Kick On Tries Kick in Southwest
Joe Petalino (pictured) has been no stranger to the Oaklawn backside. In 2000 the trainer took the training title at Oaklawn and now in 2009 will send out Kick On in the $250,000 Grade III Southwest.
The son of Wiseman’s Ferry was a bargain $12,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale for horseman Chris Baccari. The chestnut colt has already paid his sale price with a little extra as his career earning stands at $210,536. Kick On enters the Southwest a seasoned starter, with eight starts and four wins.
“He’s a pretty versatile colt. He has won races at five and half furlongs, then seven-eighths, and then going a mile and seventy yards. We then went back to a mile with him in the Jean LaFitte at Delta Downs, and won that race,” commented Petalino during early training hours.
Petalino has handled the training duties for Kick On from day one, and said he had 20 other young horses in the same crop as the Baccari colt. “He was my pick in the group of two-year-olds last year. He seemed to take things in easier and learned quicker than the other horses,” explained the conditioner.
A former employee of legendary trainer Jack Van Berg, Petalino recalls advice that Van Berg gave him about young horses. “Jack had told me that a good colt often acts like a good colt,” recalled Petalino. “I worked 10 years for Jack. I galloped Alysheba and Gate Dancer. You must work hard and do a good job to stay with Jack. If you don’t, he won’t keep you around.”
Kick On will retain the riding services of jockey Ken Tohill for the President’s Day feature.
Jockey McNeil Paying Dues
While young jockey Bryan McNeil (pictured) is not in the leading jockey standings here at Oaklawn, he has been gaining some double glances from fans in the program. The 24 year-old has learned the trade of being a jockey from his father Tony McNeil, who is riding this season at Oaklawn as well.
The natural light-weight can be found every morning on the backside hustling mounts for the afternoon races at Oaklawn. His work is paying off, and trainers such as Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas and Oaklawn regular Ron Moquett are giving McNeil a shot.
“Before the meet opened, I was getting on nine or 10 a morning. Now, that the season is underway, I get on seven, maybe eight. I love being a rider, and all the responsibilities that go along with it,” he commented. “Mr. Lukas has given me some very good advice.
I am a good listener. He has told me to move my feet more forward so as to get better control of horses.”
“Mr. Lukas has achieved so many things in racing, and I listen to any advice he gives me. He says hard work and being nice to people are two things a young rider must do,” McNeil recalled. “I also remember Mr. Lukas telling me, ‘Maybe people won’t give you much in horse racing, but they will give you a chance.”
McNeil’s hard work landed him in the winner’s circle twice today. He took the second race with Rare Cut for Joe Petalino. McNeil then returned in the sixth race aboard Swift Punch again for Petalino. After Oaklawn ends in April, McNeil will move his tack to Lone Star Park in Texas.
A Little Bit More
Trainer Gary “Red Dog” Hartlage said Pippin winner French Kiss (pictured) came out the race in good condition. According to Hartlage, early plans are for the filly to return in the Grade III Azeri Handicap, which runs Sunday, March 8th.
Fans attending tomorrows President’s Day races are reminded that first post time for the first race is 1:00 p.m. $55,000 will be handed out over the 10 race card, and the feature race, the Grade III $250,000 Southwest, will be run at 5:02 p.m.
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