Romans Hopes Promises Fulfilled Follows Sire's Success

When Dale Romans went shopping at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale, he was directed by Carrie Brogden to take a look at a Shackleford  colt consigned as part of the offerings from Select Sales, in which the consignor is a partner.

After all, Romans trained Shackleford to a 2011 Preakness Stakes (G1) victory during a career in which he earned more than $3 million before going to stud at John Phillips' Darby Dan Farm near Lexington. It made sense that consignors would try to steer him toward the stallion's offspring.

In 2016, foals from Shackleford's first crop hit the track and just before the marathon Keeneland sale began, the classic winner was represented by his first black-type winner when Wellabled won the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3).

Romans acquired the Shackleford colt, Hip 921, for $37,000 from the Select Sales consignment for owner Robert J. Baron. The now-3-year-old named Promises Fulfilled took a major step toward the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) with an upset victory March 3 in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The victory, which should ensure a spot in the Derby starting gate, was the third in four starts for Promises Fulfilled. He finished third in last year's Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs and has earned $327,280.

"He was just a nice-looking little horse," Romans recalled of his impression of Promises Fulfilled as a yearling. "Carrie shows me the good ones when they come up, and she is good to buy from. He was my type. He looked like he might need to grow up and mature a little bit and, if he did, he'd be the right type of horse. And it came together pretty good for him.

"He has the same shape as his daddy," the trainer continued. "He's not as big as his daddy, but Shackleford wasn't that big early, and blossomed as he got older. If this horse does that, he'll be just like him."

Romans said it is particularly gratifying to achieve success with a colt sired by a stallion that provided him with his first Triple Crown race win, as the trainer looks for his second.

"They are like my grandchildren," Romans said of the second-generation runners.

Romans also trained Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Kitten's Joy , the champion grass horse who went on to become leading sire in North America.

"It is fun to see these horses we've had go one to be good stallions," he said. "At the end of the day, that could be our legacy—what we've done for the breed with some of these horses we trained that are producing such good quality racehorses."

Romans hopes as Promises Fulfilled continues to thrive, it will boost the breeding career of Shackleford, whose five stakes winners include two grade 2 winners and two grade 3 stakes victors and stands for $20,000 this season. Along with Promises Fulfilled and Wellabled, Shackleford boasts 2017 Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Malagacy and 2017 Schuylerville Stakes (G3) winner Dream It Is.

"Shack is so close to getting over the hump and becoming a good sire, and this just may be the horse to do it for him," Romans said.

Video of Promises Fulfilled selling at Keeneland, Hip 921