Review: American-Trained Extravagant Kid Captures US$1,000,000 Al Qouz Sprint

8YO Kiss the Kid gelding caused quite an upset when he burst through the ranks to beat the Godolphin filly Final Song by half a length, followed in third place by Acklam Express.

Ryan Moore guided the first American-trained Al Quoz sprint winner towards the stands’ side from where he launched his attack to take the lead in the final 50m to win his first Group race. A five-time runner-up in Group races before the trip to Dubai, Extravagant Kid finished fourth beaten a length in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) here last fall after starting from post position 14 in his most recent Grade 1 attempt. 

Irish-born Brendan Walsh, a US-based former assistant to Godolphin, has a perfect record at Meydan where he has now won 2 races from 2 starts after the victory of Plus Que Parfait in the 2019 UAE Derby.

"What an unbelievable race," said owner David Ross. "His trainer Brendan Walsh had a good feeling about him, he came into the race well, Brendan had him prepped well. He really liked the venue here and we thought we would take advantage. As an 8-year-old, what about that?"

“The main reason he went over there was the 6 furlongs on the straight,” said Paul Madden, Walsh’s top assistant at Keeneland told Bloodhorse. “Over here in one-turn races, he would get to the front and then hit the brakes.”