Promises Fulfilled gets started in True North Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Promises Fulfilled will make his 5-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 True North Stakes at Belmont Park.

A five-time graded stakes winner, Promises Fulfilled has not run since finishing sixth as the 9-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Phoenix at Keeneland last October. Promises Fulfilled was brought back to race this year because his connections thought there would be ample opportunity to run for lucrative purses.

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Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, some stakes have been canceled or postponed, or had their purses cut. For example, the True North is typically worth $250,000.

“Nobody was expecting coronavirus,” trainer Dale Romans said. “We thought we could make a whole lot of money running this year. Corona’s kind of backed us up a bit. We’re here, we’ll go on with it.”

Promises Fulfilled ran one of his best races at Belmont last year, winning the Grade 2 John Nerud by 4 1/2 lengths, earning a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

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Promises Fulfilled, who was scheduled to arrive Friday following a van ride from Kentucky, will be ridden by Luis Saez.

Others expected for the True North, run at 6 1/2 furlongs, are Diamond King, Lexitonian, Midnightcharly, Nicodemus, Stan the Man, T Loves a Fight, and Yorkton. Possibles include Diamond Oops, Firenze Fire, Nitrous, and Wicked Trick.