The fourth renewal of the Overnight Allowance Clovis Metcalfe Trophy, run at the trip of 7 ½ furlongs, occupied centre stage on the programme of ten races.
Mr Metcalfe is the immediate past Chairman of the Jamaica Racing Commission, the Betting Gaming & Lotteries Commission, and the Casino Gaming Commission, and was on hand to make the presentation to the winning owner. Mr Metcalfe is a long-standing owner and also a founding operative of the multi-championship Hamark Farms breeding establishment.
Saddled by Adrian Prince, at a price of 4-1 at closing, three-year-old colt Phenomenal Power (USA) sprinted to victory with a dominant front-running performance. The dark bay progeny of Violence (USA) won by just over 11 lengths to post a track record of 1:29.2 with two-time titlist and current season leader Raddesh Roman at the reins.
The opener for $200,000 claimers, run over three and a half furlongs, went even money favourite Stein, ridden to a victory margin of 4 ½ lengths by 2023 champion Reyan Lewis for trainer Michael Spencer.
In the 5 ½-furlong race three, the potent trainer/jockey of champion Jason DaCosta and Robert Halledeen was in the winners’ enclosure. This followed a romp of over 12 lengths by progressive US-bred three-year-old colt Pepper Stepper (1-5) in the Restricted Stakes event.
For the first of a riding double, Tevin Foster, declared by owner Oral Hayden to partner Wayne’s Princess (3-1), steered the six-year-old bay mare to a near six-length victory margin at the end of the seven furlongs of race three, which was an event for $1.0 million claimers.
Debutant Confidence Is High (USA), bet at 1-5, schooled by Peter-John Parsard and with 2022 champion Dane Dawkins at the reins, the four-year-old Improbable (USA)-bred colt was never off the bridle to score by six lengths over the five-furlong straight course. This event was restricted to horses four years and older with fewer than two career wins each.
Trained by Howard Bailey, Sensational Gold (5-2), with a win margin of seven lengths and a quarter, was always in front of nine rivals over the seven furlongs of race five. Apprentice jockey Tajay Suckoo made full use of the opportunity to land the first of two winners on the day in the $500,000 claimer.
Race six, confined to maiden three-year-olds for a gallop over the 5½ furlongs course, went in impressive fashion, to Wah A Gwaan (3-1). Conditioned by Christopher Pierre for confirmation of Foster’s riding double with victory secured by just under 10 lengths, easing down inside the last 100 yards.
Neglected in the betting at 39/1, Comuna Trece (USA) released its maiden tag with an astonishing showing over the seven furlongs of the seventh event. The Maximum Security (USA)-bred three-year-old bay colt, trained by Oral Hayden, reared when the gates opened and gave his rivals a seven-length head start.
Veteran reinsman Ian Spence, in unhurried fashion, allowed Comuna Trece (USA) to mend steadily, assume the advantage entering the last furlong and scored by 7 ½ lengths. The event was restricted to three-year-olds and upwards with less than two wins.
One spectacular performance followed another. In race eight, a Maiden Condition event for five-year-olds and upwards, Time Bomb, evens favourite, for the gallop over the five-furlong race round course, reared at the start and conceded with a 10-length deficit to his rivals.
However, apprentice Tyrese Anderson, in a similar fashion to Spence, remained composed and caught the frontrunners well inside the last furlong to score by a neck for trainer Paul Charlton.
Anderson, to close a riding double, had a much simpler task in race nine as Ray Phillips’ Havajoy (5-2) won the Restricted Allowance V ninth event for five-year-olds and upwards, non-winners of two races, over seven furlongs by 9½ lengths.
