Living The Life Retired, Won't Run in BC

HnR Nothhaft Horse Racing's Living The Life has been retired and will not run in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I), trainer Gary Mandella said Oct. 27.

Mandella reported the Irish-bred daughter of Footstepsinthesand has "some filling" in one of her ankles, and although that would not normally be a career-threatening injury, the Filly & Mare Sprint was going to be her last race anyway.

"We looked at it for a couple days (after her last workout Oct. 22 at Santa Anita Park)," Mandella said. "It really would not have been a career-ending injury, but she just wouldn't be perfect for the race, so we had to retire her."

Although Mandella was disappointed in the development, he was more than grateful for the hard-trying 6-year-old mare's three seasons with him. During those three years, she won the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (gr. II) twice and nearly missed a third straight in her final start, when she ran second despite a troubled trip Sept. 19 at Presque Isle Downs. A synthetic-track standout, Living The Life also won the May 30 All American Stakes (gr. III) against males at Golden Gate Fields and earned a grade I placing on dirt in the March 19 Santa Margarita Stakes. She ends her racing career with a 10-6-4 record from 35 starts and $1,028,394 in earnings.

LAMARRA: Living The Life Beats Males in All American

"For her to give us those three years, and the fun we had with her—it's frustrating and I wanted to give her one more shot, but she's been great to us," Mandella said.

Living The Life, bred by Michael Begley out of the Machiavellian mare Colour And Spice, will almost surely head to owner Hank Nothhaft's broodmare band at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington.