Heavily Favored Life Is Good passed his first two-turn test and improved to 2-for-2 in the $100,000, Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park Jan. 2, though a diminishing three-quarter-length margin of victory suggests the promising 3-year-old may still be in need of fine-tuning.
Month: January 2021
‘Rising Star’ Makes ‘Good’ in Sham
China Horse Club and WinStar’s Life Is Good (Into Mischief) lived up to his dazzling, ‘TDN Rising Star’-worthy debut with a good-looking score in Saturday’s GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita. Romping by 9 1/2 lengths in his 6 1/2-panel unveiling at Del Mar Nov. 22, he fired a pair of bullet works in the interim and was hammered down to 1-5 favoritism to repeat in this first try at two turns.
Not off to the fastest start from the outside post in this five-horse affair, the $525,000 KEESEP purchase seized the early advantage and galloped along on a clear lead, clocking a 23.56 first quarter and :46.67 half-mile. Turning for home alone, Life Is Good was still going along at an easy gallop in the lane and neither he or his motionless pilot Mike Smith flinched as stablemate Medina Spirit (Protonico) closed the gap to 3/4 of a length at the wire.
“He’s a good horse and I could tell that Mike was just cruising out there,” Hall of Famer Bob Baffert said. “It reminded me a lot of Authentic (Into Mischief) last year, when he did the same thing, he looked like a drunk out there coming down, he almost hit the rail and stuff. Just to get the two turns out of the way, it’s big. I always feel that the second race is most important, you’re going up against winners. I think Mike did a great job just sort of cruising around there and it was just the kind of race we were looking for. They ran pretty fast, these are two good horses. It is so exciting he passed the two-turn test.”
Pedigree Notes:
Life Is Good is the 84th black-type winner and 36th graded winner for red hot sire Into Mischief. He is also the 104th black-type scorer and 48th graded victor out of a daughter of longtime leading stallion Distorted Humor. The winner’s second dam is SW & MGISW Bonnie Blue Flag (Mineshaft), who is a half-sister to MGISW Diamondrella (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}). His dam Beach Walk did not have a foal in 2019, but had a Blame filly Feb. 27 of last year and was bred back to Candy Ride (Arg).
Saturday, Santa Anita
SHAM S.-GIII, $100,000, Santa Anita, 1-2, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.63, ft.
1–LIFE IS GOOD, 120, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Bonnie Blue Flag, by Mineshaft
3rd Dam: Tap Your Feet, by Dixieland Band
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($525,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). ‘TDN Rising Star‘ O-CHC INC & WinStar Farm LLC; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Mike E Smith. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $94,200. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Medina Spirit, 120, c, 3, Protonico–Mongolian Changa, by Brilliant Speed. ($1,000 Ylg ’19 OBSWIN; $35,000 2yo ’20 OBSOPN). O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-Gail Rice (FL); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–Parnelli, 120, c, 3, Quality Road–Sip Sip, by Bernardini. ($500,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-C R K Stable LLC; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd (KY); T-John A Shirreffs. $12,000.
Margins: 3/4, 13, 6. Odds: 0.20, 9.40, 4.60.
Also Ran: Waspirant, Uncle Boogie. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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Union Rags Firster Proves Best in Big Easy
10th-Fair Grounds, $50,000, Msw, 1-2, 3yo, 6f, 1:11.06, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
Making his first career trip to the post, DEFEATER (c, 3, Union Rags–Internal Affair, by Orientate) spoiled the debuts of the Godolphin favored entry of Colonel Bowman (Curlin) and Gershwin (Distorted Humor) to take out the Saturday finale at Fair Grounds. A firming proposition to be off as the 8-5 second favorite, the $210,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate raced last but one as Gershwin conducted his business up front. That half-brother to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) cut the corner going well into the lane, but Defeater had crept into it under a hold on the turn, knifed through to launch his bid three or four deep in upper stretch, bothered the rallying Colonel Bowman inside the furlong marker and proved easily best. A claim of foul by Florent Geroux aboard Colonel Bowman was disallowed by stewards.
The winner is a full to Dinar, SP, $165,912, who was third over this track in the 2019 Tenacious S.; and a half to listed winner Backdoor Kenny (Half Ours). Dam Internal Affair produced a now-freshman colt by Classic Empire who RNA’d at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale for $55,000. Her 2020 filly is by Empire Maker and she was bred back to Union Rags for this spring. Sales history: $210,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $30,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Nice Guys Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock & Steve Hornstock; B-Royal Oak Farm & Chadds Ford Stables (KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss.
