Extravagant Kid gives Walsh first win of meet in Lucky Coin

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The game plan might not have been to go to the lead, but that strategy worked out just fine for Extravagant Kid, who survived a race-long pace duel with even-money Pocket Change to register a hard-fought half-length victory in Friday’s $100,000 Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga. Spring to the Sky finished third.

With Jose Ortiz aboard, Extravagant Kid broke running alongside Pocket Change, the two battling for command while separating themselves from the others shortly after the start. Extravagant Kid cut the corner into the stretch with a narrow lead, then maintained the short advantage the remainder of the way. Pocket Change readily outlasted the others, finishing two lengths in front of the 9-year-old Spring to the Sky, who finished third in the Lucky Coin for the second year in a row.

Rocket Heat, the expected pacesetter, never showed his best speed racing wide much of the way and never menacing the top pair.

Extravagant Kid was claimed on behalf of his current owner – David Ross, who races as DARRS Inc. – for $75,000 out of a winning effort on the main track this winter at Gulfstream Park. On Friday, the gelding covered 5 1/2 furlongs over a turf course rated good in 1:02.21 and returned $11 while giving trainer Brendan Walsh his first win of the meet.

“I thought Big Rock was the speed of the race – the plan was to kind of go with him or stay slightly off him early,” said Walsh, who was not in attendance on Friday. “But our horse and the outside horse [Pocket Change] broke great and just took themselves away from everyone else.”

Extravagant Kid was coming off a hard-luck loss in his previous start following a similar trip when contesting the pace throughout before dropping a half-length decision in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint at Ellis Park.

“He ran huge last time at Ellis and was unlucky not to win,” said Walsh. “He just seems to get better and better all the time and it was a great call by Mr. Ross to claim him this past winter. He ran huge today, I think he’s a little better horse on turf than dirt or poly, and he should be a nice horse to have in the months ahead.”

Walsh, who had started only eight horses here this summer prior to the Lucky Coin, said it had been a frustrating meet up to this point.

“The horses haven’t been running bad up here, but like everyone else we brought a lot of grass horses, and with all the rain here this summer we’ve had to scratch quite a few,” said Walsh.