Magna Carta rips Yes Pogi for top plum

MANILA, Philippines - Magna Carta held off Yes Pogi’s rally to fashion out a half-length victory in the Vice President Jejomar Binay Alay sa Kawal Foundation Cup at the San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park in Cavite over the weekend.

Handled by veteran jockey Jesse Guce, Magna Carta surged ahead of the five-horse field midway of the 1,600-meter race then thwarted the rallying Yes Pogi to rule the event in 1:40.

The victory assured Magna Carta of the Horse of the Year honors after a consistent performance in big stakes races in the season.

“We were confident going into the race. All we had to watch out for, and expect, was a late charge from Yes Pogi,” Magna Carta owner Michael Javier said.

Javier added the two-week rest in between the Presidential Gold Cup stakes race and the Alay sa Kawal was enough time for their horse to rest and prepare.

“We were not putting Magna Carta into a situation where it can be injured,” Javier said.

In a surprise move, owner Francis Lim replaced Yes Pogi regular jockey Manolito Daquis with Danilo Camañero for the stakes race.

San Lazaro, meanwhile, has committed to have 30 percent of all the winnings from the stakes race donated to the Alay sa Kawal Foundation which is currently being chaired by Vice President Binay.

San Lazaro also played host to 23 companies that have committed to provide financial assistance to the foundation which has been providing support to the families of the Armed Forces of the Philippines soldiers who were killed or wounded in action over the last 25 years.