Petalino has 3 juveniles for 2 stakes

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Over the past few years, trainer Joe Petalino has had some promising 2-year-olds at Lone Star Park. Last year, he sent out Great Hunter to win his maiden here before the colt was sold and went on to win the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity.

This year, Petalino developed Miss Missile, selling her for a client during the Fasig-Tipton Texas auction of 2-year-olds in training. About a month after the sale, she set a track record at Lone Star. Miss Missile also was the fastest qualifier for the $100,000 fillies division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity.

This weekend, Petalino will have three horses in the stakes for 2-year-olds. Dill or No Dill and Victory Trip will represent the barn in the $70,000 Silver Spur Breeders' Cup for fillies on Saturday, while Seeking the Lead will start in the $70,000 Middleground Breeders' Cup on Sunday, final day of the meet.

Seeking the Lead worked three furlongs in a bullet 35.80 seconds Wednesday. In his one start, he finished second by a nose in a maiden special weight race run over a track rated good on June 30.

"He'll be an improved horse off of that one," Petalino said. "The waters are going to be pretty deep in there, but he'll step up his own self. He can run a little bit."

Eddie Martin Jr. has the mount on Seeking the Lead, who is a son of Doneraile Court.

Dill or No Dill won a maiden special weight by 4 1/4 lengths in her debut on June 16. She led throughout, but can stalk the pace, too, Petalino said.

"Her maiden race, she was the speed," he said. "There will probably be a little more speed in there this time."

Victory Trip has raced twice, finishing second in her debut May 17. She ran third in another maiden race here July 4, catching a wet track that did not suit her, Petalino said. Since that race, she has turned in some strong works, including a five-furlong move in 1:00.60 here Saturday.

"She's matured quite a bit," Petalino said. "She's gotten a little wider. She's matured out a little bit more. She could be all right."

Petalino has 20 juveniles in training. One of his most promising is Putthehammerdown, who will make his debut at either Remington Park or Louisiana Downs. Putthehammerdown is a full brother to Deputy Warlock, winner of the Cradle Stakes and Hawthorne Juvenile.

Kinetic Motion out until January

Kinetic Motion, one of the most impressive 2-year-old debut winners this meet, has been sidelined with a hairline fracture to his left front cannon bone. He will return to action at Oaklawn, trainer Allen Milligan said.

Kinetic Motion last raced July 4, setting the pace in the Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile before finishing 10th. He came out of the race with the injury, which will just require time off, Milligan said. Kinetic Motion was to ship from Lone Star to an area farm Thursday.

"We'll get him back in September and get him ready for Hot Springs," Milligan said.

Milligan said the comeback goal is the Mountain Valley Stakes. Kinetic Motion won his debut in May with a Beyer Speed Figure of 76. In his other start here, he was second in the $100,000 TTA Sales Futurity in June.

Lone Star to remain open for training

Lone Star will operate as a training center following the close of the meet on Sunday. The track had 350 Thoroughbreds committed to remain here as of Wednesday, said Bart Lang, racing department manager for Lone Star. Among the trainers he expects to have some horses on the grounds are Steve Asmussen, Bret Calhoun, Donnie Von Hemel, and Mike Stidham.

There will be official works every day except Sunday, when the track is closed. The rent is $4.50 per stall per day, or $20 to ship in and gallop or work. The training center will operate until at least the end of the year, including during the Quarter Horse meet that opens in October.

"We have enough room that we can accommodate the Thoroughbreds," Lang said.

* Lady Takum and Stormin Quality appear to be the top contenders in the featured ninth race, a $50,000 optional claimer for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.