Promises Fulfilled returns to winning ways in John Nerud Stakes

Promises Fulfilled put himself back into the national sprint picture and earned an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint after drawing away to a popular 4 1/2-length victory over Warrior’s Club in Saturday’s $300,000 John A. Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park. The seven-furlong Nerud, formerly called the Belmont Sprint Championship, is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.

Promises Fulfilled, the only Grade 1 winner in the field for the Grade 2 Nerud, finished fourth after setting the pace in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He came into the Nerud winless in three starts this season, having finished fourth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen, third in the Churchill Downs Stakes, and fourth in the Metropolitan Handicap, all Grade 1 events.

With regular rider Luis Saez aboard, Promises Fulfilled broke alertly from his outside post and quickly sprinted clear, his quest to make the lead aided after Killybegs Captain, the only other speed horse in the field, stumbled badly at the break. Promises Fulfilled controlled the pace through a relatively easy 23.16-second opening quarter-mile and 46.09 half, disposed of bids from a resurgent Killybegs Captain and Warrior’s Club when sharply roused at the top of the stretch, and was not seriously threatened thereafter while kept under a drive to the end.

Warrior’s Club prompted the winner’s early pace, took a run at the leader entering the stretch, proved no match but continued willingly after angling to the rail to best Killybegs Captain for second money. The latter ran a huge race in defeat, recovering after his unlucky start to put in a strong run outside rivals to the attending position turning into the stretch before faltering from those early efforts through the final sixteenth.

Jockey Jose Ortiz dismounted fourth place finisher Nicodemus, who was ultimately vanned off, shortly past the wire. Dr. Anthony Verderosa, director of the NYRA veterinary department, reported that Ortiz jumped off because he felt the horse did not feel right at that point.

Promises Fulfilled, winner of the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens last summer at Saratoga, ran seven furlongs over a fast track in 1:21.75 and paid $3.30. Dale Romans trains the son of Shackleford for owner Robert J. Baron.

“He was going to be hard to beat if no one pressed him. He hadn't had that slow of a pace in his life,” said Romans. “Looking at the horses he's been running against, this race finally gave him a bit of class relief and it’s good for him to get a win. Where we go next, we'll have to sit down and figure it out. He can make a mile. There's just a good group of horses running three-quarters and a mile. The Breeders’ Cup is our goal. We’ll consider either the Sprint or Dirt Mile. The pressure now is to keep him sound until then.”

– additional reporting by David Grening