David Ross’s Extravagant Kid Seeks To Become Racing’s Newest Millionaire on Saturday

The following article appeared at Horseracingnation.com. Extravagant Kid, owned by Virginia businessman David Ross — who is President of the Virginia HBPA — will become a million dollar earner with a first or second place finish in Saturday’s (Feb. 13) Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds.

Extravagant Kid will look to become racing’s newest millionaire when he makes his Fair Grounds debut in an extremely tough renewal of the $100,000 Colonel Power. Run at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course, the Colonel Power drew a field of nine, including a quintet of turf sprint stakes winners.

The Colonel Power is Race 7 and is one of six stakes on a 13-race card dubbed Louisiana Derby Day Preview, which is highlighted by the $400,000 Risen Star (G2) and the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2). The Risen Star is by far the deepest and most competitive Kentucky Derby (G1) prep to date and will offer a total of 85 Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers (50-20-10-5). The Rachel Alexandra will be offered for 3-year-old fillies, with the same 85 qualifying points up for grabs for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). There is also an “All Stakes Late Pick Five” (races 9-13) with an estimated pool of $400,000, and an “All Stakes Late Pick Four” (races 10-13) with an estimated pool of $750,000.

Extravagant Kid won for the third time in his last four starts, May 29 last year at Churchill Downs. Photo by Coady Photography.

DARRS’ Extravagant Kid (post 3 at 5-2 on Mike Diliberto’s morning line with Florent Geroux to ride) has been a gem of consistency in his career for trainer Brendan Walsh, who has had him for 25 of his 48 career starts. The 8-year-old son of Kiss the Kid has basically run in any meaningful graded turf stakes over the past three years and has more than held his own, which includes a close fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in November.

“He shows up every time and I think the stronger the opposition the better he runs,” Walsh said. “He was only beaten a length in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and has been an unbelievable horse for us.”

Extravagant Kid has won 14 times and run second 15 more in his 48 races, but oddly enough none of them have come at Fair Grounds, where Walsh has the majority of his horses during the winter. Extravagant Kid has spent every winter of his life, like a lot of elder citizens, in Florida, including earlier in his career when he was with trainers Bill Kaplan and Mand Milton Wolfson. He twice ran second there this winter at Gulfstream Park, including the Sunshine Sprint on dirt Jan. 16, when Walsh decided it was time for a change of scenery.

David and Dana Ross are shown with the Da Hoss trophy courtesy of Extravagant Kid’s 2019 win at Colonial Downs.

“I thought we’d change things up a bit and bring him to the Fair Grounds just because he’s getting a little older and to give him something else to think about mentally,” Walsh said. “He’s in great order and I think the long stretch will suit him. It’s a good race. There are some nice horses, and he’ll have to have his running shoes on to beat them.”

Running shoes are something Extravagant Kid has always had on, as he’s won a combined eight stakes on turf and dirt in his career. Should he run second or better in the Colonel Power he’ll check off another box on an already storied career.

“To get to a million dollars, that’s pretty amazing,” Walsh said. “He’s one of those horses you wish you had a dozen of. He’s never missed a beat and he’s been in all the big ones.”

D.J. Stable, and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Turned Aside (post 5 at 4-1 with Adam Beschizza) is the polar opposite of Extravagant Kid, having run just nine times in his career. The 4-year-old son of American Pharoah won four of those starts when with trainer Linda Rice, including the Turf Sprint Championship at Aqueduct on Nov. 28. He was purchased privately Jan. 14 for $725,000 out of a dispersal sale from the Estate of the late Paul Pompa and turned over to trainer Mark Casse. Assistant Dave Carroll oversees Casse’s Fair Grounds string and has been impressed with what he’s seen so far.”

“He had the one work with us but obviously his race card speaks for himself,” Carroll said. “Just in the short time we’ve had him, he’s a lovely horse and as Mark says, this is the logical spot to start him in. Linda did a great job with him and he came to us in great shape. We’re looking forward to getting him going and are hoping to keep up his good form.”

Extravagant Kid wins the Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs in 2019. Photo by Coady Photography.

The two new shooters will face a deep and talented cast of locals who have a “the gang’s all here” feel to them. Susan Moulton’s Manny Wah (post 1 at 9-2 with Miguel Mena) won the local Jan. 16 Duncan F. Kenner in his turf debut for trainer Wayne Catalano, defeating trainer Michelle Lovell and Griffon’s Farms’ homebred Just Might (post 3 at 9-2 with Colby Hernandez), who won the Colonel Power last year and was also second in the local Richard R. Scherer Memorial in December. Crawford Farms’ Racing’s Archidust (post 7 at 6-1 with Joe Talamo) won the Scherer but was just seventh as the favorite in the Kenner for trainer Steve Asmussen, but he could easily bounce back in a group that has clearly relished turning the tables on each other.

Completing the Colonel Power field from the rail out: Tamaroak Partners’ Bango (post 2 at 12-1 with Gabriel Saez), a stakes winner over the Tapeta at Turfway Park in 2020 but winless in his only turf start for trainer Greg Foley; Dale Ladner’s homebred Jack the Umpire (post 6 at 15-1 with James Graham), a close seventh going long in the local Dec. 26 Woodchopper for trainer Brett Brinkman; Lothenbach Stable’s homebred Captivating Moon (post 8 at 12-1 with Marcelino Pedroza), who is also entered in Race 11 in the Fair Grounds (G3) for trainer Chris Block; and owner-trainer Louie Roussel’s Went West (post 9 at 12-1), who is 5-3-2-0 in his career but makes his turf debut.