Imperial Hint on the muscle for Saudi Arabia trip

Luis Carvajal Jr. had every intention of giving Imperial Hint a final breeze at Tampa Bay Downs before jetting off to Saudi Arabia, but the 7-year-old horse failed to cooperate.

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“He was supposed to work Saturday,” Carvajal said before leaving ahead of Imperial Hint on Monday, “but he galloped way too fast Thursday. He ran off with the exercise rider from the three-eighths pole to the seven-eighths pole. If I had brought a stopwatch, I could’ve timed it. He’s so tough he would probably run off with a 300-pound guy on him.”

So when the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint is run Feb. 29 at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Saudi Arabia and there’s a noticeable gap in the work pattern for the horse nicknamed The Little Rocket, that’s why. Otherwise, Carvajal said he is elated with the way Imperial Hint trained at Tampa in Oldsmar, Fla., prior to his departure.

“He is really doing good,” he said.

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Imperial Hint was scheduled to van across the Florida peninsula on Monday to the Palm Meadows training center, where he would spend less than 24 hours in the Jason Servis barn before accompanying Maximum Security and other Saudi-bound horses on a Tuesday overseas flight out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Carvajal will already be in Saudi to greet the arrivals.

Carvajal, a native of Chile, said preparations for the trip have been so hectic that he has been “running around like a chicken without the head.”

Imperial Hint, an earner of more than $2.2 million for owner Ray Mamone, will run back in the March 28 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan, assuming he comes out of the Saudi race in good fashion. He will stay overseas while his trainer returns to Tampa “for a couple of weeks” in the interim, said Carvajal.

Stakes winners up for more

The two 6-year-olds who dominated the stakes action last Saturday at Tampa both are ready for more. Killybegs Captain was an eased-up winner of the $75,000 Pelican, and Lady’s Island never let the opposition get warmed up in wiring the $50,000 Minaret.

Trainer John Terranova said the Grade 3, $500,000 Count Fleet on April 11 at Oaklawn Park is among the options ahead for Killybegs Captain. “That was an impressive comeback,” said Terranova.

Co-owner Rich Averill said Lady’s Island will likely run back in one of the six Florida Cup events scheduled for March 29 at Tampa.

Extravagant Kid headlines

Extravagant Kid is among the older horses expected when entries for the $100,000 Turf Dash are drawn Wednesday at Tampa. The Turf Dash and its filly-mare counterpart, the $100,000 Lightning City, will be co-featured Saturday. Both go at five furlongs on the turf.

Extravagant Kid, trained by Brendan Walsh for the DARRS Inc. of David Ross, was an emphatic winner of the Sunshine Millions Sprint in his last start, lifting his earnings to $787,354. Among his expected rivals are End Play, Backtohisroots, Justaholic, and Mai Ty One On.

Likely prospects for the Lightning City include Rocky Policy, Mae Never No, R Happy Ending, Ode to Joy, and Ambassador Luna.

◗ Another four-day race week at Tampa begins Wednesday with a nine-race card comprising claiming and maiden-claiming races. First post is 12:30 p.m. Eastern.