A two-year-old colt, Express Kid, bred in California and acquired for a mere $2,000 as a yearling, secured his place among the expanding list of contenders for the 2026 Kentucky Derby, sponsored by Woodford Reserve. This was achieved through an unexpected 34.50-1 victory in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes, held late on December 20th at Remington Park.
This Bodexpress progeny gained the front position early in the initial bend of the two-turn, mile-long competition. He then decisively pulled away down the final stretch, triumphing by 6 ¼ lengths ahead of the favored Arctic Beast, who was priced at 9-10. This win awarded him 10 points towards Kentucky Derby qualification. Arctic Beast, previously unbeaten in three races before the Springboard Mile, collected 5 Derby points. Royalamerican (3 points), Western Man (2 points), and Way Beyond (1 point), who finished third, fourth, and fifth respectively, also made it onto the qualifying standings.
Express Kid’s journey has been remarkable, considering he was practically overlooked at the Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Fall Mixed Sale in October 2024, where his owner, Steve Haahr from Puyallup, Washington, acquired him for a very low cost. After five races, the colt’s total earnings now stand at $236,902.
In July, Express Kid secured victory in his inaugural race, a 4 ½-furlong sprint at Canterbury Park. Subsequently, he achieved a second-place finish and a sixth-place finish in separate stakes events at Prairie Meadows and Remington. Following this, trainer Wade Rarick entered Express Kid in a 7 ½-furlong turf allowance race at Remington on November 6, where the colt narrowly won by a head. This performance positioned him for a significant advancement in competition level for the Oklahoma track’s Kentucky Derby qualifier.
During the Springboard Mile, jockey Jose Alvarez rode Express Kid assertively from the moment the gates opened, guiding him to the front of the pack from the outermost starting position. Express Kid had established the lead by the time the contenders reached the backstretch, where he maintained a steady pace, ultimately leading to his surprising win. The colt finished the mile in 1 minute, 38.99 seconds.
“He got out of the gate extremely well,” Alvarez conveyed to reporters from Remington. “And noticing that no other horse was pushing forward, I thought, ‘This is my opportunity to take the lead.’ I aimed to ease up slightly on the backstretch, and then when I urged him at the quarter pole, he expended all his effort. He performed splendidly, truly excellent.”
