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Promises Fulfilled Makes Seasonal Bow in True North

Grade I winner Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford) makes his first racetrack appearance of 2020 Saturday in Belmont’s GII True North S. Victorious in the 2018 GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., the chestnut was fourth in a loaded renewal of the prestigious GI Met Mile last summer and romped in the track-and-trip GII John A. Nerud S. last July. Fading to sixth behind champion Mitole (Eskendereya) and the re-opposing Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior) in Saratoga’s GI Forego S. Aug. 24, Promises Fulfilled was last seen finishing sixth when trying to defend his title in the GII Phoenix S. at Keeneland Oct. 4.

“He had ankle surgery [during his time off] and since he’s come back he’s been training very well,” Dale Romans told the NYRA notes team. “He just keeps getting better. There’s a lot of money out there for him. I think he’ll run well. He’s doing good enough.”

Romans continued, “He likes every track, but he did perform very well there last year. He’s going to do the same thing this time, they’re going to have to come get him.”

Fellow Grade I winner Firenze Fire closed out 2019 with a pair of victories in the Fabulous Strike S. at Penn National and Aqueduct’s Gravesend S. Dec. 22. He picked up where he left off in 2020 with a four-length domination of the GIII General George S. at Laurel Feb. 15. Transferred from Jason Servis to Kelly Breen after the former was indicted for use of performance-enhancing drugs, Firenze Fire was a well-beaten fourth in his first start for his new barn in a sloppy renewal of the GI Carter H. June 6, run at Belmont instead of its traditional spot on Aqueduct’s GII Wood Memorial S. card, which was canceled due to COVID-19.

While not quite as fleet-footed as the top two on the morning-line, Diamond King (Quality Road) has a shot to get some money here. Capturing the Stymie S. Mar. 7, the bay faded to seventh last tone in the Blame S. going that distance at Churchill May 2. He has done his best work at a mile or longer, but did win at seven furlongs back in 2017 in the Heft S.

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Come Dancing Back On Home Court For Vagrancy

Come Dancing (Malibu Moon), a five-time stakes winner in New York, returns to the Empire State after making her last two starts elsewhere as the likely favorite in the GIII Vagrancy H. in Belmont. Winner of the GIII Distaff H. and GII Ruffian S. last spring, the dark bay checked in second to champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in this venue’s GII Ogden Phipps S. last June. Returning to winning ways with a dominant score in the GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga in August, she followed suit with a decisive score in the GII Gallant Bloom H. at Belmont a month later and finished off 2019 with a sixth in the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint S. Nov. 2. Come Dancing made her last start under the name of Hall of Fame legend D. Wayne Lukas, fading to last in the GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn Apr. 18, but has since returned home to the barn of Carlos Martin. Come Dancing enters off a pair of bullet works in Elmont, most recently breezing five panels in :57 4/5 June 15.

“We wanted to just keep her fresh,” Martin said. “It didn’t look like she was out of a canter. She was just so smooth. It’s just one of those things where the track is extremely fast and she came out of it great.”

A close runner-up in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint, Chalon (Dialed In) was second in both the GIII Bed O’Roses S. and GII Honorable Miss H. last term, but returned to winning ways in the Roamin Rachel S. at Parx Sept. 2. She was fourth when last seen in Keeneland’s GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. Oct. 5.

Dual graded winner Royal Charlotte (Cairo Prince) looks to return to the winner’s circle in this spot. Capturing the GII Prioress S. at Saratoga Aug. 1, the gray was off the board in the GII Raven Run S. at Keeneland Oct. 19 and was subsequently shelved for the season. She finished second as the favorite in her seasonal bow in the mud in Belmont’s Harmony Lodge S. June 5.

Also exiting the Harmony Lodge is the Bob Baffert-trained Mother Mother (Pioneerof the Nile), who finished fourth in that test and stuck around town for this one. Third in the GI La Brea S. Dec. 28 at Santa Anita, she won the Kalookan Queen S. there next out Jan. 12 and was second to La Brea winner Hard Not to Love (Hard Spun) in the GII Santa Monica S. Feb. 15. Mother Mother was fourth, but promoted to third in the GIII Desert Stormer S. in Arcadia May 17 prior to her last out effort here.

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Sonneman No Match For Celtic Striker In Two-Horse Easy Goer

Imperial Racing's Celtic Striker bested Courtlandt Farm's Sonneman by 19 3/4-lengths in Thursday's $80,000 Easy Goer, a 1 1/16-miles test for sophomores reduced to just two contenders after scratches at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Easy Goer marked the first match race on the NYRA circuit since Painted Poney topped Epiphany in a claiming sprint on January 29, 2015 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Ray Handal and piloted by Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes-winning rider Manny Franco, Celtic Striker took command out of the gate and never looked back.

