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Life Is Good Could Head To Saudi Cup After Pegasus Start

Life Is Good, a horse Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher describes as having “unlimited potential,” is on track for an epic battle with Knicks Go in the Pegasus World Cup next month, before connections consider a possible bid for the $20 million Saudi Cup.

Pletcher, who has had a phenomenal 2021, has identified four potential contenders for the world's most valuable race on Saturday, Feb. 26, any of which would become his first runners in Saudi Arabia.

The 54-year-old Texas-born trainer has been delighted with Life Is Good since his jaw-dropping 5¾ length win in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar last month.

“He's in great form and is training superbly like he always does. We're targeting the Pegasus right now and keeping an eye on both Saudi and Dubai,” said Pletcher. “We were very impressed [with his Breeders' Cup win], he threw it down from the beginning and ran some super-fast fractions. Everything he has done has always indicated that more distance will not be a problem.”

Knicks Go, who finished fourth in this year's Saudi Cup, will bid to end his career on a high by defending his Pegasus World Cup crown at Gulfstream Park next month after an impressive win in the Breeders' Cup Classic last time. Pletcher is clearly looking forward to the battle in Florida.

He said: “They are two horses with the same racing style, it really should be a thriller. We hope we come into it in good form and let our horse do his thing.”

The Saudi Cup would represent a different challenge for Life Is Good as a one-turn mile and an eighth contest, but that doesn't seem to worry Pletcher.

“It's a challenging race, we know that, but he ran very well in the Kelso at Belmont over a mile, so it should suit him fine,” he said. “We don't see the extra distance being a problem. The Pegasus is the plan, we can then make a decision after that.”

Happy Saver, a three-time winner at Belmont Park over a variety of distances, was a close second to Maxfield in the Grade 1 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs last month and is another who could take in the Pegasus before potentially flying to Saudi.

“He just missed in the Clark, but he regained his best form and it was a big effort,” said Pletcher. “We're keeping an eye on the Pegasus for him and he'll be nominated for Saudi. He's a versatile horse, as he showed when winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont which isn't a true two-turn race.”

Dr Post was well beaten in the Clark Stakes last time but is another who could follow a similar route.

“We'll nominate him for Saudi as well. We were a little disappointed in his Clark effort, he just didn't seem to handle the surface that day,” said Pletcher. “It was a hard track to make up ground, but he was second to Tiz The Law in the 2020 Belmont Stakes and we think the set up in Saudi would suit him.”

“The Pegasus is also an option for him. We'll just see how it plays out, how everyone trains and keep our options open.”

The final horse Pletcher is considering for The Saudi Cup, for which entries close on Jan. 5, 2022, is Fearless who won the G3 Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

“He was an impressive winner at the weekend. He hasn't run in a Grade 1 yet, so he may not get invited, but he's always been a solid horse and we're trying to break through to the top level.”

While a runner in The Saudi Cup would be a first for Pletcher, he is clearly giving it careful consideration. He said: “It depends on the individual horse. Life Is Good has had some time off which helps. It's great to have these opportunities, it's proven to be a very attractive race.”

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One Last Go for Maxfield in Clark

Godolphin homebred Maxfield (Street Sense) will look to take one more trip to the Churchill Downs winner's circle in Friday's GI Clark H. before he joins Darley's stallion roster for next year. The Grade I winner boasts a perfect four-for-four record under the Twin Spires, having most recently dominated the GII Stephen Foster S. over this same distance in June. Second to expected Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) in Saratoga's Aug. 7 GI Whitney S. and again to streaking Art Collector (Bernardini) in the GI Woodward S. at Belmont Oct. 2, the dark bay has earned four-straight Beyer Speed Figures of 103 or better. Dr Post (Quality Road), a dual Grade III winner this year, finished one spot behind Maxfield in the Woodward.

Sophomore Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) figures to seize the early lead from his rail draw and could prove tough to run down. This year's GIII Lecomte S. winner and GI Preakness S. runner-up clipped heels and lost his rider when crossed over on by Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in the GI Haskell Invitational S. in July, but bounced back the following month to run champion Essential Quality (Tapit) to a neck in the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 28, good for a 107 Beyer Speed Figure. He paired up that figure when proving second best to Hot Rod Charlie in the GI Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 25.

Lightly raced 4-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Happy Saver (Super Saver) aims for a late-season Grade I win for the second straight year. The Wertheimer homebred was four-for-four last term, capped by a victory in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup in October over subsequent G1 Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper). He resurfaced in May to take a Belmont optional claimer, but was third behind Max Player (Honor Code) and Mystic Guide in the July 3 GII Suburban S. and second behind the former in the repositioned Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Sept. 4.

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Pletcher’s Platoon Charts Course After Weekend Stakes At Belmont

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sent out three starters in Saturday's Grade 1 Champagne with maiden Commandperformance closing to finish second ahead of stablemates Wit and My Prankster in the one-turn mile for juveniles won by Jack Christopher.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Commandperformance lunged at the start of his six-furlong debut on September 6 over a muddy and sealed track at Saratoga, rallying to finish second.

On Saturday, with Tyler Gaffalione up from the outermost post 6, the Union Rags gray closed to finish second, just 2 3/4-lengths to Jack Christopher and seven lengths in front of Wit.

