Smooth Sailing for Promises Fulfilled in John A. Nerud

Robert J. Baron's Promises Fulfilled exceeded all promises July 6 with a 4 1/2-length gate-to-wire score in the $300,000 John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park.

Part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, the win earned the son of Shackleford  an automatic berth in the Nov. 2 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park. 

The odds-on favorite in Saturday's seven-horse field, Promises Fulfilled broke on top under jockey Luis Saez and quickly established a one-length lead. Warrior's Club pressed the pace in the two path on the outside as Promises Fulfilled set fractions of :23.16 and :46.09 through the half-mile. After a slow start, Killybegs Captain got up on even terms to challenge Warrior's Club at the top of the stretch, forcing the second-place runner to drop back briefly before battling back to challenge Killybegs Captain in the last eighth-mile.

Never wavering, Promises Fulfilled increased his lead to 2 1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch and continued to surge. The final time for the seven-furlong sprint was 1:21.75. 

"It didn't look like there was much speed, and when Killybegs Captain missed the break, that left him out there," said winning trainer Dale Romans. "He was going to be hard to beat if no one pressed him. He hadn't had that slow of a pace in his life. Look at the horses he's been running against. This race finally gave him a bit of class relief. But this should set him up well."

Killybegs Captain took third, a neck behind Warrior's Club. Nicodemus, Bon Raison, Do Share, and New York Central completed the order of finish. Majestic Dunhill and Pat On the Back were scratched. 

"He broke so sharp. He always breaks sharp," said Saez. "The last time, he missed the break, but today he broke so clean, he was right there. When he came to the stretch and he switched leads, he was running. I still had a lot of horse. It's very hot today. He got a little tired when he crossed the wire, but that's normal.

"I think he's 100 percent. He feels way better than he did in his last races, and let's see what happens in Saratoga."

Promises Fulfilled entered the race off a fourth-place finish in the June 8 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1). He made his first start of the season at Meydan Racecourse, where he finished fourth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1). He then returned to the States, where he took third in the May 4 Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Twinspires.com (G1) at Churchill Downs. 

It was the fifth graded stakes win for Promises Fulfilled, who won the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), Amsterdam Stakes (G3), H. Allen Jerkens Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1), and Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) last year. The 4-year-old has a 7-0-3 record from 15 starts and $1,437,280 in earnings. 

"He's a lot kinder than Shackleford was," said Romans, who also trained the Preakness Stakes (G1) winner and sire. "Shackleford was one of a kind. He was a great and smart horse. This one is smart, too, but he's nicer. Where we go next, we'll have to sit down and figure it out. He can make a mile. There's just a good group of horses running three-quarters and a mile. We'll get that all figured out." 

Bred in Kentucky by David Jacobs, Promises Fulfilled is the fifth foal out of the Marquetry mare Marquee Delivery, who foaled a full sister May 10. He is a half brother to stakes winner Marquee Miss and stakes-placed Marquee Cal Gal, and was purchased by Romans for $37,000 from the Select Sales consignment to the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.