NYRA NOTES Romans pondering next moves for Jerkens winner Promises Fulfilled
NYRA SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » King Zachary, fourth in the Grade 1 Travers, was doing well Sunday morning, with plans for his next start to be made at a later date, said trainer Dale Romans.
The Curlin colt trailed the field in 10th for a mile before he advanced late to finish fourth, 1 ½ lengths behind third-place finisher Bravazo. Owned by Thomas F. Conway, King Zachary finished 6 ½ lengths behind the winner, Catholic Boy.
“It was nice, it was satisfying,” Romans said. “[Catholic Boy] ran a great race, I didn’t expect him to be the winner. I was not on the bandwagon beforehand, but I thought he ran great.”
Romans added that no plans have been made for Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens presented by Runhappy winner Promises Fulfilled, who led from gate to wire to win by 1 ¼ lengths over stablemate and 32-1 long shot Seven Trumpets and give Romans a 1-2 finish.
“We’re going to bask in the glory right now,” said Romans. “Probably for another 24 hours. It’s very gratifying. He’s a special horse. It’s good to be around greatness, and he’s great. He and his owner [Bob Baron]. That’s the best thing about my job, that I get the chance to be around greatness.
“Promises Fulfilled was going to be the meet makeror-breaker, for sure. [Seven Trumpets], I told you all along how good he was doing. I was surprised he was that big of a price.”
Promises Fulfilled is perfect through two starts at Saratoga after winning the Grade 3 Amsterdam on July 28. That effort followed his third-place finish in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on June 9 at Belmont Park.
The 3-year-old Shackleford colt won his first Grade 1 on Saturday, having finished ninth in the Florida Derby in March and 15th in the Kentucky Derby in May in his two previous Grade 1 engagements. Promises Fulfilled began the year with a gate-to-wire victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 3 at Gulfstream Park.
West Point Thoroughbreds’ Seven Trumpets entered in the Jerkens off a second to Firenze Fire in the Grade 3 Dwyer on July 7 at Belmont Park. By Morning Line, Seven Trumpets is still in search of his first graded stakes victory.