By J.N. Campbell
At 34-1, Cal-bred Express Kid outran his odds in the Springboard Mile to close out Remington Park's Thoroughbred meet and in the process the colt took home 10 Kentucky Derby points on Saturday evening.
The $2,000 buy out of the Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association Fall Mixed sale broke his maiden at first-asking at Canterbury in early July and was the runner-up in the Prairie Meadows Freshman Stakes in mid-August. Express Kid shipped to Oklahoma City to contest the Clever Trevor Stakes, but was well-beaten Sept. 28. Switching to the local course's turf for an allowance condition Nov. 6, the Wade Rarick trainee won by a head.
The longshot hustled out of the blocks from the extreme outside post and was able to wrestle the top spot away from Jets Rio (Candy Ride {Arg}). Traveling like a smooth operator under Jose Alvarez up the backstretch, Express Kid separated himself from the rest of the field, but heavy favorite Arctic Beast went on the attack around the far turn. Still, the pacesetter proved he had plenty in the tank and running down the lane his 'catch me if you can' tactics worked to perfection as he became the second longest shot to win the race behind 128-1 Texas Bling (by Too Much Bling).
“He broke so sharp in them, I was like, Wow!” trainer Wade Rarick said. “I don't have a lot of these kind [that win $300,000 races). He is eligible for a lot of things in Arizona (where Rarick stables), but I think we might go a different direction with him now.”
Of note, the owners of the top three finishers in the Springboard Mile received a special complimentary 2026 breeding season to Lane's End stallion Senor Buscador (by Mineshaft), who won the 2020 edition of the race for owner Joey Peacock and trainer Todd Fincher.
The winner's dam is responsible for a yearling filly named Burglarized (Cat Burglar) and a weanling colt by Tap Back. She was bred to Shaaz for 2026. Express Kid's second dam is MSW Stormy West (Gone West).
REMINGTON SPRINGBOARD MILE S., $300,000, Remington, 12-20, 2yo, 1m, 1:38.99, ft.
1–EXPRESS KID, 121, c, 2, by Bodexpress
1st Dam: Sensationalize, by Street Sense
2nd Dam: Stormy West, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Storm Beauty, by Storm Cat
($12,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTCAYR; $2,000 Ylg '24 ARZOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Steve Haahr; B-Richard Barton Enterprises (CA); T-Wade Rarick; J-Jose L. Alvarez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $236,902.
2–Arctic Beast, 121, c, 2, Yaupon–Frostie Anne, by Frost Giant. ($120,000 Wlg '23 FTNMIX; $275,000 Ylg '24 SARAUG). O-Paradise Farms Corp., JP Racing Stable, Staudacher, David, Zilla Racing Stables and Rice, Jennifer; B-Rockridge Stud, LLC & Saratoga Glen Farm & Beal's Racing Stable, LL (NY); T-Michael Maker. $60,000.
3–Royalamerican, 121, g, 2, Upstart–Scat for the Cause, by Creative Cause. O/B/T-C. R. Trout (OK). $33,000.
Margins: 6 1/4, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 34.50, 0.90, 9.50.
Also Ran: Western Man, Way Beyond, Big Apple Patrick, Essential Time, Jets Rio, Time for Music, Supreme Good (Ire), Spice Runner. Scratched: My Dream Zapper.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
A HUGE upset! It was all #12 EXPRESS KID ($71.00) who goes gate-to-wire to easily win the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes at @RemingtonPark and earn 10 points towards the @KentuckyDerby. The son of Bodexpress was ridden by Jose Alvarez and is trained by Wade Rarick. pic.twitter.com/JOpL2ciijg
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 21, 2025
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