Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford), upset wire-to-wire winner of this year's GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Mar. 3, made a big statement in Saturday's GIII Amsterdam S. at the Spa.
Off as the 3-2 second-choice, he broke well from his inside draw. Wisely guided to the outside of the fleet-footed Strike Power (Speightstown) by Luis Saez, the chestnut forced the issue from second as that one ripped through an opening quarter in :21.28. He made his move to challenge for command on the far turn, impressively opened up on them in the stretch and was never seriously threatened late by the favored Engage (Into Mischief), who enjoyed a perfect trip just behind the early leaders in third and rallied to collect runner-up honors.
“Everything equal, we'll try to come back in the [GI] Allen Jerkens [Aug. 25], my good friend, and we'll try to win this race,” winning trainer Dale Romans said. “Nothing can make me happier right now.”
Romans continued, “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. 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.”
Very well-beaten in both the GI Xpressbet Florida Derby Mar. 31 and GI Kentucky Derby May 5, Promises Fulfilled turned back to seven furlongs with a very game third-place finish after dueling through blazing fractions in the GII Woody Stephens S. at Belmont June 9.
Pedigree Notes:
Promises Fulfilled's dam Marquee Delivery, a homebred for David Jacobs, won five of 23 starts and also hit the board in a pair of Grade III attempts. Marquee Delivery, also represented by the multiple stakes winner Marquee Miss (Cowboy Cal), and the multiple stakes-placed Marquee Cal Gal (Cowboy Cal), had a filly by Gemologist in 2016 and a colt by Tiznow in 2017. She was most recently bred to Shackleford. Promises Fulfilled is one of four graded winners for the young sire Shackleford, who was trained by Romans to a victory in the 2011 GI Preakness S.
Saturday, Saratoga
AMSTERDAM S.-GIII, $200,000, Saratoga, 7-28, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.18, gd.
1–PROMISES FULFILLED, 124, c, 3, by Shackleford
1st Dam: Marquee Delivery (MGSP, $264,901),by Marquetry
2nd Dam: Fast Delivery, by Little Missouri
3rd Dam: Copelan's Girl, by Copelan
($37,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Robert J. Baron; B-David Jacobs
(KY); T-Dale L. Romans; J-Luis Saez. $110,000. Lifetime Record:
MGSW, 8-4-0-2, $495,280. *1/2 to Marquee Cal Gal (Cowboy
Cal), MSP, $249,209; Marquee Miss (Cowboy Cal), MSW &
GSP, $319,708. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.[bullet ad=”selectsales-shell”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Engage, 122, c, 3, Into Mischief–Nefertiti, by Speightstown.
($200,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $550,000 2yo '17 OBSMAR).
O-Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.[bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”mckathan-brothers-training-grad”][bullet ad=”mated-by-cobra-farm-client”][bullet ad=”woodsedgefarm-grad”]3–Barry Lee, 118, c, 3, Violence–Light of a Star, by Muqtarib.
($210,000 Wlg '15 KEENOV; $220,000 RNA Ylg '16 KEESEP;
$380,000 2yo '17 OBSMAR). O-Sagamore Farm & Papason
Stables; B-Golden Pedigree LLC (KY); T-Horacio DePaz.
$24,000.[bullet ad=”foaled-and-raised-machmer-hall-golden-pedigree”][bullet ad=”selectsales-shell”][bullet ad=”nick-de-meric-consigned-by-de-meric-sales”][bullet ad=”hidden-brook-sales-graduate”][bullet ad=”mcmahon-and-hill-purchased-as-a-wnlg”]Margins: 3 1/4, 9 1/4, NK. Odds: 1.50, 1.05, 12.50.
Also Ran: Strike Power, Soutache, Old Time Revival. Scratched: World of Trouble.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
