Life Is Good Cruises in Kelso at 1-20 Odds
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Janet Garaguso
Life is Good rolls in the Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park
After facing the likes of multiple grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior last time out, any subsequent race would probably be an easier assignment.
For the highly talented Life Is Good , to say step two on the comeback trail was considerably easier would be understating the task by a mile.
In what amounted to a $279,000 workout as the minimum 1-20 favorite, the 3-year-old Life Is Good ($2.10) had little trouble handling three older rivals for the first time as he breezed to a 5 1/2-length victory in the Sept. 25 Kelso Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park.
"He ran such a huge race off the layoff (of about 5 1/2 months) and figure-wise it was off the charts," trainer Todd Pletcher said about the speedy son of Into Mischief . "The second start after the layoff worries you, but every indication he gave us was that he was ready for a good effort. The main thing we were focused on today was getting a good effort out of him, and we certainly got that. It was very impressive."
The challenge for China Horse Club and WinStar Farm's Life Is Good in the Kelso became easier in the four-horse Kelso when 10-1 second choice Chance It was pulled up in the middle stage of the mile race. Jockey Manny Franco said Chance It "didn't feel right" and after the 4-year-old walked into the horse ambulance it was reported by NYRA veterinarian Anthony Verderosa that Chance It had suffered a left front tendon injury.
With just two rivals chasing him, Life Is Good reeled off quick fractions in covering a half-mile in :46.58, the six furlongs in 1:10.24, and finishing in 1:34.37 after a nifty :24.13 final quarter-mile while under a tight hold by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
"He did it very easily," Ortiz said. "When I asked him, he just took off."
Fort Peck was second by 3 3/4 lengths over Doubly Blessed . Informative was an early scratch.
Up next for Life Is Good is likely the Nov. 6 $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar, though Pletcher said he would confer with the connections before announcing final plans. The richer and longer 1 1/4-mile $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) might have been in play, except for ankle chips that sidelined the 3-year-old from March 6 until Aug. 28 when he lost by a neck—his lone loss in five career starts—to Jackie's Warrior in the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens Memorial stakes (G1).
"He's a horse who has classic ability. Unfortunately, because he had all that time off in the middle of the year, he's just a little bit behind schedule and would be giving up a lot of seasoning to some good horses (in the Classic)," Pletcher said. "But everything he does in his training indicates that he will run that far."
Life Is Good is alone at the wire in the Kelso Handicap
Pletcher said he plans to train Life Is Good in New York and ship him to California during Breeders' Cup week.
Heading into the Kelso, Pletcher said the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) and $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) would be likely 2022 targets for Life Is Good.
Though he has only raced around one turn in his two starts for Pletcher, two turns should not be a problem for the colt. Prior to the injury, Life Is Good was a graded stakes winner around two turns and a leading Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) candidate. He won the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes (G2) and mile Sham Stakes (G) for original trainer Bob Baffert before being transferred to Pletcher's barn in the summer.
Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk , Life Is Good was a $525,000 purchase from the Paramount Sales consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is the second foal and second winner from his dam, but her only stakes winner. She also has a yearling Blame colt and a weanling Candy Ride colt.