P1.15 M top prize at stake in Don Juan Derby 2006

A matchup of five local and four imported runners will showcase the fifth staging of the Philippine Racing Commission Don Juan Derby 2006 on October 15 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. With a top prize of P1.15 million, this is the richest single horse race in the local racing calendar. The runnerup gets P430,000 while the third and fourth placers receive P230,000 and P90,000, respectively. All the other finishers from fifth to ninth will also be receiving a consolation prize of P20,000 each. Campaigning in the classic event organized by the Klub Don Juan de Manila that offers a total prize of P2 million are: Raymund Puyat's Manila's Gem, engineer Ed Mailom's Manhattan, Hermie Esguerra's Hear Me and Don Exequiel, David Lee's Fairy Queen, Dominic Frederick Francisco's Gundam, Romy Hernandez's Rebecca's Magic, Francisco Paulino Cayco's Big Debt, and Bienvenido Niles Jr.'s Leave No Doubt. This year's Triple Crown Series winner Don Exequiel heads the local contingent that also includes Manila's Gem, Manhattan, Gundam, and Rebecca's Magic while the imported gunner are Hear Me, Fairy Queen, Big Debt, and Leave No Doubt. They will race over the distance of 2,000 meters. Last year's champion, Wild Orchid, now owned by Hermie Esguerra, competes in the P500,000 Don Antonio Floirendo Sr. Golden Girls Stakes against six other contenders that include lawyer Edmund Moreno's Floral Arch, Roland Lim's Perugino, Batangas Mayor Eduardo Dimacuha's La Tienne and Ever Mine Now, Sonny Abella's Ocean Deep, and also Esguerra's Suppresed. The race is over the 1,750-meter distance. Meanwhile, nine promising 2-year-olds tangle in the P500,000 KDJM Juvenile Colts Championship while 12 other faces fight it out in another P500,000 Juvenile Fillies Championship. The complete lineup: JUVENILE COLTS (1,400 meters): Emmanuel Atienza's Miguelito, Jun Paman's Iron Tower, Hermie Esguerra's Macho Man and Pacman, Myther Bunag/Tony Eleazar's Dynamic Duo, Victor Martinez's Superamerica, Mario Gerald Cunanan's Super Stravinsky, and Ralph Javier's Tiger Raffy. JUVENILE FILLIES (1,400 meters): Maribeth Frondarina's No Fear, Bonifacio Mantilla's Please Do, Ruben Laureano's Irene's Fantasy, Hermie's Esguerra's Hillary, Landed Visa and Condoleeza, Nery Sunga's Es Twenty Six, Victor Martinez's Lancia Stratos, Mario Gerald Cunanan's Lady Commander and A.P. Tizzy, Joe and Aida Arceo's Aunt Margaret, and C & H Enterprises Windsong. The winner of the Golden Girls Stakes, the KDJM Juvenile Colts and the KDJM Juvenile Fillies Championships will be receiving the top prize of P300,000 each, while the runnerup gets P112,500, the third placer P62,500, and the fourth placer P25,000. There are also 15 other sponsored Trophy Races that will spice up this year's staging of the annual event. Nine will be disputed on Sunday together with the four major championship races while six will be staged on Saturday, October 14. Winners of all Trophy Races will receive a bonus of P30,000 each. The four past champions include the local Free Wind in the inaugural staging of the event in 2002, the imported Midnight Lady in 2003, the local Don Paolo in 2004 and the imported Wild Orchid last year. The drawing of post positions and assigning of respective jockeys was staged at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 1, at the SLLP, with the attendance of all the participating owners, trainers or their representatives. - GMANews.TV