Tag: Bob Baffert

Life Is Good Runs Off The Screen In Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

It's been a big Saturday so far for jockey Irad Oritz, Jr., who recorded his second straight Breeders' Cup victory in just the third World Championships race of the card. Following his frontrunning triumph in the Turf Sprint aboard Wesley Ward's Golden Pal, Ortiz followed the same playbook to pilot WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's Life Is Good to the winner's circle in the Dirt Mile.

“I had a perfect trip,” Ortiz said. “He broke out of there running, he relaxed for me. I wasn't worried about those other runners early in the race, because I knew he was so fast. When we got to the quarter pole, he re-broke for me. What a nice horse to ride.”

The Todd Pletcher-trained colt more than lived up to his 3-5 odds: The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief simply ran his rivals into the ground, grabbing the lead at the start and dominating the race throughout to clock a final time of 1:34.12 over Del Mar's fast main track. He defeated his closest rival, Ginobili (4-1), by 5 3/4 lengths, while Restrainedvengence (40-1) checked in third.

“We were hoping for that, expecting that based on the way that he's been training, but it's always great to see it actually happen,” said Pletcher. “He took it to them. Just too much horse.”

The win is Pletcher's second in the Dirt Mile, following a victory with Liam's Map in 2015, and the Hall of Fame conditioner's 12th Breeders' Cup victory overall. It was Ortiz's third Breeders' Cup win of 2021, and his 14th overall.

Previously trained by the embattled Bob Baffert, Life is Good was moved across the country to Pletcher's barn after an injury took him off the Kentucky Derby trail in March. He returned in late August to run second to Jackie's Warrior in the G1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga, then got back in the winner's circle with an easy romp in the G2 Kelso on Sept. 25.

Though the pair of Japanese-trained entrants, Pingxiang and Jasper Prince, were both expected to show early speed, Ortiz sent Life Is Good hard out of the starting gates and made the lead before the clubhouse turn. Under mild pressure from Eight Rings, Life Is Good set fractions of :21.88 and :44.94 with his ears pricked, making it look easy.

Eight Rings dropped back a bit around the far turn as Ginobili took up the challenge on his outside. Life Is Good maintained an advantage of just over a length as he ticked off six furlongs in 1:08.96, then simply out-ran his rivals down the stretch. Ginobili kept on well to maintain second, hitting the wire 5 3/4 lengths behind the winner, while Restrainedvengence closed from the rear of the field to finish three-quarters of a length back in third. Eight Rings held on to be fourth, while Silver State was fifth.

Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, Life Is Good is out of the placed Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk. He was a $525,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale, and was sent to Baffert's barn in Southern California for the early part of his career. Life Is Good won impressively on debut in late November at Del Mar, then won the G3 Sham and the G2 San Felipe before his injury.

With a second and two more wins to his name since his transfer to Pletcher's care, Life Is Good has amassed a total of five wins from six starts with earnings of $1,059,200.

Quotes from other connections:

Trainer Richard Baltas (Ginobili, second) – “We just ran into a better horse. We got a great trip and it looked around the turn that we were making a move and we're going to win it, but Life Is Good kicked clear. I mean, I'm pretty happy. I would be happier if we'd had won it, but Ginobili ran a great race.”

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke (Ginobili, second) – “With how fast they we were going, I thought it was going to set up perfectly for us. But the winner had another gear when we got to him but I am super happy with Ginobili. It was the kind of trip that we wanted and we got it. We were just second best today.”

Trainer Val Brinkerhoff (Restrainedvengence, third) – “He ran very good. We kind of got away bad. We thought we would be back, but not that far. I think if we had a little bit better start we might have gotten second. I don't think we would have beaten the winner. He ran a heck of a race.”

Jockey Edwin Maldonado (Restrainedvengence, third) – “My horse ran well and I'm happy we ran third. The winner was just too good.”

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Ce Ce Upsets Heavily Favored Gamine In Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Sprint

With just four rivals facing her in the gates and a five-race winning streak where she took no prisoners, there was perhaps no surer thing on the Breeders' Cup menu than Gamine defending her title in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Saturday at Del Mar.

In horse racing, though, there's no such thing as a sure thing.

After relentless pressure throughout the race, Gamine ultimately relented to finish third, while Ce Ce drove past the 2-to-5 favorite to earn the biggest win of her career.

Ce Ce, a 5-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality kept about three lengths back from the pace out of the gate, as Gamine took the early command in her usual fashion, pressed hard to the outside by Bella Sofia. Gamine clocked the opening quarter-mile in :22.31 seconds, a half-length ahead of Bella Sofia, with Edgeway looming closely behind on the rail.

