Romans sends longshot Admire in quest for Fountain of Youth repeat

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Dale Romans caught a little lightning in a bottle when his 16-1 Promises Fulfilled upset the 2018 Fountain of Youth. He’ll defend that title here a week from Saturday with another longshot, the lightly raced Admire.

Admire has started just three times. He won his maiden at second asking going 1 1/8 miles over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs in his 2-year-old finale on Nov. 24. He opened his 3-year-old campaign by finishing fifth, beaten 5 1/2 lengths by Tax as an 18-1 outsider in the Grade 3 Withers earlier this month at Aqueduct.

“His race in New York wasn’t that bad,” Romans said. “He had a rough trip, but that experience should help him going forward.”

Admire, who had worked extremely well here prior to the Withers, breezed an easy half-mile from the three-eighths pole in 49.37 late Sunday morning before galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.95.

“Just an easy maintenance move to get him ready; he’s fit,” Romans said about Admire’s first work since the Withers.

As for Promises Fulfilled, he’s just starting to get geared up after taking some time off following his fourth-place finish behind two-time sprint champion Roy H in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Promises Fulfilled, who became a Grade 1 winner last summer in the seven-furlong Allen Jerkens at Saratoga, had just his third work on the comeback trail, breezing an easy half-mile in 48.70 here Saturday.

“I thought the work for him was excellent,” Romans said. “He won’t take long to get ready. I don’t know where I’m going to go with him just yet.”

Among the other Kentucky Derby hopefuls Admire is likely to face in the Fountain of Youth is the Ken McPeek-trained Signalman, who worked a solo five furlongs in 1:00.01 here Saturday. , Signalman won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs in his juvenile finale.

About 90 minutes after Signalman worked, McPeek sent out another top 3-year-old prospect in Holy Bull winner Harvey Wallbanger to go an easy half-mile in 50.75.

McPeek said that he plans to run Signalman in the Fountain of Youth and train Harvey Wallbanger up to the $1 million Florida Derby four weeks later.