“He ran well first time out,” said Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes. “He came back and put in a good breeze here and we expected him to run up to his training. He got a good post position and Tyler rode him well. He ran a big race.”

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable's Wit was an impressive eight-length winner of the six-furlong G3 Sanford in July at Saratoga ahead of a troubled second in the seven-furlong G1 Hopeful where he stumbled at the break.

On Saturday, with regular pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, Wit was off a step slow and encountered traffic trouble approaching the quarter pole.

“He got in a little trouble on the turn,” Hughes said. “Irad said there was a tired horse in front of him and that he was going in and out and was trying to find the best route. He couldn't find a hole right away and that might have cost him a few lengths.”

Robert and Lawana Low's My Prankster was a 10-length maiden winner at first asking sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs on Aug. 21 at the Spa, but failed to make an impact in the Champagne.

“We didn't have any excuse for him after the race or this morning. We'll regroup with him and go for there,” Hughes said.

St. Elias Stable's Dr Post exited the inside post under Ortiz Jr. in the G1 Woodward but was forced to rally five-wide down the lane to complete the trifecta, 2 1/2-lengths to Art Collector.

“It was a big effort. He went the widest out of everybody. He was still grinding it out there at the end,” Hughes said. “I thought it was a good effort. A little more pace and maybe back to two turns might help, but the effort was definitely what we wanted to see from him for sure.”

Spendthrift Farm homebred Following Sea, a 3-year-old Runhappy colt, has made a trio of starts for Pletcher this year, besting elders in an allowance sprint in June at Belmont ahead of a second via disqualification in the nine-furlong G1 Haskell on July 17. Last out, Following Sea finished third in the seven-furlong G1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on Aug. 28 at the Spa.

Following Sea breezed a half-mile solo in 48.38 Saturday on the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for a start in the six-furlong G2, $250,000 Vosburgh on Oct/ 9, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Del Mar.

“He did it all well within himself,” said Hughes regarding the breeze. “He had a good gallop out and cooled out OK. He looked good this morning. We're very happy with the way he's training right now. Hopefully he runs like he's been training.”

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Pacific Classic Day Figures To Be Busy One For Michael McCarthy

Trainer Mike McCarthy has four of his own charges to saddle in three of the five graded stakes on Saturday's $1 million TVG Pacific Classic card in Del Mar, Calif. – and one extra.

McCarthy has multiple graded stakes winner Smooth Like Strait, the 9-5 second choice to 8-5 favorite Mo Forza in the Grade 2 $300,000 Del Mar Mile, the seventh race on the program. He has Independence Hall (5-1) and former boss Todd Pletcher's Dr Post (4-1) to take care of in the G1 Pacific Classic. And he'll end the busy day with two to saddle, Crossfirehurricane (30-1) and Master Piece (15-1) in the G2 Del Mar Handicap Presented by The Japan Racing Association, which is the nightcap of an 11-race program.

For most of the build-up to the Classic, it appeared that Independence Hall would not be a participant. The Charles Town Classic on Aug. 27 was considered the destination for the 4-year-old son of Constitution.

But things changed.

“We decided to run him right out of his stall rather than ship across country,” McCarthy said. “He's a horse that has a lot of ability and he's trained well up to this point. We'll lead him over and hope for the best. It's a great position (No. 7) and hopefully we get a good break and take it from there.”

Two late changes, announced at the post position draw, worth noting: Florent Geroux replacing the originally announced Trevor McCarthy in the saddle and the addition of blinkers.

McCarthy, an assistant to Pletcher for 11 ½ years before going out on his own, has had Dr Post in his stable since the horse's arrival from Saratoga on Tuesday and will do the saddling duties. Pletcher, recently recovered from a bout of COVID, will remain in New York.

Dr Post, a 4-year-old son of Quality Road who was a $400,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, has nearly doubled his purchase price with four wins from nine career starts. He has two G3 wins from three 2021 starts. His only loss came in the G1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap.

Pletcher's entire previous Del Mar experience came during the 2017 Breeders' Cup when he had one win and five out-of-the-money results from six starters and left with earnings of $144,345. Destin got Pletcher's crew off to a good start winning the Marathon, but a fifth-place from March X Press in the Juvenile Turf Sprint was the best from five other starters.

McCarthy's Smooth Like Strait is nearing millionaire status with $983,823 from seven wins in 16 lifetime starts entering the Del Mar Mile. The 4-year-old son of Midnight Lute won the G3 La Jolla Handicap and was second in the G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar in 2020 and was second, beaten a neck by United, in the G2 Eddie Read on July 24.

“I thought he was a little unlucky in the Eddie Read, but he came out of it good and has trained well,” McCarthy said. “This is obviously an excellent race, a strong field, but he likes Del Mar and gives a good effort every time.”

Crossfirehurricane was imported from Ireland and made his U.S. debut for McCarthy in the Shoemaker that was won by stablemate Smooth Like Strait in May. Having some time to acclimate to new surroundings and going from a mile race to the 1 3/8 miles of the Del Mar Handicap should be more to the Kitten's Joy colt's liking.

“He needs to have some pace to run at and obviously he's going to get that,” McCarthy said.

Master Piece is a newcomer to the McCarthy barn, having made his first four U.S. starts since arrival from South America for trainer Chad Brown in the Midwest or East.

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