Handsome Mike gelding and Delaware Park: a promising couple

If ever there was a poster boy for the old “horses for courses” adage, it has to be John’s Promise. The 5-year-old Handsome Mike gelding has started 19 times in his career at five tracks, and after his smart victory at Delaware Park yesterday, he raised his record to 5-3-2, with four of the five victories and two of the three seconds having come at Delaware.

Raul Mena was aboard John’s Promise in a $42,250 allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs. They were off fourth over a muddy track down the backstretch, and Mena coaxed the gelding past the second and third runners coming to the turn. John’s Promise then took care of the pace-setter about 100 yards from the wire, pulling away determinedly to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

John’s Promise is his sire’s 18th winner of 2021, and the $24,000 check left him within a stone’s throw of the $100,000 mark at $98,003.