August, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Whitney: Life Is Good Leads All The Way, Gives Pletcher 1-2 Finish

With the summer he's having, Life Is Good could not be more appropriately-named.

The 4-year-old Todd Pletcher trainee took the lead sharply out of the gate in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 6 and never looked back, keeping daylight between himself and rivals Happy Saver and Hot Rod Charlie throughout the 1 1/8-mile contest. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., he posted fractions of :23.20, :46.84, 1:10.93, and 1:35.68 with a final time of 1:48.97.

The track was rated as good and had been harrowed ahead of the Whitney after a rain shower two races prior.

Stablemate Happy Saver came second, making it a Pletcher exacta, with Hot Rod Charlie third.

Life Is Good is co-owned by WinStar Farm and China Horse Club and came to this race off a July 2 win in the G2 John Nerud at Belmont. Prior to that he was fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup, which marked the only time in his ten-race career that he has finished worse than second. He is the reigning winner of the G1 Pegasus World Cup, and was also the winner of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last year.

The Whitney is a Win and You're In race for the Breeders' Cup Classic, meaning Life Is Good is now automatically qualified for a spot in that race if his connections choose to take it.

Life Is Good was a $525,000 yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, where he was bought by China Horse Club and Maverick Racing from consignor Paramount Sales. He is the son of Into Mischief and Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor. he was bred by Gary and Mary West Stable.

See the full chart here.

G1 Whitney Quotes

Todd Pletcher, winning trainer of Life Is Good (No. 6, $3.70*) and runner-up Happy Saver (No. 5): “There are so many factors to worry about with heat, the humidity, the track's been playing pretty demanding, but during the race, it looked like he was always in control. I thought he was in good position. It looked like he kept finding more and I was happy to see him get there.

“When you feel like you're bringing over the best horse, you worry about everything. Today we got the rain, the deep track, the heat and humidity. All those things can be concerning, but he was able to overcome all of that and just show how brilliant he really is.

“To me it's the premier older horse race in the country outside of the Breeders' Cup Classic. So, it means a lot.

On Happy Saver: “He just kept finding. Happy Saver ran super. It looked like for a second like he was going to get right there. Johnny [Velazquez, aboard No. 5, Happy Saver] said when he had to angle him off the rail, you could tell Life Is Good kind of found a little more.

“I think we'll play it by ear and see how he bounces out of this. He put forth a big effort today and ran great. I was proud of his effort. We'll see what's next, we could wait for the Woodward or come back for the Jockey Club [Gold Cup]. We've got some options.”

Elliott Walden, president and CEO of co-owner WinStar Farm (No. 6): It felt like he was the best horse all along and he showed it today.

“It's real exciting, that's what we're here for. These kind of dreams and these kind of horses. To have [Triple Crown Champion] Justify and this horse three years later is just incredible.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., winning jockey aboard Life Is Good (No. 6): “He's a nice horse. He deserves all the credit. He does things easy. He might make things look easy but he was running since the three-quarter [pole] all the way to the wire. He was the speed of the race, honestly. He's fast out of the gate. He broke good and then I just let him do his thing.

“This means a lot. It's a great race to win. I'm happy for the connections and the horse, too. He stayed and just never quit. He was in control and the horse deserves all the credit. I just ride him and he was in the front the whole time.

“When we got to the three-quarter pole and along the backside he changed leads and he just took off. Two jumps. He was strong. After that, I didn't want to fight too much with him and he surprised me today. I just started to let him do his thing. It was a little early but I had just a little hold of him. I can't fight too much with him.

“I was clear [in the stretch]. I looked and came down a little bit. I know if he felt somebody that he would give me another run and more. I know he's coming back a little, the track is not that fast, so if he feels somebody he will fight. I know he will fight, so that is why I was looking.”

