Romans looking to plot courses for talented 3-year-olds

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Dale Romans has a problem on his hands, a problem any of his colleagues would love to have: how to separate the wealth of talented 3-year-olds in his barn, including Promises Fulfilled and Seven Trumpets, the one-two finishers in Saturday’s Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial; King Zachary, the fourth-place finisher in the Grade 1 Travers; and West Virginia Derby winner Mr Freeze, who awaits Romans’s return to Churchill Downs at the end of the Saratoga meet.

Romans already has Mr Freeze pointed for the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 22 but didn’t rule out the possibility that King Zachary and/or Seven Trumpets could join him there.

“I wouldn’t mind sending Seven Trumpets to Pennsylvania off that race yesterday, although I haven’t talked to anybody yet,” said Romans. “And the race could also be possible for King Zachary as well. I thought he didn’t run badly in the Travers; he was the only one making up any ground in there at the end. I just don’t know why he can’t get into his races any earlier.”

King Zachary finished fourth, beaten 6 1/2 lengths by Catholic Boy, after trailing for the opening mile of the Travers.

The key question for Romans with Promises Fulfilled exiting his game, wire-to-wire win in the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens is whether to stretch him back out and point for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile or turn him back farther to six furlongs for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Promises Fulfilled received a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his first Grade 1 victory, down nine points from the career-best number of 108 he posted in winning the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam four weeks earlier.

“I’ll wait until they all get back to the racetrack and train a bit before making any decisions,” said Romans. “I don’t like to do anything too quickly based on emotion anyway. I’ll sit down in a few days, put everything in front of me, and see what our options are.”

Romans had another of his talented crop of 3-year-olds, Free Drop Billy, out to work on Sunday, breezing four furlongs in 48.66 seconds with Tammy Fox aboard. Free Drop Billy, a Grade 1 winner at 2, finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby and has not started since checking home seventh behind Justify in the Belmont Stakes.

“I’m going to try him on the turf next week in the Saranac,” said Romans. “He’s a brother to Hawkbill, who is one of the best turf horses in the world. He’s never worked on the grass. Either they like it or they don’t, and we’re going to give him a chance to find out if he likes it.”