11/12/2010 6:11PM

New Yorkers head down to Delta for big night

By Mary Rampellini
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Promise Me a Cat was one of three 2-year-olds traveling from New York to Delta Downs in Vinton, La., on Friday to run in stakes next Saturday. She is being pointed for the Grade 3, $500,000 Delta Princess for fillies, which is sharing a card with the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Jackpot.

Also on the flight were Bug Juice and Liondrive, who are both nominated to the Jackpot. The horses left Newark, N.J., on Friday morning, were to have a fuel stop in Memphis, then were to land in Houston. From there, the trio was to van two hours to Delta, and arrive in the early evening hours Friday.

"Everything looks like it's on schedule," trainer Carlos Martin said late in the morning on Friday.

Martin trains Promise Me a Cat, who could go favored in the Princess. He said Javier Castellano has the mount on the filly, who in her last start won the $70,000 Sweet Patootie at Belmont Park. Martin said she could breeze at Delta before the Princess.

"She might go three-eighths," he said. "She had a good work the other day at Belmont. She's had four races, so she's pretty seasoned. She's ready to roll."

Bug Juice, a multiple stakes winner against New York-breds, is on deck for the Jackpot, while Belmont maiden winner Liondrive could go in that 1 1/16-mile race but is also eligible for another stakes on the program, the $250,000 Louisiana Legacy.

"We're looking at both races and leaning more toward the Legacy, being a Louisiana-bred," said Tim Ice, who trains Liondrive. "We're keeping both options open to see which race. I know we're behind a few horses on both lists, so we'll see who's coming and who's going where."

The Jackpot drew 19 pre-entries but will be limited to 10 starters. There are preferences in place that take into account graded placings and earnings. The race will be part of a $100,000-guaranteed pick four which runs from the fourth through seventh races next Saturday. It will be a 50-cent minimum bet. First post for the card, which is worth $2.4 million, is a special 1 p.m. Central.