Florida Grad Carotari Speeds to 4th Stakes Victory

Saturday, January 1, 2022

As a group 1-winning millionaire, Extravagant Kid brought the longest list of accomplishments into the $100,000 Janus Stakes Dec. 31 at Gulfstream Park, but Carotari brought the speed, and that quickness proved too much for Extravagant Kid and six other grass sprinters.

Taking charge into the turn of the five-furlong turf dash, William Branch’s Carotari opened up breathing room on the turn and rolled to 1 3/4-length victory over Extravagant Kid. The latter loomed briefly in early stretch with a wide rally but flattened out, though he lasted by a head over show finisher Smokin’ Jay.

Carotari ($4) was officially hand-timed covering five furlongs under Luis Saez on a firm course in :55.78. He is one of 39 winners and 8 blacktype winners in 2021 who graduated from the famed Hidden Brook Florida Training Center near Ocala.

With the victory, Carotari, a gelded son of Artie Schiller who turns 6 on Jan. 1, improved to 4-1-0 in five starts on the Gulfstream Park turf course. His local efforts include back-to-back wins in the Silks Run Stakes in 2020-21, and a runner-up finish in the 2020 World of Trouble Turf Sprint when he was beaten a neck by grade 2 winner Texas Wedge.

“It’s good to get him back down here. It’s a track he really seems to do well over during the winter,” winning trainer Brian Lynch said. “It’s nice to get him back rolling. He came out of a good race at Keeneland. This was an ideal distance for him, ideal timing, so it’s just neat to have him back on track. Now we’ve got a loaded horse for the winter down here.”