John Velazquez, jockey aboard runner-up Happy Saver (No. 5): “He [Life Is Good] was two lengths in front of me, there was nothing I could do. Even if I claimed foul there was nothing they were going to do – he was clear. Obviously, he was really clear when he went in and I pulled mine out and that was it. We just switched positions, that's all it was. He was that clear when he went in that I went outside with no trouble at all.

“I thought he ran really well. From the three-sixteenths pole, I thought I had a really good chance but the other horse had another gear. When I put him out, he stayed the same pace and the other one had another gear, so he won. “

Bill Strauss, co-owner of third-place Hot Rod Charlie (No. 2): “The effort was there. He was moving well and he always tries. He just didn't get there today. I was surprised he didn't finish second. I don't know if the winner would have been beaten today. He came back quite tired. We've been training down at Keeneland and I think if you train over this surface, it gets them fitter than being at Keeneland.

“We've talked about using the [Grade 2] Lukas Classic [on October 1 at Churchill Downs] as a prep for the Breeders' Cup, but the horse will tell us. We'll see how he trains out of this.”

Flavien Prat, jockey aboard third-place Hot Rod Charlie (No. 2): “I was pleased with my trip. He ran his race. Turning for home, I thought he was going to give me a good kick. He made a good run, but the winner never stopped.

“He broke well and I had myself where I wanted to be. He was traveling well. When I tipped him out, I thought he was going to go by.”

Junior Alvarado, jockey aboard fourth-place Olympiad (No. 4): “He didn't run at all. He didn't run his race. Not even close. If he ran his race at least I'd say, 'we finished second.' But he didn't run his race. At the half-mile I knew I was in trouble. He wasn't traveling or picking it up like he normally does.

“I gave him a chance to regroup at the three-eighths and start picking it up again to see if he would start doing it and nothing. At that point I knew he wasn't showing up. No excuses for the track [conditions]. Good horses are supposed to handle the track and anything else. That is not the excuse. If he had a problem with the track he should at least try to the eighth-pole, but he was done very early for me.”

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Nations Pride Kicks Clear In Saratoga Derby Invitational

After finishing second in his stateside debut, Irish-born Nations Pride did it one better on Saturday, and drew clear to win the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at Saratoga Race Course.

The 3-year-old Teofilo colt was settled in on the rail by visiting jockey William Buick, tucked in third behind pacesetter Classic Causeway, and longshot Main Event on the outside. Classic Causeway, who defeated Nations Pride during their previous meeting in the Belmont Derby Invitational, maintained a 1 1/2-length cushion over Main Event through the first turn, and set an opening quarter in :29.42 seconds.

The lead trio remained unchanged as the field crossed the backstretch through an opening half-mile in 51:37 seconds, but Main Event began to give up his position on the outside as they entered the final turn. Classic Causeway continued to maintain a comfortable cushion as he led Nations Pride into the stretch, but Buick swung his mount to the outside of the leader as they headed into the straightaway.

Under left-handed urging by Buick, Nations Pride overtook Classic Causeway in the final furlong, and he drew off to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Annapolis staged a late move from the middle of the pack to nip Classic Causeway for third.

Nations Pride stopped the clock for the 1 3/16-mile turf race in 1:45.26 over a firm course. He paid $6.20 to win as the post time favorite.

Nations Pride is a homebred for Godolphin's Irish operation, trained by Charlie Appleby.

Saturday's victory was the colt's first graded or group stakes win, improving his record to five wins in eight starts for earnings of $899,216.

Prior to his U.S. debut in the Belmont Derby Invitational on July 9, Nations Pride had established himself as a reliable runner in the Eastern Hemisphere, winning races in England and the U.A.E., including the Newmarket Stakes in England. His final start before testing U.S. company was an eighth place effort in the Group 1 Cazoo Derby.

