Promises Fulfilled Finds Sweet Spot in Amsterdam
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Promises Fulfilled and Luis Saez win the Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Pure class may have carried Robert J. Baron's Promises Fulfilled across the line in his past three starts, but a turn back in distance put his true talents on display July 28 in the $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course.
The 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam was the shortest race trainer Dale Romans selected for Promises Fulfilled since the Shackleford colt's six-furlong debut in September at Churchill Downs, where he soared clear by four lengths after showing the way throughout. With fellow speedster Strike Power intent on the lead from post 5 Saturday, jockey Luis Saez had Promises Fulfilled rate second off an opening quarter in :21.28. After taking back from his inside position after leaving the 2 hole, Saez shifted his mount to the outside and had plenty of horse with which to engage the frontrunner through a half in :43.92.
"I knew Strike Power was going to go today, and I was thinking to send my horse, too," Saez said. "But when I saw Strike Power was going pretty fast, I just stayed right there. I knew Strike Power was very fast. I know that horse. I rode him a few times, and I knew he was going to be sent. … I took him back, then made my move. When we hit the stretch, he just took off."
Promises Fulfilled put away Strike Power off the turn for home, found another gear while drifting in toward the rail through three-quarters in 1:08.53, and held safe over even-money favorite Engage by 3 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:15.18. He returned $5, $2.80, and $2.40, and Engage brought $2.40 and $2.10. It was 9 1/4 lengths back to third-place Barry Lee ($3.50). Strike Power, Soutache, and Old Time Revival completed the order of finish. World of Trouble scratched.
Following his maiden win and a seven-furlong allowance score in October at Keeneland, Promises Fulfilled finished third after showing the way in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill. He picked up a victory in the March 3 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) over Strike Power and Good Magic going the same distance at Gulfstream Park, but he was ninth in the 1 1/8-mile Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) March 31 at Gulfstream and finished 15th in the May 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) going 1 1/4 miles at Churchill.
Promises Fulfilled dialed back to seven furlongs June 9 and finished a decent third behind Still Having Fun and Engage in the Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Mohegan Sun (G2) at Belmont Park, and Romans said the colt has come into his own since then.
"The horse has done so well since Belmont Day that I just didn't see him losing it, and I'm usually a pessimist, but he's just changed," Romans remarked. "He turned a corner. It's like he's a man now. I think we're going to see bigger and better things out of him."
The Aug. 25 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) over seven furlongs at Saratoga is the next target for Promises Fulfilled, who was bred in Kentucky by David Jacobs out of the Marquetry mare Marquee Delivery and was a $37,000 purchase from Select Sales' consignment to the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
"That's what this game is all about," Romans said. "This game is the greatest sport there is. You can buy a $30,000 horse, and you can compete with a $3 million horse. In this game, you just don't know. I've been saying I haven't won a race in a month, been having the blues the last week or two. All you need is to win at Saratoga and life is good again."