Kick On leads Remington's raid on Delta

Trainer Joe Petalino has always thought well of Kick On, who will seek his fifth straight win next Friday night when he starts in the Grade 3, $750,000 Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs. The colt is one of four stakes-winning 2-year-olds from Remington Park targeting weekend stakes at Delta. The fillies My Spanx, Phoenician Moon, and Seacrettina have all been pre-entered in the Grade 3, $500,000 Delta Princess.

Kick On leads the invasion. He won Remington's richest race for 2-year-olds on Oct. 19, when he romped by six lengths in the $125,000 MEC Mile. From there, he traveled to Delta and won the $150,000 Jean Lafitte at a mile on Nov. 7. The race is the local prep for the Jackpot, and with the win Kick On earned the first starting preference in the race, which drew 17 pre-entries but is limited to a field of 10.

Kick On, a May foal by Wiseman's Ferry, came to Petalino after being purchased as a yearling.

"He was pretty mature for a late foal," Petalino said. "He looked like a full-grown 3-year-old in December of last year. He was so much stronger than the other babies, and we had 25 babies. He was so much superior to them at that time, and has stayed that way throughout the year. He's pretty stout, a good-made colt."

Chris Baccari of Lexington, Ky., owns Kick On and purchased the horse last October for $12,000 at Fasig-Tipton. The horse, who has earned $210,536, is one of several quality yearling prospects Baccari has selected. Petalino said Baccari also picked out the Grade 1 winner Great Hunter, who won his maiden for Petalino before being sold and sent to Southern California; Dill or No Dill, a stakes winner for Petalino who was later sold and sent to New York; and Seacrettina, who put up one of the year's best Beyer Figures for a 2-year-old filly this summer when she won the $75,000 Silver Spur at Lone Star Park.

"He picks a pretty good horse," said Petalino.

Kick On began his career at Lone Star, and while he did not break well in his first two starts, he showed excellent speed in those races before finishing a respective sixth and fifth. Petalino decided to change things up with the horse for his third start, and the result was a strong second-place finish behind Marquee Event, a half-brother to Grade 2 Arkansas Derby winner Gayego, in a maiden special weight at Lone Star on July 26.

"We took him back off the lead a little bit, and he came with a pretty big run on the end of it," said Petalino. "He was pretty game that day."

Kick On then moved to Remington and won his maiden, an allowance, and the MEC Mile. He now has two key points in his favor heading into the Jackpot. One is his seasoning - with seven career starts, he's a professional racehorse. Kick On also has a familiarity with Delta.

"He has had a start over the track, but this is a little deeper water this trip around," said Petalino.

Others that have been pre-entered include Breeders' Cup Juvenile starters Terrain and West Side Bernie. Petalino said he plans to send Kick On and Seacrettina to Delta on either Monday or Tuesday. He said both horses would be ridden by Ken Tohill.

Pair of fillies consider Princess

My Spanx, the winner of the $100,000 La Senorita earlier this month at Retama Park, is being pointed for the Princess, said her trainer, Allen Milligan. He said she will ship from Remington either Monday or Tuesday and will be ridden by Don Simington.

The race will be a rare dirt start for My Spanx, who won her maiden and the La Senorita on turf. Her connections decided to move to dirt in part to see where they stand surface-wise heading into her 3-year-old season.

"I know this is a tough spot to try it, but at least we'll have some kind of lead on whether she can run on it," said Milligan. "I think she can. She works good on it, covers the ground well."

Phoenician Moon worked five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.28 at Remington on Friday for a possible start in the Princess. With the race drawing 15 pre-entries and limited to 10, she was on the bubble Friday.

"We're going to enter and see what happens," said Lynn Chleborad, who trains Phoenician Moon. "She worked extremely well."

Phoenician Moon won the $50,000 E.L. Gaylord Memorial at Remington on Oct. 18. She was then favored in the track's $50,000 Cimarron, but clipped heels and lost her rider, Martin Escobar.

"It was very unfortunate," said Chleborad. "The good news is, everybody is okay."

Both My Spanx and Phoenician Moon race for Poindexter Thoroughbreds.