Long-range plans for Petalino's young stars

Trainer Joe Petalino has a nice pair of stakes-winning 3-year-olds gearing up for the second half of 2010.

Golden Euro, who remained perfect at two turns when he won the $100,000 USA Stakes last month at Lone Star Park, is now being pointed for the $100,000 Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs. Pleasant Storm, meanwhile, is targeting a fall stakes at Remington Park.

Both horses are based at Lone Star, where Golden Euro has gone 3 for 3. After losing his first four starts, he won a maiden special weight at a mile on turf in his two-turn debut April 10, then took a first-level allowance at a mile on the main track May 16. From there, Golden Euro won the USA at 1 1/16 miles on turf May 31.

"He needed the distance, there's no doubt about that," said Petalino.

Petalino on Friday morning was beginning to look at his next-race options for Golden Euro because the Prelude is not run until Aug. 28. Petalino said he likes the move back to dirt for the horse, whose first-level allowance win at Lone Star earned him a career-high 88 Beyer Figure.

"I do like him on the dirt better," he said. "The turf stakes happened to come up at the right time. It was the timing."

Petalino also noted Golden Euro has dirt influences in his pedigree. The horse is a half-brother to Your Out, a six-time stakes winner on dirt who earned $518,710. In addition, Golden Euro's third dam produced Code Six, who won the Prelude in 1998.

Petalino won the Prelude in 2001 with Rare Cure. The 1 1/16-mile race is a prep for the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 25.

Pleasant Storm became a stakes winner last fall at Remington Park, when he won the $60,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile. He made his first start this year at 3 at Oaklawn, and finished a fast-closing second to Dryfly in the Smarty Jones. From there, Pleasant Storm was sixth to champion Lookin At Lucky in the Grade 2 Rebel March 13, which was his last start. He had a chip taken out of a knee, Petalino said, and resumed galloping this week at Lone Star.

Petalino said Pleasant Storm could make his return to racing in September at Remington. His stakes options are the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Oct. 10 or the $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Night Classic on Oct. 22.

* A meeting between representatives of Texas tracks and the Texas Horsemen s Partnership will be held Tuesday in Austin to discuss a consolidation of race dates for 2011. The plan would need final approval from the Texas Racing Commission, which expects to hear dates requests at its meeting Sept. 14.