Promises Fulfilled drills for Met Mile

ELMONT, N.Y. – If everyone who’s talking about running in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap shows up for the race, it will be an outstanding race.

On Friday, trainer Dale Romans added Grade 1 winner Promises Fulfilled to a cast that is expected to include Mitole, McKinzie, and Coal Front.

At Churchill Downs on Friday, Promises Fulfilled worked a half-mile in 49.80 seconds. It was his first work since he finished third, four lengths behind Mitole, in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes.

Romans said he wasn’t discouraged by Promises Fulfilled’s race in the Churchill Downs, where he bobbled at the break. It was his first start since returning from Dubai, where he ran fourth in the Golden Shaheen.

“It was a short turnaround from Dubai. He ran pretty well. He got beat a head for second,” Romans said. “It gives us a whole lot better chance to win the Met. It looks like it could be the race of the century.”

On Thursday over Belmont’s training track, Coal Front worked five furlongs in 1:02.02, his third work since he returned from Dubai after winning the Godolphin Mile.