Al Quoz Sprint | Horse Racing Free Tips

Golden Pal Heads Keeneland’s Woodford

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's speedy sophomore Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) will face off with 8-year-old Group 1 winning Extravagant Kid in Saturday's 5 1/2-furlong GII Woodford S. at Keeneland. A close-up second in last season's G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot, Golden Pal subsequently reeled off three consecutive stakes wins, including the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over this turf course last November followed by a confident victory in Saratoga's Quick Call S. July 15. Trained by Wesley Ward, Golden Pal finished seventh in the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe at York in England Aug. 20 in his latest start. The Florida bred exits post two and be ridden by John Velazquez.

DARRS Inc.'s Extravagant Kid, winner of the six-furlong G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March, will be making his first Keeneland start since finishing fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last November. Following his win in Dubai, the gelding finished third in the June 15 G1 King's Stand S. at the royal meeting before posting an uncharacteristically poor 14th in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket July 10.

Bob LaPenta and Harlow Stables' Firecrow (Maclean's Music) looks to mark his return to the winner's circle following a fourth last out in Parx's five-panel GIII Turf Monster S. Sept. 25. Prior to that effort, the gelding came home the narrow victor in Pimlico's Jim McKay Turf Sprint S. at five furlongs May 15. Tyler Gaffalione enters the fray to ride.

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Walsh-Trained Extravagant Kid ‘In His Prime’ Ahead Of Saturday’s Group 1 July Cup

USA-based trainer Brendan Walsh insists it would be “quite something” if he could re-establish his links with Newmarket and saddle Extravagant Kid to glory in the Darley July Cup at Saturday's Moet & Chandon July Festival.

Having spent time working in the town for Godolphin and former trainer Mark Wallace before heading to America, Walsh will now bid to capture the prestigious six furlong Group One on Saturday, July 10 with the globetrotting 8-year-old.

The Kiss The Kid gelding took his form to new heights earlier this year when capturing the Group One Al Quoz Sprint over six furlongs at Meydan in March ahead of finishing third back over five furlongs in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 15.

With a return to six furlongs not expected to pose any problems for Extravagant Kid, who is currently housed at Abingdon Place Stables in Newmarket, the Kentucky-based handler is confident he can make his presence felt.

“I spent a lot of time working in Newmarket back in the day as I worked three or four summers for Godolphin then four years for Mark Wallace before that so I know the place very well,” said Walsh.

“I always liked the July Meeting and it would be quite something if I could go back there and win the July Cup with this lad.

“I don't think going back up to six furlongs will be a negative. Although it is a little stiffer than Dubai, you are going downhill a lot of the way. It is probably as far as he needs to go but I think he will be fine.

“We gave him plenty of time to get over his travelling turnaround but you would think he would be in a better position now having had that run at Ascot.”

Extravagant Kid will again have the services of top jockey Frankie Dettori, who rode the gelding at Royal Ascot.

Up until this year Extravagant Kid had been campaigned exclusively in North America, but Walsh believes his recent spell racing abroad has helped rejuvenate his career.

He added: “The first target this year was Dubai and that worked out well so we thought why not go to Ascot now and now here we are.

“He ran really well at Ascot and justified us taking him there. I think that was a tougher spot than Dubai. He showed he belonged there and I was happy with him.

“Travelling with him is a new dimension and he seems to like it. It has brought out the best in him. As an older horse travelling just adds something a bit different.

“He is eight now and is probably in his prime. He is not going to be up to this standard forever so we will just enjoy it.”

There are 23 confirmations for the Darley July Cup, which takes place over six furlongs on the July Course and forms part of the British Champions Series.

Defending champion Oxted, from the Roger Teal yard, will bid to defend his Darley July Cup crown on the back of tasting victory in the King's Stand Stakes. If successful again in 2021, Oxted would become the first back to back since Right Boy in 1958/1959.

Charlie Appleby is responsible for two entries of Glorious Journey and Jersey Stakes scorer Creative Force.

Ed Walker is represented by impressive Duke Of York Stakes scorer Starman and Came From The Dark, while fellow Lambourn handler Archie Watson is another double handed after leaving in both Glen Shiel and Dragon Symbol.

Lope Y Fernandez could bid to give Aidan O'Brien a record breaking sixth victory in the race, is one of three remaining Irish-trained entrants that remain alongside the Ken Condon-trained Miss Amulet, and Thunder Moon (Joseph O'Brien), winner of the Group One Vincent O'Brien National Stakes last season.