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Chi Town Lady Stuns With Late Charge To Triumph In Test Stakes

It took some convincing for starters to get Chi Town Lady into the gate for the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga on Aug 6; a few strides out, she still didn't seem that interested in the task at hand, trailing the field and hugging the rail under Joel Rosario. Then, at the top of the stretch, she sprung into action, swinging seven wide out of the turn and taking aim at pacesetter Hot Peppers. Chi Town Lady took down that rival and Matareya expertly with an impressive turn of foot, leaving them 1 1/2 lengths behind at the wire.

The Wesley Ward 3-year-old also survived a stewards' inquiry, as they examined light contact between Chi Town Lady and her two rivals as she passed to their outside.

The win is the first graded stakes victory for the Castleton Lyons homebred, who is a daughter of Verrazano and Harlan's Holiday mare Toni's Holiday. She came to this race off a second in an allowance optional claimer at Churchill in May. She won the listed Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga last season.

Chi Town Lady went off at 17-1, paying $36.00, $11.80, and $3.70.

The race took place on a sealed dirt track rated as good after a rain shower prior to the eighth race. The final time for the seven and a half furlongs was recorded as 1:23.87.

Find the full chart here.

G1 Longines Test Quotes, courtesy of the NYRA media office

Wesley Ward, winning trainer of Chi Town Lady (No. 7, $36): “We got lucky. She had been training great and I was looking at this race after her last race in my mind and gave her a little time because she started coming from behind. I had Joel [Rosario] work her here a couple of times and she was just working phenomenal. I told the owners we were probably going to be running a 30-1 shot, but I wanted to take one shot from way back and do what she's been asking me to do, which is make a big charge and a big grind. We were hoping for a second or third – a graded placing – to see if the race fell apart, and here we are in the winner's circle.

“She's come a long ways. I just think that I had to kind of learn to listen to her to where she wanted to go easy the first part and come on late. This will be her running style from now on.”

On a potential next start: “We haven't thought that far. We just are going to sit down in a couple weeks and figure out which direction we're going to go, but certainly the Breeders' Cup is going to come into play, especially this year being at our home track [Keeneland]. With her style, she'll sit way back and make one big run, so we'll see what happens.”

On if there was concern when the inquiry was posted: “There was for me because I saw it happen and I thought I was coming down. They didn't throw the inquiry sign up at first, so I thought maybe we would skate through it, and sure enough it came up. I was a little worried until I actually saw the replay. I knew the stewards were going to rule in our favor, and they did.”

Joel Rosario, winning jockey aboard Chi Town Lady (No. 7): “They went fast in front and she came with a run. That was an amazing race.

“It looked like they came out a little bit and I ran into them a little bit, but it looked like they were coming more from the inside. My horse was kind of on the wrong lead at that point and I was correcting her trying to keep her straight. She did great.”

Rudy Rodriguez, trainer of runner-up Hot Peppers (No. 6): “She ran her race, tried hard and did what she could. Right now, we'll see how she comes out of the race and take it day by day. I'll talk to Mr. Dubb and we'll see where we are.”

Luis Saez, jockey aboard runner-up Hot Peppers (No. 6): “I was riding my filly. I felt a little bump, not much, and I just tried to get in my lane. She broke full of run and that's how she is. I didn't want to take much from her and she ran pretty big. It was a big race.”

Brad Cox, trainer of third-place finisher Matareya (No. 1): “My first thought was I didn't think she was traveling that well down the backstretch. Flavien [Prat] thought the same, she wasn't really taking them up there. I thought he did a good thing at the three-eighths pole by dropping her down to the inside. It's probably a sign of her just not getting a hold of the track. No excuse really. I think she's a very good filly. Obviously she showed up and maybe not a favorable surface for her, and she still ran a good race.

Flavien Prat, jockey aboard third-place finisher Matareya (No. 1): “To me, there was nothing [regarding the inquiry]. I got bumped a bit. [The rain] changed the track and she never felt comfortable or happy on it. She broke well and after that she spit the bit right away and I never got myself into a nice rhythm and she was just struggling.”

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