Light weight plus equipment change made the difference for Yellowstone — Al Brown
Trainer Alford Brown is of the view that the change in racing equipment and the light impost carried by his charge Yellowstone contributed significantly to the five-year-old gelding’s impressive victory in the Supreme Ventures and Racing Entertainment Limited (SVREL) 7th Anniversary Trophy on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
Running with the visor on and carrying a mere 48.0 kgs (106 lb), led from the first jump, leaving competitors in his wake to win the Graded Stakes/Open Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward over five and a half furlongs by 6¼ lengths.
“Well, at the handicaps, I expected a very good run because this is the lightest he has ever been in his career. I know he is a very good horse; he has speed, and I know he is going to perform well once the jockey does what I tell him and he did, and we are successful,” Brown told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.
“The last time I trained him without the equipment, he showed me some promise, and I said he was getting mature, so I was going to try something. I took it off, and I realised that he was definitely a visor horse.
“I am hoping that he keeps sound and we will see if we can take our shot in the sprint races going forward and see what happens,” Brown added.
Yellowstone was hustled up by jockey Jordan Barrett to take up the running shortly after the start of the race.
Approaching the half-mile marker, Yellowstone began to draw away from the compact group of four runners, lengthening his stride along the way ahead of Madelyn’s Sunshine (Tevin Foster) and Emperorofthecats (Richard Henry).
Turning for home on a merry clip, Yellowstone powered home effortlessly for an easy win.
Madelyn’s Sunshine tried her best in deep stretch to get on terms with the winner but had to settle for second money, with Press Conference (Javaniel Patterson) getting the better of his stablemate Emperorofthecats for third place.
After recording splits of 23.0 x 46.4, the final time was clocked at 1:07.4.
Sensational Move, who defeated Yellowstone and company at the races on February 17, was scratched from the event.