A second-out maiden winner at Monmouth Park in October, Celtic Striker rattled off splits of 23.55 and 46.55 second on the fast main track with Sonneman, piloted by Jose Ortiz, tracking outside.

Sonneman attempted an inside move approaching the turn, but Celtic Striker continued to improve his advantage through three-quarters in 1:10.50. Celtic Striker angled wide into the lane and galloped clear down the center of the Belmont stretch run for the open lengths score in a final time of 1:42.37. Informative, Casino Grande and Prodigious Bay were early scratches from the Easy Goer, with Toy scratched at the gate.

Handal said he felt confident throughout the unique event.

“I felt good early on. I could tell he was really travelling well,” said Handal. “Jose [Ortiz, aboard Sonneman] tried to angle him in early on the backside and make a little bit of a middle move, but when Celtic Striker kicked away from him and then came back over in front of him, I felt pretty good. I knew there was a lot of running to do. But I knew he was going to be tough the way he was travelling out there.”

A $100,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, Celtic Striker – by Congrats – captured an optional-claiming mile in February at Parx, but was off-the-board in three previous stakes attempts when fourth in the Jerome in January at the Big A; 11th in the Grade 3 Gotham in March at Aqueduct; and sixth last out in the Grade 3 Matt Winn on May 23 at Churchill Downs.

Franco said he wanted to utilize Celtic Striker's gate speed to his advantage.

“I knew that my horse was a lot faster than the other one, so I took advantage,” said Franco. “I just wanted to keep him on the inside to see what kind of move he made, and I made my move first. In a two-horse race, I didn't want to move too soon if I didn't have to, but I wanted to make it difficult for the other horse, too.”

Sonneman, who was making his first start for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen in the Easy Goer, was a winner at third asking in October at Belmont Park in a one-turn mile on Big Sandy for his former conditioner Mark Hennig. He made his sophomore debut a winning one last out when rallying from last-of-eight to capture an optional-claiming sprint at Gulfstream Park.

Ortiz said he knew his colt would be at a disadvantage in the scratch-reduced field.

“My horse comes from off the pace. Clearly, it would have benefited me with a bigger field,” said Ortiz. ” I broke OK. I tried to push Manny a little bit to ensure an honest pace. My plan was to be up as close as I could and try to wear him out late, but when Manny asked his horse, he just drew away from me.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stoneview Farm Inc. and Craig D. Upham, Celtic Striker banked $44,000 in victory while improving his record to 6-3-1-0. He paid $5.50 as the 8-5 second choice in wagering.

Live racing resumes Friday with a nine-race card headlined by the $75,000 Hessonite for older filly and mare turf sprinters in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.

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Just A Game: One-Turn Mile The Right Trip For 12-1 Chance Zofelle

Trainer Brendan Walsh said a one-turn mile is the right fit for stakes-winner Zofelle, which is why he will send the 4-year-old Zoffany bay to Belmont Park for Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Just a Game over the Widener turf course.

Owned by Heider Family Stables, Zofelle was third, beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Mint Julep on May 30 at Churchill Downs, where she broke from the outside, tracked the pace in third and maintained her position down the stretch while in pursuit, but was unable to hold off the late charge of Secret Message and stablemate La Signare.

Zofelle joined Walsh's barn last fall after racing in Great Britain for Hugo Palmer and won her first three North American starts for the trainer, two of which were at a mile, including a stakes win in the Pago Hop on December 28 at Fair Grounds.

“I think that in an ideal world, a mile is her trip,” Walsh said. “We drew wide last time and [jockey] Corey [Lanerie] had to work to put her in the race. The draw and having to use her early on didn't help us. It was the best race she's run since we got her. The one-turn mile is right up her alley. I think that suits her better and that's why I wanted to run her up there.”

Notching a victory in Saturday's race will be no easy task, as she will have to face Breeders' Cup winners Newspaperofrecord and Uni. Zofelle is 12-1 on the Just A Game morning line.

“It's a tough race, but it will suit her well. She's training well and I think that she'll run well,” Walsh said.

Bred in Ireland by Fullbury and Minch Bloodstock, Zofelle is out of the Galileo broodmare Height of Elegance, who is a half-sister to Group 1-winner Sequoyah – the dam of Irish champion Henrythenavigator. She also comes from the same family as 2013 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Magician.

Walsh said he plans on running La Signare, who won the 2018 Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont, in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland following a runner-up effort in the Mint Julep. The French-bred daughter of Siyouni beat Zofelle two starts back in the Sand Springs at Gulfstream Park.

“She's doing well, and we have the Jenny Wiley under consideration,” Walsh said. “We're lucky to have two very nice fillies. Hopefully, they can hold their own against Grade 1 company.”

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