Now With Pletcher, Life Is Good Returns in Jerkens

Life Is Good  arrived at trainer Todd Pletcher's barn last month with an immense reputation.

In March, he was the star 3-year-old in trainer Bob Baffert's barn and was favored in future wagering for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Then he was diagnosed with a hind ankle chip, which ended his Triple Crown hopes and has kept the widely touted runner on the sidelines for nearly six months.

In the interim, the Baffert-trained Medina Spirit , second to Life Is Good twice, won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) but a banned substance was detected in his system through a pair of tests. Adjudication by stewards in Kentucky awaits.

With Baffert under scrutiny and facing a ban from the New York Racing Association (since lifted under an injunction), the ownership group of China Horse Club and WinStar Farm moved Life Is Good to Pletcher's barn to prepare for a late-summer return.

Now that day has arrived. Fit off a string of five New York works since July 24, the long-awaited comeback will take place Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course when Pletcher—and everyone else for that matter—will find out just how good Life Is Good is when he faces multiple grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior  in the seven-furlong $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds.

It didn't take long for Pletcher to see the scintillating talent that enabled the son of Into Mischief   bred by Gary and Mary West to win all three career starts for Baffert by a combined margin of a little more than 18 lengths.

"He has trained exceptionally well. He's a very impressive horse to watch train," Pletcher said. "It's been very straightforward since he arrived."

"It's a lot to ask of any horse off a layoff to come back in a seven-furlong grade 1 stakes, but he certainly has the talent and he's the kind you would try it with," Pletcher added. "It's a tough group with some really fast horses, which is what you would expect in this scenario."

Having last raced March 6, when he won the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes (G1), Life is Good will be facing five well-conditioned rivals Saturday, all of whom have raced at least once since the start of July.

"You would like to have a race under your belt for a race like this, but he's a willing horse to train and his breezes have been very impressive," Pletcher said about the produce of the Distorted Humor   mare Beach Walk , who was bought for $525,000 from the Paramount Sales consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The pace in the Jerkens promises to ignite another heatwave at the Spa. While Life Is Good, who retains regular rider Mike Smith, has led at each call in his three races, he'll find an equally fleet rival in Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, the son of Maclean's Music   put his speed on display in his last three starts when he notched two wins and a narrow second-place finish.

Winner of the Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) at the Spa last year at 2, Jackie's Warrior returned to the Spa for the Aug. 1 Amsterdam Stakes (G1) at 6 1/2 furlongs on a sloppy track and led through a half-mile in a blistering :43.85 and still managed to pull away in the stretch and prevail by 7 1/4 lengths.

Before that, he led after a :44.19 half-mile in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (G1) and finished second by a neck to Jerkens starter Drain the Clock .

Just as impressively, in the mile Pat Day Mile Stakes Presented by LG&E and KU (G2), he carved out a dazzling :43.68 opening half-mile and hung on to win by a head.

"He's done really well. All three of his races at Saratoga were obviously very good. We're anxious to run him here again," said Asmussen, who also won the 2020 Saratoga Special Stakes Presented by Miller Lite (G2) with the produce of the A.P. Five Hundred mare Unicorn Girl .

While the battle on the front end between Life Is Good and Jackie's Warrior should be electrifying, they will not be alone on the backstretch run.

Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Nentwig's' Drain the Clock pressed Jackie's Warrior in the Woody Stephens and caught him in the final strides. Their rematch in the shorter Amsterdam was a mismatch as the Maclean's Music colt pressed Jackie's Warrior early but could not keep pace in the stretch and finished a well-beaten second.

Breaking from the rail in the Jerkens figures to put Drain the Clock and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr, in the thick of the pace battle once again.

Spendthrift Farm's Following Sea  also seems likely to add some fuel to the red-hot pace. Like Life Is Good, he was trained by Baffert and moved to Pletcher's barn after the Kentucky Derby fiasco.

He was an impressive 6 1/2-length winner of a June 3 Belmont Park allowance race for his new handler, but when stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1), the Runhappy   colt found two turns in such company too demanding. Though he faded badly after leading through six furlongs in 1:10.64 and finishing 18 1/4 lengths behind the first horse across the wire, he was moved up to second after Hot Rod Charlie  was disqualified from first to last for causing Midnight Bourbon  to stumble and unseat his rider.

Saturday's seven-furlong test should be more to his liking.

Down Neck Stables' Newbomb  and Flying P Stable and West Paces Racing's Judge N Jury  both step up from the allowance ranks for the Travers Day stakes and, like everyone else, have been on or near the lead in their recent races.

While Life Is Good will receive a formidable challenge in the Jerkens, it may be just a guest appearance in a sprint for a speedster who has traveled a mile or more in two of his three starts. Pletcher said if the 3-year-old colt turns in a strong effort Saturday, the possible next starts for him would include the Sept. 25 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing against 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles, or two stakes against older horses at Belmont Park—the Sept. 25 Kelso Handicap (G2) at a mile or the Oct. 2 Woodward Stakes (G1) at a one-turn, 1 1/8-mile distance.

Entries: H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. (G1)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 28, 2021, Race 9

• Grade I
• 7f
• Dirt
• $500,000
• 3 yo
• 4:12 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Drain the Clock (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	124	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	6/1
2	2Jackie's Warrior (KY)	Joel Rosario	124	Steven M. Asmussen	1/1
3	3Newbomb (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Kelly J. Breen	30/1
4	4Following Sea (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Todd A. Pletcher	5/1
5	5Judge N Jury (NY)	Luis Saez	118	Danny Gargan	15/1
6	6Life Is Good (KY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Todd A. Pletcher	8/5