Express Kid springs 34-1 upset in Remington Springboard Mile

Express Kid defied the expectations of bettors to deliver a 34-1 upset victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile S. at Remington Park.

The one-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier awarded Kentucky Derby (G1) qualification points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis to the top five finishers. Express Kid took home the lion’s share, and there was never much doubt about the outcome.

Breaking fast from the far outside post in an 11-horse field, Express Kid managed to avoid severe ground loss around the first turn by sprinting hard and dropping into the two-path, just outside fellow longshot Jets Rio. The Wade Rarick trainee led by one length through an opening quarter-mile in :23.54 and extended his advantage to two lengths through subsequent splits of :47.58 and 1:12.83.

Despite his early sprint and longshot status, Express Kid appeared well in command as the field turned for home. Arctic Beast, the 9-10 favorite, tried to launch a bid from fourth place, but Express Kid turned back the challenge without difficulty to prevail by 6 1/2 lengths, stopping the clock in 1:38.99 under jockey Jose Alvarez.

Arctic Beast took second place by 2 1/4 lengths over Royalamerican, while Western Man and Way Beyond rounded out the top five. Big Apple Patrick, Essential Time, Jets Rio, Time for Music, Supreme Good, and Spice Runner trailed the field.

Bred in California by Richard Barton Enterprises, Express Kid races in the colors of Steve Haahr, who purchased the bay colt for only $2,000 as a yearling. With earnings of $236,902, Express Kid has earned back over 118 times his purchase price.

Express Kid entered the Springboard Mile off a narrow triumph in a 7 1/2-furlong turf allowance at Remington Park. Switching to dirt proved to be no obstacle, which was foreshadowed by his summer maiden win on dirt at Canterbury Park and later by his runner-up finish in the Prairie Meadows Freshman S. at Prairie Meadows. A sixth-place finish in Remington’s Clever Trevor S. ranks as Express Kid’s only misfire from five starts.

Express Kid’s triumph on the Road to the Kentucky Derby is fitting since he’s bred top and bottom like a Kentucky Derby horse. His sire, Bodexpress, competed in the 2019 Kentucky Derby. Bodexpress’ sire, Bodemeister, ran second in the 2012 Derby and is the sire of 2017 Derby winner Always Dreaming. And Express Kid’s damsire, Street Sense, prevailed in the 2007 Run for the Roses.

Regardless of what the future holds for Express Kid, he’s turned out to be a bargain acquisition.