Free Drop Billy, Promises Fulfilled on Schedule

With his two Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) hopefuls on different schedules, trainer Dale Romans mapped different workout assignments for Free Drop Billy and Promises Fulfilled April 28 and gave each a passing grade after their breezes at Churchill Downs.

Grade 1 winner Free Drop Billy, who in his most recent race finished third via disqualification in the April 7 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, completed a half-mile in :49 2/5. Grade 2 winner Promises Fulfilled, ninth in the March 31 XpressBet Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park last time out, ran five furlongs in 1:00 2/5.

The breeze by Free Drop Billy ranked 28th fastest of 84 at the distance, while Promises Fulfilled ranked fourth of 49 going five furlongs on the fast track Saturday at Churchill during the 7:30 a.m. workout session set aside for Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopefuls. The easy move by Free Drop Billy and quicker outing by Promises Fulfilled matched the plan Romans outlined ahead of the moves.

"They're on a different schedule with different foundations," Romans said. "I wanted Billy to go really easy and want more. I think that's what we got out of him. With 'Promises,' I wanted to get a little more work in him because he doesn't have quite the foundation of (Free Drop Billy)."

Albaugh Family Stables' Free Drop Billy raced five times as a juvenile, scored a four-length win in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, and missed by a neck in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. He faded to ninth in his final start of the season, the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar. This year, the Union Rags  colt has not won, but he's placed in both the Holy Bull Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream and the Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack prior to the Blue Grass.

While Free Drop Billy has been consistent, Romans thinks the 1 1/4-mile distance may bring out the best in the son of a Belmont Stakes (G1) winner.

"I think the added distance is what's going to move him up. The mile and a quarter he'll love," Romans said. "He's only run one bad race ever—we don't have an explanation for that one—but all of the others have been good races."

Robert Baron's Promises Fulfilled won his first two starts last season and closed the year with a third in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill. The speedy son of Romans-trained Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Shackleford  opened 2018 with a frontrunning score in the XpressBet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream. 

Promises Fulfilled has led at the first call in all five of his starts. But in the Florida Derby, early fractions of :21.95 and :46.37—when pressed by Strike Power—proved too fast, and he faded to last. Romans expects Promises Fulfilled to assume his usual spot on the lead in the May 5 classic.

"We don't even worry about (the Florida Derby). He went too fast early," Romans said. "We told (the Florida Derby rival connections) we were going, and we played a game of chicken and they ran into each other. He's fine. I doubt we'll see a horse in front of him on Saturday."

Romans has never started two horses in a Kentucky Derby. He has saddled eight previous Derby starters and earned third-place finishes in 2010 with Paddy O'Prado and 2012 with Dullahan.