Jack’s Promise scores in stakes debut in Gulfstream Park Sprint
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jack’s Promise made his stakes debut a winning one and did so in convincing fashion Saturday, registering a convincing three-length victory over the slow-starting and odds-on favorite Damon’s Mound in the $125,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint.
Jack’s Promise came into the six-furlong Gulfstream Park Sprint off arguably his best effort yet when overcoming an unlucky start and race-long pace duel to register a nose victory in a high-priced allowance/optional-claiming race here on Dec. 24, a performance for which he earned a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
With Rajiv Maragh aboard again on Saturday, Jack’s Promise sprinted to the early lead before dropping back to third while racing near the inside around the turn. Maragh angled Jack’s Promise well off the rail while re-engaging Rolando for command entering the stretch, drew clear and was never seriously threatened thereafter while finishing in arguably the better footing out near the center of the track.
Damon’s Mound was backed to 3-5 off a pair of stakes victories including the Sunshine Sprint against Florida-breds here four weeks earlier. Last to begin, Damon’s Mound raced at or near the rear of the eight-horse field in the run down the backstretch, surged to closer contentions while widest turning for home, finishing willingly to be second best. It was another three lengths back to the tiring Rolando who finished third.
The win was the fifth in 16 starts for Jack’s Promise, who broke his maiden under a $50,000 claiming tag here a year earlier. Trained by Dale Romans for Baron Thoroughbreds LLC, Jack’s Promise completed the distance in 1:10.47 seconds and paid $24.80.
“We always knew he had a lot of talent but he threw some clunkers in there and we never understood why,” said Romans. “He won five races last year and he just started putting it all together. And now he’s the horse we thought he was earlier.”
Romans admitted he had been searching for another allowance race for Jack’s Promise next start but when that race didn’t fill, the Gulfstream Park Sprint became the second option.
“He ran great last time so that and the fact the three other than allowance wouldn’t go is the reason we were in here today,” Romans added. “And we’re lucky it didn’t go. The sky’s the limit for him now. He’s got a lot of potential.”
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