News and STORIES

Extravagant Kid Looks for Graded Win in Turf Sprint

Author: Don Mckee
Published: Wednesday September 02, 2020

DARRS' Extravagant Kid is looking for a graded win as the favorite coming into the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by Sysco (G2T) Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs

The runner has never finished off the board at the track, and he took the favorite spot after the scratch of Bound for Nowhere.

Extravagant Kid is a 7-year-old gelded son of Kiss the Kid out of the winning With Distinction daughter Pretty Extravagant. 

He performs well in turf sprints, with a career record of 7-6-3 out of 21 starts on the grass at five or 5 1/2 furlongs. The Turf Sprint will cover 5 1/2 furlongs.

Extravagant Kid also runs well at Churchill Downs, winning twice and finishing second once in three total starts. 

His most recent performance at Churchill was a May 29 victory in a $68,824 allowance race by 1 1/4 lengths over Leinster, who went on to take the Shakertown Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland. 

The Shakertown

The Shakertown also saw Extravagant Kid finish fifth. He drew the rail alongside his favorite Wildman Jack.

"I don't know what happened to him last time out," said trainer Brendan Walsh. "They both came out slow and hung together and Extravagant Kid got way back, but he made up a ton of ground. He really ran a sneaky good race."

Shakertown sat in 12th at the top of the stretch, and he swung wide before finishing fifth, just 1 1/4 lengths behind Leinster.

Bound for Nowhere Scratched

Trainer Wesley Ward decided to scratch the Turf Sprint 3-1 morning-line favorite Bound for Nowhere. Instead, he will run the 6-year-old son of The Factor in the Sept. 12 Runhappy Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs.

According to Ward, he based his decision on the $700,000 purse offered in the Kentucky Downs race.

"I thought he was the horse we had to beat, so it's making my day," Walsh said. "Our horse's record at Churchill was a big factor for us to run here rather than go to Kentucky Downs. He's won multiple stakes for us, but I'd like to win a graded stakes for his owner. I'd love to get this done for him."

Extravagant Kid was acquired in January 2018 by the ownership group DARRS, which includes David Ross. Walsh claimed him for $75,000 at Gulfstream Park.

The gelding has proven to be a success, with a 8-7-1 record out of 21 starts and more than $566,000 in earnings. Extravagant Kid has brought DARRS six black-type stakes, and he finished second in three graded stakes, including the Highlander Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine Racecourse. 

Extravagant Kid will break from post 5 under Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard the runner in his 2019 victory in the Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs, as well as the Janus Stakes and Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream. 

Other Runners

The field for the Turf Sprint is also set to include multiple grade 3 winner Diamond Oops and multiple stakes winners Carotari and Tiger Blood.

Diamond Oops is a 5-year-old gelded son of Lookin At Lucky. He took the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream in December and finished fourth in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes presented by Runhappy (G1). 

The runner's most recent performance was a second-place effort in a one-mile, $55,000 handicap at Gulfstream.

Diamond Oops is trained by Patrick Biancone, who has entered Sole Volante in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Florent Geroux will be the jockey aboard Diamond Oops in the Turf Sprint as they break from post 1. 

Carotari and Tiger Blood are coming into the Turf Sprint after running in the 5 1/2-furlong Runhappy Preview Turf Sprint Stakes at Ellis Park. Carotari finished first while Tiger Blood came in second. 

Carotari is a 4-year-old gelded son of Artie Schiller, and he has won twice and placed twice from five starts this year.

Tiger Blood is a 7-year-old gelding by Cowtown Cat, and he has nine victories from 12 starts in turf sprints of five to 5 1/2 furlongs.