Promises Fulfilled, sired by one of Dale Romans's most accomplished runners in Shackleford, led home a one-two finish for the Eclipse Award-winning conditioner in this prestigious event for sophomore sprinters.
Right to the front from his rail draw as expected, Promises Fulfilled doled out splits of :22.66 and :44.34 and headed for home facing a stern challenge from Engage (Into Mischief) with longshot Seven Trumpets sneaking up the fence. Gamely re-breaking after getting a look at his competitors, the chestnut powered clear late with strides reminiscent of his sire.
“It was pretty nice,” jockey Luis Saez said of the winner's trip. “I was the speed in the race and my plan was to break and run him from there and find out who was in the lead, so we can take it. He looked like he was very comfortable when he came to the stretch, he stretched the lead and took off.”
Promises Fulfilled took a Churchill maiden special weight last September and Keeneland allowance in October to kick off his career, and was third in a roughly run renewal of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. when stretched out under the Twin Spires Nov. 25. He resurfaced to upset the likes of Good Magic (Curlin) in the GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. going two turns at Gulfstream Mar. 3, but faded to last after engaging in a textbook speed duel in the GI Xpressbet Florida Derby four weeks later. After checking in 15th in the GI Kentucky Derby after setting another fast pace, Promises Fulfilled's connections opted to cut him back and were well served. He was third in Belmont's GII Woody Stephens S. going this distance June 9 after taking part in another impossible early pace, but couldn't have been much more dominant when besting Engage by 3 1/4 lengths in the local GIII Amsterdam S. July 28. He earned a strong 108 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort.
“That was very special,” said Romans. “Of course, most people in the game know that Allen [Jerkens] and I were very close. He was a good friend and mentor in life. Everybody knows what a great horse trainer he was, and he was a better person. It's an honor to win this race and I think to get up for second we might have had a little divine intervention… When they put the second quarter up, I wasn't worried, I thought that was slow for him. He's been going 43 [and change for the half] the last two races. He's special. It's just going to be who has the most stamina and we know the kind of stamina he has to win.”
Saturday, Saratoga
H. ALLEN JERKENS S. PRESENTED BY RUNHAPPY-GI, $501,500, Saratoga, 8-25, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.44, ft.
1–PROMISES FULFILLED, 121, c, 3, by Shackleford
1st Dam: Marquee Delivery (MGSP, $264,9010), by Marquetry
2nd Dam: Fast Delivery, by Little Missouri
3rd Dam: Copelan's Girl, by Copelan
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($37,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Robert J.
Baron; B-David Jacobs (KY); T-Dale L. Romans; J-Luis Saez.
$275,000. Lifetime Record: 9-5-0-2, $770,280. *1/2 to
Marquee Cal Gal (Cowboy Cal), MSP, $249,209; Marquee Miss
(Cowboy Cal), MSW & GSP, $341,608. **First Grade I winner
for sire (by Forestry). Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”denali-hip1075-keesep2018″][bullet ad=”selectsales-shell”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Seven Trumpets, 118, c, 3, Morning Line–Angel Trumpet, by
Cape Canaveral. ($45,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $205,000 2yo '17
OBSAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds; B-St. George Farm,
LLC (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $100,000.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”]3–Firenze Fire, 121, c, 3, Poseidon's Warrior–My Every Wish, by
Langfuhr. O/B-Mr Amore Stables (FL); T-Jason Servis. $60,000.[bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”][bullet ad=”florida-breds-ftboa”]Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NK. Odds: 1.25, 32.00, 2.65.
Also Ran: Engage, Still Having Fun, Telekinesis, Gidu (Ire), Givemeaminit, Funny Duck. Click for the Equineline.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Pedigree Notes:
Promises Fulfilled is the first Grade I winner for the speedy Shackleford, who took the 2011 GI Preakness S. and 2012 GI Metropolitan H. and GI Clark H. He is the fourth Grade I/Group 1 winner out of a Marquetry mare (Presious Passion, Discreet Marq, Arctic Cosmos), but first on the dirt. His MSW/GSP half-sister Marquee Miss was a 3 1/2-length winner of an Indiana Grand optional claimer Friday. Promises Fulfilled has an unraced 2-year-old half-sister named Big Time Delivery (Gemologist) and a yearling half-brother by Tiznow who was a $100,000 Fasig-Tipton November weanling. Dam Marquee Delivery, who was graded stakes-placed on both synthetic and dirt, was bred back to Shackleford this season.
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