Tag: Life Is Good

Updated Pegasus Invitations Released

A half-dozen horses have been added to the second list of invitees for the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. to be held Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park.

Those joining the original list, headed by likely Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) are recent Tenacious S. winner Chess Chief (Into Mischief); Fearless (Ghostzapper), last-out winner of the GIII Harlan's Holiday S.; Law Professor (Constitution), who took the off-turf GII Santa Anita Mathis Mile S. Dec. 26; Olympiad (Speightstown), an impressive Gulfstream allowance scorer Jan. 15; SW & MGISP Stilleto Boy (Shackleford); and GSW Title Ready (More Than Ready).

Reserves on the second list include American Theorem (American Pharoah), Commandeer (Street Boss), Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro), Forewarned (Flat Out) and Happy American (Runhappy).

Flavius (War Front) has been added to the field for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf, headed by its defending champion Colonel Liam (Liam's Map). Formerly trained for Juddmonte Farms by Chad Brown, the 7-year-old, acquired for $230,000 at last year's Keeneland November Sale, is a three-time stakes winner, including last year's Fasig-Tipton Lure S. at Saratoga. Flavius takes the place of GI Arlington Million winner Two Emmys (English Channel) on the original list.

Reserves on the second list are Atone (Into Mischief), Bob and Jackie (Twirling Candy), English Bee (English Channel) and Law Professor (Constitution).

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Life Is Good Prepares for Pegasus

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s TDN Rising Star Life Is Good (Into Mischief) posted another sharp work Saturday morning as he readies for his next scheduled start in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Jan. 29.

The 4-year-old breezed five furlongs in 1:00.36 at Palm Beach Downs for Todd Pletcher, third-fastest of 14 horses at the distance Saturday.

“Just another super work this morning,” said the Hall of Famer of the 3-year-old Eclipse finalist. “Looked awesome, finished up really strong, galloped out great. Looks good here [Saturday] afternoon. We're very, very happy with him. I had him in a minute and 2/5, had him shading :23 the last quarter. He galloped out seven-eighths in 1:26 2/5 and just looked great doing it.”

Saturday's work was Life Is Good's sixth work since his front-running 5 3/4-length score in the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar.

Earning a Rising Star badge following his 9 1/2-length victory for Bob Baffert in his sole start of 2020, he won his next two to kick off his sophomore season in the GIII Sham S. and GII San Felipe S. Runner-up to Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in his first start for Pletcher in the Aug. 28 GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., the bay galloped in the GII Kelso H. before airing on Breeders' Cup Day.

“I love the way he's settled in here. He's been really training well, but also a little more relaxed,” Pletcher said. “I think he likes the environment at Palm Beach Downs. We kind of take him out when he's the only horse on the racetrack, so he's enjoying that.”

He added, “His works, he couldn't work any better, but he's always been such an exceptional work horse that I guess anything other than exceptional would be concerning. He seems to be every bit as good or better than he was going into the Breeders' Cup.”

Also slated to run on the Pegasus card, Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map), who prepares to defend his title in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, exited his five-furlong breeze in 1:00.23 at Palm Beach Downs Friday in fine form. Friday's move was the fastest of 11 horses.

“I am very pleased,” he said. “It looks like he's coming up to it in good order. One more breeze to go, but all systems go.”

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‘Every Bit As Good Or Better’: Life Is Good Breezes For Pegasus World Cup

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good turned in another sharp work Saturday morning as he nears his next scheduled start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old Into Mischief gelding breezed five furlongs in 1:00.36 at Palm Beach Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, third-fastest of 14 horses. Pletcher continues to be impressed with the way he Life Is Good is heading into the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus.

“Just another super work this morning. Looked awesome, finished up really strong, galloped out great. Looks good here this afternoon. We're very, very happy with him,” Pletcher said. “I had him in a minute and two-fifths, had him shading 23 [seconds] the last quarter. He galloped out seven-eighths in 1:26 and two and just looked great doing it.”


Saturday was Life Is Good's sixth work since his front-running 5 ¾-length triumph in the Breeders' Cup Nov. 6, the last five coming in South Florida, where he has never raced and had never trained until mid-December.

Based in California at 2 and for the start of his 3-year-old year, winning the Sham (G3) and San Felipe (G2), Life Is Good joined Pletcher last summer and suffered his first career loss by a neck in the H. Allen Jerkens (G1). He beat older horses in each of his last two starts, prepping for the Breeders' Cup in the one-mile Kelso (G2).

The Sham, at 1 1/16 miles, is the longest race to date for Life Is Good.

“I love the way he's settled in here. He's been really training well, but also a little more relaxed,” Pletcher said. “I think he likes the environment at Palm Beach Downs. We kind of take him out when he's the only horse on the racetrack, so he's enjoying that.

“His works, he couldn't work any better but he's always been such an exceptional work horse that I guess anything other than exceptional would be concerning,” he added. “He seems to be every bit as good or better than he was going into the Breeders' Cup.”

Pletcher said Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam emerged well from his five-furlong breeze in 1:00.23 Friday at Palm Beach Downs, the fastest of 11 horses, as he prepares to defend his title in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

“Very pleased. It looks like he's coming up to it in good order,” he said. “One more breeze to go, but all systems go.”

Other Pletcher horses on the initial Pegasus Turf invite list were Repole Stable's Never Surprised and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Largent. Never Surprised, winner of Gulfstream's Dec. 26 Tropical Park Derby, remains on track following a Friday breeze in 51.40 seconds at Palm Beach Downs.