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Tampa Bay Downs All-Time Leading Rider Centeno Hits 3,000-Win Milestone
Daniel Centeno's first visit to the Tampa Bay Downs winner's circle came on Dec. 18, 2004 – his 33rd birthday – after he rode 39-1 shot Marked Native to victory for owner-trainer Edward T. Clark.
“Nobody knew who I was then,” Centeno said, laughing at the memory.
Painstakingly (as nothing comes easy in Thoroughbred racing, appearances notwithstanding), Centeno has built a reputation as a leading jockey up and down the East Coast, winning eight graded stakes races and capturing a record six Oldsmar riding titles. He is No. 1 all-time at Tampa Bay in total victories, with 1,377, and stakes triumphs, with 50.
On Saturday, in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, Centeno joined an exclusive fraternity, earning career victory No. 3,000 in North America in the 10th race, the Fillies and Mares Division of the Tampa Turf Test. The product of Caracas, Venezuela, rode 7-year-old mare Lucy's Town to a nose victory from Postino's Idol in the one-mile starter handicap for owner K12, LLC and trainer Jose H. Delgado. Catsoutofthebag finished third in the 10-horse field.
Centeno is one of 182 jockeys to ride 3,000 winners in the Northern Hemisphere. He won 847 races in Venezuela.
His 12-year-old daughter, Jazmyn, and his girlfriend, Brooke Sillaman, were in attendance.
“I don't have words right now. I'm feeling so great, grateful and blessed to make 3,000,” he said. “Especially here at Tampa. This place made Daniel Centeno.”
Lucy's Town usually races from far back, and today was no exception. Centeno encountered plenty of traffic on the turn for home, and had to split horses late to take the lead before holding on for the victory.
“I was all over the place. I had to find room because I had plenty of horse,” Centeno said. “She responded right away when we found an opening and when she crossed the wire, I knew she got it.”
Centeno had taken time earlier in the week to reflect on the approaching milestone.
“It would mean a lot to me to be in that group, winning 3,000 races in the United States,” Centeno said. “I started riding (in 2003) at Thistledown and spent some time after that at Mountaineer and Finger Lakes, and over time I started riding for better trainers and getting on a better quality of horse. My goals were to keep learning every day and to become a better jockey.
“I'm thankful to all the people who have supported me – my family and friends, the fans and all the people on the backside who make everything possible. I took a long road to get here, but it's not just me. All the trainers, owners, grooms and exercise riders deserve a lot of credit.”
Centeno has proven over the years he can perform on a larger stage. His graded-stakes triumphs include the then-Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby in 2009 on Musket Man and the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby in 2014 on Ring Weekend.
Centeno won the 2020 Grade 3 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes on Jehozacat for trainer Arnaud Delacour and captured the Grade 2 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Oct. 3 at Pimlico on Miss Marissa for James Ryerson.
“It was very emotional winning that race on Preakness Day,” said Centeno, who rode Always Mining to an unplaced finish in the 2019 Preakness after winning five consecutive stakes on the gelding. “To win a Grade 2 on a big day like that was very exciting.”
Centeno has two children – Daniel, 21, and Jazmyn – and his girlfriend Brooke, whose father Richard Sillaman is a trainer in the mid-Atlantic region. The jockey's mother, Ligia, lives with him at his Tampa home. Centeno's father, Enrique Centeno, is a former boxer and current fight trainer who will send Roger Gutierrez into the ring Saturday night in Dallas against champion Rene Alvarado for the WBA super featherweight title.
At a racetrack that has witnessed its share of dominant jockeys – including Mike Manganello, Ronnie Allen, Jr., Ricardo Lopez, Willie Martinez, William Henry and Antonio Gallardo – the crown fit Centeno longest, and best. In addition to having the most victories and most stakes victories here, Centeno's six season titles are the same number as Manganello, best known for riding Dust Commander to a 1970 Kentucky Derby victory.
From 2006-2010, Centeno strung together four consecutive Oldsmar riding championships while averaging 1.48 winners per performance. He set the track's single-season record for victories with 144 in 2007-2008 (Gallardo bettered it in 2014-2015 with 147).
Along the way, Centeno has displayed a level of professionalism and attention to detail that is difficult to match. On many occasions, he will pause along the rail after weighing in to watch a race replay on the jumbo video board in the infield, reviewing not only his own ride but other jockeys' stratagems and filing the information away for upcoming races.
“He does his homework, watches replays and reads the form,” said John Weilbacher, his agent at Tampa Bay Downs. “Horsemen respect his opinion, and he'll tell a trainer if he thinks a horse would run better with or without blinkers, or going longer or shorter. I never have to worry about his preparation.”
Centeno's focus moving forward is to find a few horses for the track's graded races in February and March. Beyond that, “the No. 1 thing right now is to stay healthy, keep working hard and win as many races as I can,” he said.
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