Ce Ce crept up closer to the lead pack under jockey Victor Espinoza as the field approached the turn. As Gamine clicked a half-mile in :44.92 seconds, Bella Sofia drew up closer to the leader on the outside, and jockey Joel Rosario brought Edgeway up an open spot on the rail to pose a threat.

Those three set themselves up on even terms through the turn, as Espinoza took Ce Ce four-wide and entered the conversation at the top of the stretch. With the inside path, Edgeway took control of the lead from Gamine as they entered the straightaway, and Ce Ce accelerated from the outside at the six-furlong mark, run in 1:08.66.

With all the momentum on the outside trip, Ce Ce carried on past Edgeway, and kicked clear under a hand ride to win the Filly and Mare Sprint by 2 1/2 lengths. Edgeway continued on for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Gamine.

“I had a lot of horse,” Espinoza said. “She bounced out of the gate, but I decided to sit back and she was nice and relaxed. When I shook the reins at her at the five-eighths pole, I got a little excited. I wanted to go inside, but that spot was taken. But it worked out pretty fine.”

Ce Ce stopped the clock in 1:21 flat in the seven-furlong race over a fast main track. She paid $14.40 to win as the field's third betting choice.

“Around the turn she put in her run and she was very good,” said trainer Michael McCarthy. “It's a proud moment for (Bo Hirsch and I). I wish I would have shaved a little more this morning. Such a fantastic day and fantastic event. Just happy for everybody.  She's been very consistent. I think last year I decided that this year we would go one turn with her. She's been touting herself this week that she was going to run a big one. I'm just glad she did on a stage like today.”

Saturday's Filly and Mare Sprint was Ce Ce's fifth win in her last six starts, and her eighth total career victory, compiling lifetime earnings of $1,753,100. McCarthy trains the homebred mare for Bo Hirsch.

Ce Ce's 2021 campaign has been a dramatic reversal from her 2020 season, when she notched a Grade 1 victory in the Beholder Mile, then stretched out to 1 1/16 miles to take the G1 Apple Blossom Handicap, before eventually finishing fifth in that year's Breeders' Cup Distaff. She was moved back to one-turn races in 2021 to astounding success, coming into this year's Breeders' Cup with wins in the G2 Princess Rooney Stakes and a five-length dismantling of the G3 Chillingworth Stakes.

The only time Ce Ce faced defeat in a sprint race this season was the G1 Ballerina Handicap, where she finished third to Gamine.

Quotes from other connections:

Jockey Joel Rosario (second with Edgeway) – “I was on the inside and I had the room to run, but I was probably just second best today.”

Trainer Bob Baffert (third with 2-5 favorite Gamine) – “She was out there and she just got tired at the end. The winner ran a great race. I really can't make a lot of excuses. She just got tired. I blame myself with the preparation. She had some time off and I think a race in between probably would have helped her. I think I made a mistake there. Now, she'll be ready. Going in, I was hoping I was okay here. The winner is a good filly. She looked great in the paddock. I knew she was the one to beat.”

Jockey John Velazquez (third with 2-5 favorite Gamine) – “When you go that fast early, it's hard to keep up the whole way around when you are pressed all the time. At the quarter pole, I thought she was going to have it, but as soon as I moved my hands and she didn't respond the way I thought, I knew I was in trouble.”

Trainer Rudy Rodriquez (fourth with Bella Sofia) – “We tried to go with Gamine and we set up the race for the third-best horse. I thought we were running good. We got bumped a little bit in the stretch, but I think we were done already at the time. This is what you expect in these big races. They went pretty fast and came home fast and that's what it is.”

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Corniche Goes All The Way In Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; No Derby Points Awarded To Baffert Trainee

“Big Money Mike” Smith, the winningest rider in the history of the Breeders' Cup World Championships with 26 victories at the start of Friday's card, took advantage of limited opportunities this year when piloting Speedway Stables' Corniche to victory in Friday's $2 million Juvenile. The 2-year-old son of Quality Road led the field of 11 on a merry chase around the Del Mar oval, completing 1 1/16 miles over the fast track in 1:42.50.

“The only thing I was worried about was that he got hotter (before the race) than he ever had,” Smith said. “It just made me get calmer. I don't think I have ever been so calm in a big race. I just sat really still, he caught a flyer leaving the gate and just left him alone.”

Off as the favorite at odds of 7-5, Corniche defeated Pappacap (15-1) by 1 3/4 lengths at the wire. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Giant Game (21-1) in third, with the maiden Commandperformance (3-1) checking in fourth.