Largent ran fourth in the Tropical Turf (G3) Jan. 8 at Gulfstream, his first start since finishing second by a neck to Colonel Liam in last winter's Pegasus Turf.

“I have to talk to the connections. I don't know that we're going to be able to bounce back in three weeks,” Pletcher said. “I want to see how he does this week, but right now we're just kind of playing it day by day.”

The Pegasus World Cup program will feature seven graded-stakes worth $5.2 million in purses, including the inaugural $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3) where Pletcher is planning to run the Lows' multiple graded-stakes winner Sweet Melania. Sweet Melania worked a half-mile in 50.43 seconds Friday at Palm Beach Downs.

Also on the work tab for Pletcher Saturday was Donegal Racing's Mo Donegal. The 3-year-old son of champion Uncle Mo, winner of the Dec. 4 Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct, went five furlongs in 1:01.26, fourth-fastest of 14 horses, and is being pointed to the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) Feb. 5 as his season debut.

“Mo Donegal worked this morning, five-eighths, and went really well,” Pletcher said. “We're on target for the Holy Bull.”

The post ‘Every Bit As Good Or Better’: Life Is Good Breezes For Pegasus World Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Eclipse Award Finalists Announced

Knicks Go (Paynter) was one of a dozen winners at the 2021 Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar in early November to be named Eclipse Award finalists, as the candidates in 11 equine and five human categories were announced Saturday morning on TVG.

While the finalists for 2021 were not revealed–they will be announced at the conclusion of the Eclipse Award ceremony at Santa Anita Feb. 10–it is a fait accompli that Knicks Go will take home the evening's most coveted award. The grey, winner of the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, capped his 5-year-old season in style with a powerhouse victory in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, easily accounting for 3-year-old Eclipse Award finalists Medina Spirit (Protonico) and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit). He was undefeated at two turns in 2021, which also included a pillar-to-post tally in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga, where he had older male finalist Maxfield (Street Sense) 4 1/4 lengths behind him.

The sophomore male division will prove one of the biggest cliffhangers at this year's awards ceremony, as voters will have been forced to choose between the season-long consistency of Essential Quality and Medina Spirit, whose Kentucky Derby 'win' remains an open question and whom many will have opposed on non racing-related grounds, but whose resume features a defeat of elders in the GI Awesome Again S. and a superior finish in the Classic. The brilliant 'Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) earned a spot on the ballot courtesy of his towering score in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Knicks Go and Life Is Good are headed towards a highly anticipated clash in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in two weeks' time.

The Sprint divisions should prove for more interesting theater. In the male sprint category, Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) was routinely the fastest horse over the course of the season, but stubbed his toe on championship day, finishing well behind Aloha West (Hard Spun). There may also be a smattering of support for 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), smashing winner of the GI Runhappy Malibu S. in his graded stakes debut in December.

The same cloud hanging over Medina Spirit looms a factor in whether 'Rising Star' Gamine (Into Mischief) earns a second consecutive female sprint statuette. Not nearly as dominating as she was in 2020, she nevertheless was the only member of the divisional heavies to score multiple times at Grade I level, though she was beaten on the square by Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) on Breeders' Cup Saturday. Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot) is a decided outsider.

'Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road) will be heavily favored–despite some opposition–to give his sire another juvenile champion, and 'Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) looms one of the night's unanimous picks in the fillies' division.

Other Breeders' Cup winners to garner spots on the ballot include GI Juvenile Turf hero Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), one of three BC-winning finalists for his remarkable sire; Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), GI Juvenile Fillies Turf; Space Blues (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}, Mile; Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Turf; and Japan's first Eclipse finalists Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

Noteworthy in the human categories are Godolphin, who are finalists in both the champion owner and breeder categories, and trainer Brad Cox, who conditioned Knicks Go and Essential Quality in a season in which his stable earned record prize money. The same can be said for Joel Rosario, who will be favored to pick up the Eclipse for champion jockey.

2yo Male

Corniche (Quality Road)

Jack Christopher (Munnings)

Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})

 

2yo Filly

Echo Zulu (Gun Runner)

Juju's Map (Liam's Map)

Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus})

 

3yo Male

Essential Quality (Tapit)

Life Is Good (Into Mischief)

Medina Spirit (Protonico)

 

3yo Filly

Clairiere (Curlin)

Malathaat (Curlin)

Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB})

 

Older Dirt Male

Knicks Go (Paynter)

Maxfield (Street Sense)

Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper)

 

Older Dirt Female

Letruska (Super Saver)

Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn})

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil)

 

Male Sprinter

Aloha West (Hard Spun)

Flightline (Tapit)

Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music)

 

Female Sprinter

Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot)

Ce Ce (Elusive Quality)

Gamine (Into Mischief)

 

Male Turf Horse

Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB})

Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})

Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})

 

Female Turf Horse

Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})

Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB})

War Like Goddess (English Channel)

 

Steeplechase

Baltimore Bucko (GB) (Sholokhov {Ire})

Snap Decision (Hard Spun)

The Mean Queen (Ire) (Doyen {Ire})

 

Owner

Godolphin LLC

Juddmonte Farms Inc.

Klaravich Stables Inc.

 

Breeder

Calumet Farm

Godolphin LLC

Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC

 

Jockey

Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Flavien Prat

Joel Rosario

 

Apprentice Jockey

John Hiraldo

Charlie Marquez

Jessica Pyfer

 

Trainer

Steve Asmussen

Chad Brown

Brad Cox

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