Mitole, Promises Fulfilled meet again in Forego

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Although Saturday’s Forego Stakes at Saratoga is rich in tradition and carries Grade 1 status and a generous $600,000 purse, the race had only four confirmed starters less than 24 hours before entry time and just six entrants when drawn on Wednesday. The two principal reasons for the somewhat surprising lack of interest in the seven-furlong Forego are named Mitole and Promises Fulfilled.

Mitole and Promises Fulfilled will square off for the third time this season in the Forego, with Mitole having come out on top in both previous meetings, in the Churchill Downs and Metropolitan Handicap, both Grade 1 events. Those victories completed a seven-race winning streak for Mitole, which came to an end with a third-place finish as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap here four weeks ago.

Mitole defeated a loaded field when stretching out to a mile for the first time in the Metropolitan on June 8 at Belmont Park, holding on determinedly to best McKinzie and Thunder Snow. He did not have the best of racing luck in the Vanderbilt, hitting the gate at the break before rushing up to engage in an early speed duel with Strike Power while running in the deeper going on the rail. He was beaten 7 1/2 lengths in a race won in track-record time by Imperial Hint.

“He met a horse who ran a great race, and I don’t think he was in the right spot on the day,” said Asmussen, referring to the inner part of the racetrack. “That’s just the way it worked out. The important thing is we came out of the race in great shape and we get to try again Saturday.”

Promises Fulfilled finished third, beaten four lengths by Mitole, at Churchill Downs, and fourth, 4 1/4 lengths behind that nemesis, in the Metropolitan. Both times he stumbled at the break.

A son of Shackleford trained by Dale Romans, Promises Fulfilled became a Grade 1 winner by capturing the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens here in wire-to-wire fashion a year ago. He followed that effort with a victory in the Grade 2 Phoenix at Keeneland before finishing a tiring fourth after setting the pace in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Promises Fulfilled tuned up for the Forego with an easy 4 1/2-length triumph in the Grade 2 John Nerud Stakes last month at Belmont.

Promises Fulfilled is expected to set the pace once again after breaking from the rail Saturday, with Mitole likely to be breathing down his neck from post 3.

“Drawing the rail wasn’t my first choice, but he’s fast and if he breaks he’ll be clear,” said Dale Romans, who trains Promises Fulfilled. “We haven’t beaten Mitole yet, but our horse is as good as he’s ever been and we’ll keep trying. One thing in our favor is that our horse has run and won everywhere – he doesn’t need to take his track with him. Some horses just dislike Saratoga and won’t run over this track. We know that’s not the case with him.”

Air Strike ships in from Del Mar off a fourth-place finish behind winner Cistron after being crowded at the start and forced to race wide into the stretch while making his Grade 1 debut in the Bing Crosby. A 4-year-old son of Street Sense, Air Strike had rallied to defeat Cistron by a head to upset the Grade 2 Triple Bend two months earlier at Santa Anita.

Firenze Fire has been a bit of a disappointment in his last two starts, finishing fifth in the Metropolitan Handicap and a distant fourth in the Vanderbilt following an easy 4 3/4-length triumph in the six-furlong Runhappy in May at Belmont. Like Air Strike, he could be the beneficiary if the two favorites get involved in an early pace duel.

Killybegs Captain and Bon Raison, who was a supplemental nominee, were the two late additions to the Forego lineup.

Killybegs Captain is winless since capturing the Pelican Stakes in February at Tampa Bay Downs. Bon Raison, a former claimer, steps up into Grade 1 company off a last-to-first victory in the restricted Tale of the Cat Stakes here 15 days ago.