Phenomenal Power smashes 43-year-old record

PHENOMENAL POWER yesterday decimated rivals in the Clovis Metcalfe Cup, becoming the third United States-bred runner to have erased decades-old Caymanas Park track records in as many months, lowering Sky Train’s seven-and-a-half furlong mark to 1:29.0, clipping two-fifths off a record that stood for 43 years.

Sky Train, who set the record on May 7, 1983 for trainer Michael Lyew, was partnered by Jamaica’s oldest active rider, Everton Miller.

Out for his fifth race after debuting with a 14-length win as a two-year-old last December, followed by another easy victory on January 3, PHENOMENAL POWER stubbed his toe at five furlongs straight in February, finishing fourth as a 2-5 favourite behind DANKA.

Laid up for four months after that shocking loss, the Violence-Drinking Dixie colt ran past fellow American PEPPERSTEPPER at five furlongs round on his June 6 return before yesterday’s smashing run on a track that continues to play fast.

Breaking sharply with champion jockey Raddesh Roman for his new handler, Adrian Prince, after being moved from Philip Feanny’s barn since his comeback win, PHENOMENAL POWER was hustled to lead the field of overnight-allowance runners at odds of 4-1.

MOJITO, last year’s grade-one Jamaica Cup winner, still struggling to regain form, was slowly away, leaving PHENOMENAL POWER to have his way on the lead being pressed by the most unlikely of runners, up-in-class DIESEL TRAIN, while others such as 6-5 favourite GIRVANO were being run off their legs.

12-length win

PHENOMENAL POWER straightened clear of DIESEL TRAIN and ran away for a near 12-length win in the day’s final event, taking out Sky Train’s record in similar fashion to two-time Mouttet Mile runner-up LEGACY ISLE’s lowering of Eros’ 35-year-old track record at seven furlongs a month ago.

RIDEALLDAY, who had beaten LEGACY ISLE in December’s Mouttet Mile, posted 1:41.4 for eight and a half furlongs on his seasonal debut, April 6, to erase SMILE N LEAVE’s 29-year-old mark in the Ian Levy Cup.

PHENOMENAL POWER not only smashed Sky Train’s record, the American broke the heart of a punter who held the lone live Ketch 9 ticket heading into the closing event, having spotted trainer Oral Hayden’s 39-1 upsetter, COMMUNA TRECE, in the seventh race.

Hayden saddled two winners, having earlier posted WAYNE’S PRINCESS at odds of 3-1 in the third, ridden by Tevin Foster, who returned to land the sixth with WAH A GWAAN, sharing riding honours with claiming rider Tyrese Anderson’s back-to-back wins astride TIME BOMB and HAVAJOY in the eighth and ninth, respectively.

A second 10-race card runs off this morning with SALUTE THE DON and the filly, DREAM CATCHER, winners of the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, respectively, aiming at the Jamaica St Leger at 10 furlongs, the second jewel of the Triple Crown.