Promises Fulfilled Aims for Phoenix Defense
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Promises Fulfilled works at Saratoga Race Course before his start in the Forego Stakes
It will be a new set of circumstances for Promises Fulfilled Oct. 4 as he looks to win the $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland for a second straight year.
A year ago, Promises Fulfilled extended his win streak to three races when he held off Whitmore in the six-furlong Phoenix in his first start against older rivals. After off-the-board finishes in the spring of his 3-year-old season in the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), trainer Dale Romans moved Promises Fulfilled to sprints for the summer and fall, and the son of Shackleford thrived, counting the Phoenix among his three graded stakes wins that included a score against other 3-year-olds in the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1).
Promises Fulfilled enters Friday's race against 10 runners off a sixth-place finish in the Forego Stakes Presented by Encore Boston Harbor (G1) Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course. Though he led early, Robert Baron's colt finished out of the top four in a one-turn race for the first time.
This year, Promises Fulfilled has just one victory—a 4 1/2-length romp in the John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) July 6 at Belmont Park—but he has held his own in a deep sprint division, finishing fourth in the Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1) and third in the Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Twinspires.com (G1).
With division leader Mitole—who has defeated Promises Fulfilled three times this season—sitting this one out, Promises Fulfilled will try to secure his third win in as many Keeneland starts. He'll face a familiar foe in 2017 Phoenix winner Whitmore, who also is trying to return to top form for owners Robert LaPenta, Southern Springs Stables, and Head of Plains Partners.
Grade 1 winner Whitmore will be making his first start since finishing off the board in the June 7 True North Stakes (G2) at Belmont. Since Aug. 13, he has worked four times for trainer Ron Moquett at Churchill Downs, earning bullets in half of those moves. He followed last year's runner-up finish in the Phoenix with a runner-up finish in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill.
Like Promises Fulfilled last year, the expected field again includes an accomplished 3-year-old sprinter making his first start against older horses in Something Special Racing's Hog Creek Hustle. Trained by Vickie Foley, Hog Creek Hustle won this year's Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) June 8 at Belmont and enters off a runner-up finish in the Jerkens, finishing a nose behind Mind Control in the seven-furlong test Aug. 24 at Saratoga.
The Phoenix is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race awarding a "Win and You're In" bid to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
Keeneland, Friday, October 04, 2019, Race 8Entries: Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1American Pastime (KY)
Kent J. Desormeaux
120
Robert B. Hess, Jr.
12/1
2
2Cove Blue (KY)
Channing Hill
120
Dale L. Romans
20/1
3
3Whitmore (KY)
Joel Rosario
120
Ron Moquett
4/1
4
4Recruiting Ready (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
120
Stanley M. Hough
4/1
5
5Diamond Oops (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
120
Patrick L. Biancone
8/1
6
6Hog Creek Hustle (KY)
Corey J. Lanerie
122
Vickie L. Foley
5/1
7
7Promises Fulfilled (KY)
Luis Saez
122
Dale L. Romans
3/1
8
8Engage (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
120
Steven M. Asmussen
8/1
9
9Heartwood (KY)
John McKee
120
James K. Chapman
12/1
10
10Zipp On By (KY)
Abel Lezcano
120
Rey Hernandez
30/1
11
11Lexitonian (KY)
Adam Beschizza
118
Jack Sisterson
50/1