Since Corniche is trained by Bob Baffert, who is currently banned by Churchill Downs, the colt will not earn the 20 points on offer for the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Neither did Corniche earn the 10 points on offer for his victory in the G1 American Pharoah Stakes. Meanwhile, Pappacap earns eight points, Giant Game four, and Commandperformance two.

“K.C. (Weiner) and I never thought about moving the horse to another trainer,” said Speedway's Peter Fluor. “We talked to Bob right after we bought the horse, he liked the horse, and so the horse was always coming to Bob. And three races and kind of look how he's done, so, with a great deal of thanks to Bob, and that's where we are.”

The updated Road to the Kentucky Derby points standings are available here: Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard

The victory is the fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile for Baffert and 18th overall.

“Well the Derby is a long ways off and so right now my focus was just getting here and we'll see how it plays out,” said Baffert. “And there's still a lot of things going on and so – and, really, there's not much to talk about that right now, just, like I said, the main thing is to keep him healthy, that's number one, we have a really good horse, and we have to keep him healthy and the Derby, that's a long ways off still, so a lot can happen between now and then and we'll see how it — we got to see how it plays out.”

Smith sent Corniche hard out of his outermost post position, making it over to the rail to grab the lead as he rounded into the clubhouse turn. The colt set measured fractions of :23.03 and :46.15, maintaining a length advantage over Pinehurst and Commandperformance in the early going.

Pappacap made a move up the inside down the backstretch to be third heading for the clubhouse turn, but Smith had given Corniche just enough of a breather before the half-mile pole that the race was already decided.

Corniche turned for home with a two-length lead, and while Pappacap moved up the rail and Giant Game made a huge move on the outside, there was no catching the leader in the stretch. Corniche won by 1 3/4 lengths, with Pappacap second, Giant Game third, and Commandperformance fourth. Oviatt Class and Pinehurst dead-heated for fifth. The remaining order of finish was: American Sanctuary, Double Thunder, Barossa, Jasper Great, and Tough To Tame.

The morning-line favorite Jack Christopher was scratched Thursday night.

Bred in Kentucky by Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings, Corniche is out of the multiple graded stakes winning, Grade 1-placed Najran mare Wasted Tears. He was a $1.5 million purchase at the OBS April sale, and won on debut at Del Mar in September. He went on to lead all the way in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes, and has now won all three of his career starts for earnings of $1,262,000.

Comments From Other Connections

Trainer Mark Casse (second with Pappacap) – “You know what – he's a good horse and he's getting better. Now we have to figure out how to get him to the Kentucky Derby. He'll love the mile and a quarter.”

Jockey Joe Bravo (second with Pappacap) – “I'm just so proud of my big colt. He did everything great today. Mike (Smith) had everything his own way around there and I was just trying to stay on his tail and keep up.”

Trainer Dale Romans (third with Giant Game) – “I think it's going to be a fun spring. I was real happy with him. Around the turn, I thought we were going to get it all. Congratulations to the winner. It was a big race by him. It's hard to beat Bob (Baffert) on his home court. I'm very proud of my horse and I think we are legitimately on the Derby trail here.”

Jockey Joe Talamo (third with Giant Game) – “I had a lot of horse coming around the turn. He put me in a really great spot. He has a very bright future, this being only his third career start.”

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Can’t Catch Corniche in the Juvenile

DEL MAR, CA – Following the unfortunate vet scratch of speedy morning-line favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings), unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road) had things his own way on the front end and ran to the money as the 7-5 favorite for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.

Drawn widest of all in post 11, the $1.5-million OBS April topper shot out to the front beneath “Big Money” Mike Smith and cleared the field heading into the first turn. The Speedway Stables colorbearer sped through fractions of :23.03 and :46.15, kicked for home as the one to catch and kept finding down the lane to account for longshot Pappacap (Gun Runner) by 1 3/4 lengths. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) in third.

Corniche and Pappacap were also one-two across the line in Santa Anita's GI American Pharoah S. Oct. 1, the former's first try around two turns. Corniche previously rolled to a 'Rising Star' performance sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on debut at Del Mar Sept. 4.

This is the fifth Breeders' Cup Juvenile victory for Baffert and 18th Breeders' Cup win overall.

“I knew from the [11]-hole that he was going to have to use him harder than he'd like to,” Baffert said. “Mike [Smith] is a great rider. I love him on a horse like that. You never know how good they are until you put them in a situation like that. He just kicked back in and held those horses off. It's so hard to win these races, especially when you have a favorite and you win. It's exciting. These young horses are what our whole program is about. It's a great win for the owners. I have tremendous clients.”

