Life Is Good, Country Grammer Target Summer Campaigns

Three weeks ago, they were rivals in one of the world's richest races.

These days, Country Grammer  and Life Is Good  are buddies at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., resting there before embarking upon summer campaigns that should take them to opposite ends of the country.

According to Elliott Walden, WinStar's CEO, president, and racing manager, the multiple grade 1 winners with combined earnings of more than $14 million will remain at the farm for at least another 4-6 weeks before they resume training. Life Is Good is targeting the $1 million  Whitney Stakes (G1) Aug. 6 at Saratoga Race Course, while Country Grammer is being aimed at the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic (G1) Sept. 3 at Del Mar.

Both horses, who rank 1-2 in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 10 poll, last raced March 26 in the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), where Country Grammer recorded a 1 3/4-length victory for Zedan Racing Stables, WinStar Farm, and Commonwealth Thoroughbreds and trainer Bob Baffert. China Horse Club and WinStar's Life Is Good finished fourth as the heavy favorite.

"They are both doing well and are getting rest and relaxation at WinStar with some light training," Walden said. "It was a long trip for both of them."

Life Is Good, a 4-year-old son of Into Mischief   trained by Todd Pletcher, entered the Dubai World Cup after successive top-level wins in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the $2.9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by 1/ST BET (G1).

Considered the horse to beat while trying 1 1/4 miles for the first time, he set the early pace in the Dubai stakes but could not fend off a bid from Country Grammer in the final furlong, and then dropped back to fourth at the wire.

"Life Is Good has pretty much been in training since June," Walden said of the colt. "So, if we want to make it through the whole year, we needed to give him a break now. We'll freshen him up and then bring him back in the summer."

Walden said it has yet to be decided if the winner of 6 of 8 starts will train up to the Whitney or have a prep race before it.

"The Whitney would be a logical target, but we haven't talked about how he'll get there," Walden said. "Once he gets back to Todd we'll discuss that. He's in good hands with Todd and can run fresh if he has to."

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 Paramount Sales' consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by China Horse Club and Maverick Racing. He has earned $3,414,200.

Country Grammer's victory in the Dubai World Cup added an exclamation point to a highly successful journey to the Middle East that also included a second in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and saw the 5-year-old son of Tonalist  's career earnings skyrocket to $10,837,320.

"Country Grammer is doing well," Walden said. "He's not in the same boat as Life Is Good since he's only run twice (since late May). He was over there for a month and had two hard races. It was good to freshen him up now and the Pacific Classic is a race that would be right up his alley. So we'll train him here for at least another month and then figure out what the next step will be."

Baffert is currently serving a 90-day suspension that will run through July 2, adding another consideration to summer plans for the 5-year-old who was bought by WinStar for $110,000 through the Lane's End consignment at the 2021 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale following the death of original owner Paul Pompa Jr.

Out of the Forestry mare Arabian Song, top-ranked Country Grammer was bred by Scott and Debbie Pierce in Kentucky. Winner of the 2021 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G1), he has a 4-2-1 record from 10 starts.