Phenomenal Power lands Mouttet gate with Diamond Mile win

PHENOMENAL POWER yesterday booked a win-and-you’re-in ticket for December’s Mouttet Mile by flooring two previous winners, defending champion RIDEALLDAY and 2024 champion, FUNCAANDUN – plus two-time runner-up, LEGACY ISLE – posting a stunning gate-to-wire win at odds of 9-1 in the $10 million Diamond Mile, almost lowering Wantin An Havin’s 29-year-old track record.

Closing a three-timer for lightweight rider Tajay Suckoo, who had earlier won aboard DANKA in the fifth and 3-1 market-springer, BOSS MAN, ending the win streak of impressive American, IMJUSTAGIRL, in the seventh, American PHENOMENAL POWER shrugged off last Saturday’s dismal run a class lower to stun grade-one runners with the form he had used to smash Sky Train’s seven-furlong track record on July 4.

Chased off the lead by DESERT OF MALIBU and runner-up CALIFORNIA CROWN in last week’s six-furlong Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame Stakes – finishing fifth with Raddesh Roman – three-year-old PHENOMENAL POWER broke sharply with Suckoo riding at 112 lb, but was immediately challenged by fellow American LEGACY ISLE with Bebeto Harvey.

Showing preference for middle-distance pace, especially since trainer Adrian Prince removed the tongue tie for his track-record run, PHENOMENAL POWER enjoyed the waiting game Suckooo played with speedster LEGACY ISLE, both peeling away from PACK PLAYS and OF A REVOLUTION leaving the half-mile marker.

Suckoo, now sitting third in the jockeys’ standings on 41 winners, 18 behind leader Roman, who stood down from his remaining mounts after going down astride MIDNIGHT GALAXY in a three-horse spill in the second, said he knew he had LEGACY ISLE beaten from the half-mile.

“LEGACY ISLE was beside me but I heard him (Harvey) asking his horse (for more),” said Suckoo, who paced PHENOMENAL POWER through six furlongs in 1:09.0 on a track still running ridiculously fast for the last three months.

Thundering into the straight along the rail with LEGACY ISLE still on his outside, PHENOMENAL POWER started stretching his lead, leaving his rival swerving right under pressure a furlong and a half out.

GIRVANO, running at 17-1, proved best of the closers, charging from out of the pack under Tevin Foster, catching PHENOMENAL POWER with every stride but the winning post intervened with a length of what would have been an even bigger upset win and certainly a track record as the clock flashed 1:34.4, a fifth off Wantin An Havin’s 1:34.3 posted in November 1997.

RIDEALLDAY, last December’s Mouttet Mile winner and 3-5 favourite, entering the Diamond Mile after a track-record run in April’s Ian Levy Cup at eight and a half furlongs, struggled under top weight 126lb and torrid pace, the fastest first seven furlongs ever run in a mile race at Caymanas Park, 1:21.2, finishing fifth behind fourth-place ROYAL POPPY and BARNABY, who closed for third.

Trainer Peter-John Parsard saddled four winners, opening the 11-race card with TUNONTHELIGHT among $350,000 claimers before notching his second with three-year-old MANOLETTI MAJESTIC beating non-winners of two races and imported maidens at five furlongs straight.

Parsard’s BOSS MAN pulled off a giant-killing act by denying American I’MJUSTAGIRL a fourth consecutive win, running past a furlong and a half out at six and a half furlongs, winning by a dozen lengths in 1:16.2, four-fifths off Eros’ 33-year-old track record.

Reyan Lewis, who had earlier won the third aboard IMAGINEARIUM for Anthony Nunes and MANOLETTI MAJESTIC, closed Parsard’s four-timer in the 10th by going all the way aboard 8-5 favourite D’ HEAD CORNERSTONE.