Living The Life Beats Males in All American
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Photo: Shane Michaeli/Vassar Photography
Living the Life wins the All American Stakes at Golden Gate Fields May 30, 2016
HnR Nothhaft Racing's Living The Life ran her Golden Gate Fields record to two-for-two with a victory over males in the $100,000 All American Stakes (gr. III) on the Tapeta surface May 30.
With Drayden Van Dyke riding for trainer Gary Mandella, Living The Life rated along the inside just off moderate fractions set by fellow Southern California shipper Southern Freedom, was guided off the inside in the stretch and just got by the front-runner to win the one-mile event in 1:37.56. Southern Freedom was second and Eckersley finished third.
Living The Life, who paid $7.20 to win, won a six-furlong stakes on the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate in March 2015. She won the grade II Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes on Tapeta last September and in 2014, and this year and has been competitive in graded stakes on the dirt at Santa Anita Park.
"Anytime you beat the boys, you're doing something out of the ordinary," Mandella said. "As good as the colts were, there was no Beholder, and that's what we would have faced if we ran in the Vanity (June 4 at Santa Anita). And the fact that this was on synthetic made all the difference. When you make the right decision, 90% of the time it serves you well.
"She loves a fight, and it's what makes her really special, but she's also blessed with a lot of talent. I've got to figure out another race for her before we go back to the Presque Isle Masters Sept. 7 at (Presque Isle Downs & Casino). If she can win that for the third straight year, they might vote for me for mayor."
Living The Life, a 6-year-old mare by Footstepsinthesand out of the Machiavellian mare Colour And Spice, was bred in Ireland by Michael Begley. She has 10 wins, five seconds, and four thirds in 33 starts. Eight of her 10 victories have come on synthetic surfaces.