Extravagant Kid Back to Dirt for Sunshine Sprint

Extravagant Kid, one of the better turf sprinters in Kentucky and Florida the past few years, will return to dirt Jan. 16 when the 8-year-old Kiss the Kid gelding makes a title defense in the $75,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The Sprint, a six-furlong dash for 4-year-olds and up, is one of four $75,000 stakes for Florida-breds on Saturday's 12-race program. The others are the Sunshine Millions Classic, the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf, and the Sunshine Millions Turf. All four stakes will offer a $25,000 win-only bonus for Florida Sire Stakes-eligible starters.

Extravagant Kid, claimed by David Ross' DAARS and trainer Brendan Walsh for $75,000 out of a January 2018 optional claiming allowance score at Gulfstream, captured last year's Sprint by 2 3/4 lengths. That was his most recent of seven dirt victories.

"His consistency speaks for itself. He was a great claim for Mr. Ross," Walsh said. "I was just looking at his form. It's unbelievable. He very, very rarely doesn't run up to par. I think there's only one or two days where we leave disappointed. He's been right there."

Last year the multiple stakes winner raced with some of the best grass sprinters in the country, finishing second in both the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes presented by Sysco (G2T) and the Woodford Stakes Presented by TVG (G2T). He ended 2020 by finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).

He came back this year to finish second, beaten a head by Imprimis, in the Jan. 1 Janus Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint, at Gulfstream.

"I know we got beat in the Janus, but we weren't beaten that far. I hope we can follow up this year," Walsh said. "The horse seems to have come out of the race good. He's a horse that when he's doing well, you run him, and he won't let you down."

While Walsh stated a belief that Extravagant Kid is slightly better on turf, he hardly lacks confidence when the veteran campaigner goes from turf to dirt.

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Stonehenge will enter the Sunshine Sprint off a second-place finish in the Nov. 21 Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) over Woodbine's synthetic surface. The 5-year-old son of Speightstown finished 1 1/2 lengths behind stablemate Ride a Comet, who came back to win last weekend's Tropical Park Turf Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream.

"He's a truly nice horse. He's shown on occasions that he could be a really nice horse. He's had some issues with his air. He's had a surgery or two on it," trainer Mark Casse said. "Right now, he's doing really well and is training really well."

Other leading Sprint contenders include Heiressall, Inter Miami, Jackson, and With Verve.

The Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf kicks off the Saturday stakes action as the day's eighth race with a competitive field led by Sugar Fix; the Classic follows, featuring a rematch of last year's 1-2 finishers, Noble Drama and Red Crescent, and the stakes action is wrapped up by the Turf in race 11, where Second Mate and Venezuelan Hug renew their rivalry after finishing heads apart in the fall at Gulfstream Park West. 

Entries: Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 16, 2021, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $75,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:15 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Heiressindy (FL)	Paco Lopez	118	Teresa M. Pompay	5/2
2	2Kelsey's Cross (FL)	John R. Velazquez	120	Patrick L. Biancone	9/2
3	3Ceci Valentina (FL)	Marcos Meneses	118	Joseph F. Orseno	20/1
4	4Sun Summers (FL)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Michael J. Maker	7/2
5	5Lookinlikeaqueen (FL)	Junior Alvarado	118	Herman Wilensky	20/1
6	6Sugar Fix (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	2/1
7	7Lovely Luvy (FL)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	12/1
8	8Mo of the West (FL)	Edgard J. Zayas	118	Mark E. Casse	6/1
9	9Bienville Street (FL)	Paco Lopez	120	Cam M. Gambolati	4/1

Entries: Sunshine Turf S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 16, 2021, Race 11

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $75,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Second Mate (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	120	Michael J. Maker	8/1
2	2Proven Strategies (FL)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Mark E. Casse	4/1
3	3Monforte (FL)	John R. Velazquez	122	Ruben Gracida	9/2
4	4Shamrocket (FL)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2
5	5Over the Channel (FL)	Emisael Jaramillo	118	David Fawkes	12/1
6	6Galleon Mast (FL)	Paco Lopez	120	David Fawkes	10/1
7	7Max K. O. (FL)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Michael J. Maker	12/1
8	8Clear Destination (FL)	Edgard J. Zayas	118	William Tharrenos	15/1
9	9Venezuelan Hug (FL)	Luis Saez	122	Danny Gargan	3/1