During his 54-race career, Extravagant Kid has established himself as one of the all-time great claims while winning a worldwide legion of fans with his year-in-year-out success in turf sprints.
DAARS Inc.'s enduring gelding with relatively obscure bloodlines will seek to add to his impressive resume in Friday's $100,000 Janus Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint which will be featured on Gulfstream Park's eight-race program with the $100,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares, and the $100,000 Via Borghese, a 1 3/8-mile turf event for fillies and mares. One day before his official ninth birthday, the Florida-bred son of Kiss The Kid will make his fifth career start in the Janus.
Trained by Brendan Walsh, Extravagant Kid was claimed for $75,000 out of a Jan. 18, 2018 optional claiming allowance victory at 36-1 odds at Gulfstream, and he has more than justified that rather extravagant gamble. Heading into the Janus, he has a record of 15-17-4 in 54 starts and earnings of more than $1.6 million. His biggest career performance came earlier this year when he captured the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint (G1) in Dubai, three starts after he came up a neck short of defending his 2019 Janus title by a neck.
Extravagant Kid, who finished third in the King's Stand (G1) at Ascot following his Dubai score, will make his first start Friday since finishing off the board in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Del Mar.
Tyler Gaffalione has the call aboard Extravagant Kid in Friday's Race 1 feature.
William Branch's Carotari has also established himself with Gulfstream fans in recent years while showing a distinct affinity for the local turf course. The Brian Lynch trainee has won three of four starts at Gulfstream, including back-to-back editions of the Silks Run Stakes, his only loss being a close-up second-pace finish in the 2020 Gulfstream Turf Sprint.
The 5-year-old gelded son of Artie Schiller will be making his first start since winning an Oct. 22 optional claiming allowance at Keeneland.
Leading rider Luis Saez has the call.
Crown Way Racing LLC's Smokin Jay, Michael Dubb's Xy Speed, Mohamed and Bibi Jehaludi's Omaha City, Pedro Estevez's Breakthrough, Move Horse Inc.'s Romario, and Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yes I Am Free are also entered in the Janus.
David Melin, Leon Ellman and Laurie Plesa's Miss Auramet, the ever-versatile 5-year-old mare with 10 victories and 21 in-the-money finishes in 26 career starts, will seek to rebound from a rare off-the-board finish in last year's $100,000 Abundantia, a five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares that has been carded as Race 8 Friday at Gulfstream.
The Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained daughter of Uncaptured was eliminated from contention in last year's edition of the Abundantia after being bumped between horses at the start. The Florida-bred mare enters this year's renewal off a dominating three-length optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream while coming off a four-month layoff.
In addition to establishing herself as a talented turf sprinter, Miss Auramet has demonstrated uncommon versatility while finishing first or second in all five starts on off tracks and winning two of four races run on fast dirt tracks.
Leading rider Luis Saez has the call aboard Miss Auramet.
Colts Neck Stables LLC's Introduced is no stranger to Miss Auramet, whom the Jorge Duarte Jr. trainee met three times at Monmouth Park during the summer. The 5-year-old daughter of El Padrino scored back-to-back victories over the Plesa trainee in turf sprints after finishing fourth behind the victorious Miss Auramet in the off-the-turf Politely Stakes on a sloppy track.
Introduced, who is coming off a third-place finish in the Oct. 17 Floral Park at Belmont Park, will be ridden by Julien Leparoux.
Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables, Tony Weintraub and Brandon Dalinka's Miss J McKay, a multiple stakes winner at five furlongs on turf, enters the Abundantia off a Nov. 21 six-furlong optional claiming allowance win over Aqueduct's turf course.
T-N-T Equine Holdings LLC's Dana's Beauty, Freddy Lewis Jr.'s Strong Odor, Willow Lane Stables Inc.'s Morning Molly, Glen Hill Farm's Drapes, Voodoomon Racing's Ambassador Luna, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Palomita and Winning Stables Inc.'s Beautiful Grace are also entered in the Abundantia.
Repole Stable's Always Shopping will seek to regain her winning form while making a title defense in Friday's $100,000 Via Borghese, a 1 3/8-mile stakes for fillies and mares carded as Race 5 at Gulfstream Park.
The Todd Pletcher-trained 5-year-old mare scored a dominating three-length victory in last year's Via Borghese before winning the Le Prevoyante (G3) by three lengths in her very next start at Gulfstream.
Always Shopping has gone winless in six subsequent starts, which include a pair of graded-stakes placings. The daughter of Awesome Again is scheduled to make her third start off a 3 ½-month layoff with Tyler Gaffalione scheduled to ride her for the first time since finishing a close second in the Dowager (G3) at Keeneland in October 2020.
Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd.'s Beautiful Lover enters the Via Borghese off a second-place finish at Belmont in the Nov. 7 Zagora, in which Always Shopping finished sixth. The Christophe Clement trainee is a multiple graded stakes-placed 5-year-old daughter of Arch.
Clement is also scheduled to saddle Sorrel, who is scheduled to make her second start off an eight-month layoff and third start since being imported from Europe. The 4-year-old daughter of Dansili, who finished five in the Nov. 27 Long Island (G3) at Aqueduct off the layoff, finished third in last season's Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream.
Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Beautiful Lover for the first time Friday, while Paco Lopez has the call on Sorrel.
Jordan Wycoff's Candy Flower enters the Via Borghese off a close second-place finish in the Long Island two starts after being claimed for $40,000. The Mike Maker trainee finished third in the Zagora in her first start off the claim.
Emisael Jaramillo is slated to ride the 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride for the first time in the Via Borghese.
Carolyn Friedberg's Sweet Serenade, Emory Hamilton's Hungry Kitten, Arindel's Onyx and Key Biscayne, Flaxman Holdings Ltd.'s Harajuku, and Sanford Bacon and Patrick Biancone's Kelsey's Cross are also entered.
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