Baffert added, “Turning for home, this horse has a beautiful way of [going], he just, his movement, he just jumps a long ways. His mechanics, he almost has mechanics like American Pharoah. He's just got that long, loping stride. He covers a lot of ground.”

Baffert continued, “I felt bad for Chad Brown [trainer of Jack Christopher] when I heard that because I have been in those positions and you don't want to see that. You see horses scratching and it takes away from the Breeders' Cup–these races are really hard to win. You have to be lucky. You have to have a good horse. There's not a lot of margin for error.”

Smith, the all-time winningest rider in World Championships history, piloted his 27th Breeders' Cup winner aboard Corniche and third overall in the Juvenile.

“The only thing I was worried about was that he got hotter [before the race] than he ever had,” Smith said. “It just made me get calmer. I don't think I have ever been so calm in a big race. I just sat really still, he caught a flyer leaving the gate and just left him alone.”

As Medina Spirit's GI Kentucky Derby win remains in the balance due to a well-documented betamethasone positive, horses trained by Baffert were subject to enhanced scrutiny for this weekend's Championships. Furthermore, with Baffert banned from Churchill Downs Inc. racetracks for three years, Corniche didn't earn any points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in Friday's Juvenile, which offered 20-8-4-2 points.

“Well the Derby is a long ways off, so right now my focus was just getting here and we'll see how it plays out,” Baffert said. “And there's still a lot of things going on and so… and, really, there's not much to talk about that right now, just, like I said, the main thing is to keep him healthy, that's number one, we have a really good horse, and we have to keep him healthy and the Derby, that's a long ways off still, so a lot can happen between now and then and we'll see how it–we got to see how it plays out.”

Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stables have also campaigned the Baffert-trained GISW Collected, runner-up to Gun Runner in the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at this venue. The duo continued to show their support for Baffert in the post-race press conference.

“Actually, K.C. and I never thought about moving the horse to a different trainer,” Fluor said. “We talked to Bob right after we bought the horse, he liked the horse, and so the horse was always coming to Bob. And three races and kind of look how he's done, so, with a great deal of thanks to Bob, and that's where we are.”

Fluor added, “This race was such a big race for Corniche and what it means to him and his 2-year old standing. And we have said–and Bob's doing a great job and we have a better chance of winning this race with our friend Bob Baffert and that's what happened. So we're kind of enjoying moment and down the road we'll focus on that later on, but thank you.”

Pedigree Notes:

Corniche–the $1.5-million OBS April topper selected by Speedway advisor Marette Farrell–is one of 51 stakes winners/28 graded stakes winners/12 Grade I winners for Quality Road. Quality Road is also the sire of fellow Breeders' Cup winners: Caledonia Road, City of Light and Hootenanny. Corniche, a son of six-time GSW and GI Matriarch S. runner-up Wasted Tears (Najran), was led out unsold on a bid of $385,000 at KEESEP last year, but turned in a smooth sales breeze in :10 flat to become one of two horses to eclipse the seven-figure barrier in Ocala. Wasted Tears, also responsible for the late stakes-placed Coffee Crush (Medaglia d'Oro), had a filly by Mendelssohn in 2020. She brought $750,000 from B.B.E. at this year's Keeneland September sale. Speedway Stables and Baffert also teamed up for a win with Quality Road's 'Rising Star' Roadster in the 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby and a runner-up finish in the GI Malibu S.

Friday, Del Mar
TVG BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE PRESENTED BY THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE-GI, $1,840,000, Del Mar, 11-5, 2yo, c/g, 1 1/16m, 1:42.50, ft.
1–CORNICHE, 122, c, 2, by Quality Road
                1st Dam: Wasted Tears (MGSW & GISP, $941,463),
                                by Najran
                2nd Dam: Wishes and Roses, by Greinton (GB)
                3rd Dam: Anniversary Wish, by Beau's Eagle
'TDN Rising Star'. ($385,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $1,500,000
2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-Bart Evans &
Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Mike E. Smith.
$1,040,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $1,262,000. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pappacap, 122, c, 2, Gun Runner–Pappascat, by Scat Daddy.
O/B-Rustlewood Farm Inc (FL); T-Mark Casse. $340,000.
3–Giant Game, 122, c, 2, Giant's Causeway–Game for More, by
More Than Ready. ($500,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-West Point
Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-H. Allen
Poindexter (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $180,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1HF, 2HF. Odds: 1.40, 15.10, 21.90.
Also Ran: Commandperformance, Oviatt Class-(DH), Pinehurst-(DH), American Sanctuary, Double Thunder, Barossa, Jasper Great, Tough to Tame. Scratched: Jack Christopher.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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