 at the Mall of Asia.

The 29-year-old Hernandez, JB’ to friends and to the Bayang Karerista, won the jockey of the year award for the second straight year, beating fellow Class A rider Patti Dilema in one of the closest races ever for the much-coveted honor.

On the other hand, Real Spicy emerged the hands-down-choice for the horse of the year award following a marvelous 2006 season that saw him go undefeated while ruling five rich, prestigious stakes races, the most by any horse in a long time.

Hernandez won 224 times in 786 rides last year while garnering P47,748,138.65 in winnings as he held off a late charge by Dilema, who made the fight a closer one by racking up numerous wins in regular races in December.

A three-time PSA Jockey of the Year who trailed Hernandez by almost P2 million in winnings as of November, Dilema finished less than P200,000 behind with a total of P47,553,127.65 in winnings. He had 206 wins in 914 rides.

"It’s a big honor to be feted again as top jockey by the sportswriters," said Hernandez, a few hours before making his first ride aboard Dona Nene in a regular race Tuesday night at the Santa Ana Park.

In an amazing feat that recalled the greatness of retired stablemate Wind Blown, the four-year-old Real Spicy won 12 straight races in an unbeaten season that netted close to P6 million in winnings for businessman-sportsman Hermie Esguerra.

The chestnut son of Real Quiet and Spicy Tale highlighted a dominant year with victories in five stakes races, with the Philtobo Classic, Presidential Gold Cup and Philracom Classic foremost among them. He easily won the three races inside six weeks.

"A very good horse. Unbeatable when in top shape," said Esguerra, in a tribute to his pride and joy which has so far racked up 28 wins in 33 starts since running as a juvenile in 2004.

When it comes to victories in stakes races, Hernandez easily beat Dilema. He won atop Million Dollar in the first leg of the Road to Triple Crown, Golden Link in the first leg of the Imported Stakes series, Ever Mine Now in the Imported Series Leg 2, Macho Man in the second leg of the Juvenile Colts, and Ever Mine Now again in the All-Imported championship.

Dilema struck through Kilimanjiro in the Philracom Chairman’s Cup, his one and only stakes win for the year.

Together with the other athletes and entities who made 2006 a banner year, Hernandez and Real Spicy will be feted in simple rites by the oldest media association in the country.

Professional boxer Manny Pacquiao, cue artists Ronnie Alcano and Efren "Bata" Reyes, bowler Biboy Rivera and Asian Games gold medalists Rene Catalan, Antonio Gabica, Violito Payla and Joan Tipon head the list of awardees as Athletes of the Year.