THE DARLEY JULY CUP (Group 1) (British Champions Series)

Saturday, July 10

Art Power (IRE) – Tim Easterby – King Power Racing Co Ltd – Silvestre De Sousa
Brando – Kevin Ryan – Mrs Angie Bailey – Tom Eaves
Chil Chil – Andrew Balding – King Power Racing Co Ltd – Rob Hornby
Creative Force (IRE) – Charlie Appleby – Godolphin – William Buick
Dragon Symbol – Archie Watson – Mr Yoshiro Kubota – Oisin Murphy
Emaraaty Ana – Kevin Ryan – Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
Extravagant Kid (USA) – Brendan Walsh – DARRS Inc. – Frankie Dettori
Final Song (IRE) – Saeed bin Suroor – Godolphin
Garrus (IRE) – Charles Hills – Mrs Susan Roy
Glen Shiel – Archie Watson – Hambleton Racing XXXVI & Partner – Hollie Doyle
Glorious Journey – Charlie Appleby – HH Sheikha Al Jalila Racing
Good Effort (IRE) – Ismail Mohammed – Mr Abdulla Al Mansoori – Ray Dawson
Line of Departure (IRE) – Roger Varian – H.H. Shaikh Nasser Al Khalifa & F. Nass
Lope Y Fernandez (IRE) – Aidan O'Brien – Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor
Method (IRE) – Martyn Meade – Manton Park Racing – Sean Levey
Miss Amulet (IRE) – K. J. Condon – Mrs Doreen Tabor
Oxted – Roger Teal – S Piper, T. Hirschfeld, D. Fish & J. Collins – Cieren Fallon
Rohaan (IRE) – David Evans – Chris Kiely Racing Ltd & Mr J Tomkins – Shane Kelly
Starman – Ed Walker – David Ward – Tom Marquand
Summerghand (IRE) – David O'Meara – Mr Hamad Rashed Bin Ghedayer
Supremacy (IRE) – Clive Cox – Mr J Goddard – Adam Kirby
Thunder Moon (IRE) – Joseph Patrick O'Brien – Mrs C. C. Regalado-Gonzalez
Ventura Rebel – Richard Fahey – Mr Abdullah Menahi

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Extravagant Kid On Course For July Cup

G1 Al Quoz Sprint winner and G1 King's Stand S. third Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid) has stayed on in Newmarket following his Ascot exploits, and the American raider will target the G1 July Cup on July 10.

After placing in three stakes races in America earlier this year, the 8-year-old gelding Extravagant Kid hit a new level of form when winning the Al Quoz Sprint over six furlongs at Meydan under Ryan Moore, and put in an admirable performance at Royal Ascot under Frankie Dettori when dropped down to five furlongs. He goes back up to six furlongs for the July Cup.

“I don't think going back up to six furlongs will be a negative,” Walsh said. “Although it is a little stiffer than Dubai, you are going downhill a lot of the way. It is probably as far as he needs to go but I think he will be fine. We gave him plenty of time to get over his travelling turnaround [after Dubai] but you would think he would be in a better position now having had that run at Ascot.”

Dettori's services have become available for the July Cup with the news on Tuesday that G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) would skip the race, but Walsh said a decision on a jockey has not been made.

“I'm not sure yet who will be riding him as we haven't looked into it yet and I will know more next week,” Walsh said. “We only decided to leave him in the race at the start of the week. It would be fantastic if we could get Frankie as he is always good to have.”

Walsh attributes Extravagant Kid's purple patch at age eight to the horse's enjoyment of traveling.

“Travelling with him is a new dimension and he seems to like it,” he said. “It has brought out the best in him. As an older horse, travelling just adds something a bit different. He is eight now and is probably in his prime. He is not going to be up to this standard forever so we will just enjoy it.”

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Walsh: Extravagant Kid To Remain Overseas, Target July Cup

Following a strong third-place effort in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last week, trainer Brendan Walsh told TVG Insider News he plans to leave Extravagant Kid overseas to contest the G1 July Cup on Newmarket on July 10.

“He's come out of (the King's Stand) good so we're going to leave him there and take a shot at the July Cup,” Walsh told TVG Insider News. “He's there and he ran so well at Ascot, so another 3-4 weeks there, why not? He's in a nice environment and he seems to be doing well. And I think the timing would be good.”

Claimed by Walsh and DARRS, Inc. for $75,000 in January of 2018, the 8-year-old gelding has gotten better with age. Extravagant Kid earned his first Grade 1 victory earlier this year in Dubai's Al Quoz Sprint, and his overall record currently stands at 15-16-7 from 51 starts for earnings of $1,634,733.