Mike Smith | Horse Racing Free Tips

Van Dyke, Rispoli Handed Days Over Repeated Whip Use Infractions

California riders Drayden Van Dyke and Umberto Rispoli will each be serving three-day suspensions for repeatedly violating new whip rules in the state. Both riders have been fined for previous whip rule violations, which now prohibit jockeys from hitting horses overhanded, hitting more than six times in a race, or hitting more than two times in succession.

Rispoli will serve his days Jan. 16, 17, and 18 for the latest offense in the fifth race at Santa Anita on Jan. 8. Van Dyke will serve his days Jan. 17, 18, and 22 after violating the rules in the third race the following day.

It is the fourth offense related to whip use in 60 days for both riders.

Jockeys at Santa Anita have spoken out against the rules, which were approved by the California Horse Racing Board in late 2020. Hall of Famer Mike Smith took up for his fellow riders, raising questions about the safety of under-handed whip use and also voicing concerns about the fairness of whip limitations to horseplayers.

Read Smith's open letter to the CHRB on the issue here.

Baffert: Life Is Good And Authentic Both Showed ‘Raw Talent’ In Sham

Life Is Good continued on the path of 2020 Horse-of-the-Year-in-waiting Authentic when he won Saturday's Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., although the three-quarter length margin of victory wasn't as large as his odds of 20 cents on the dollar might have warranted.

But Bob Baffert will take it.

All was well Sunday morning as the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer pondered his next move with both Life Is Good and Sham runner-up Medina Spirit, which he also conditions.

“They both came back well so we're pretty happy about both of them,” Baffert said as he embarks yet again on the Triple Crown trail.

“The San Felipe (on March 6) is a race we're considering, but I might keep them separated,” Baffert added. “I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. It's a long way off, but they both ran really well.

“One might go out of town or they might stay here. I don't know yet. It's too far out. The important thing is they ran well and we thought they would and they ran fast.”

Life Is Good led throughout after breaking from the outside post position in a compact field of five. The bay Into Mischief colt set fractions of 23.56, 46.67, 1:10.66 and 1:23.24 under Mike Smith, who had a four-length lead entering the stretch and never touched him with the crop, although he did have to show it to him when Medina Spirit closed the gap as his touted stablemate drifted out in the final sixteenth.

“I always tell Mike to try and save something,” Baffert said. “Life Is Good wasn't as tired as I thought he could have been. He needs to learn to relax a little bit better, but he will. He'll mature, just like Authentic.

“When he won the Sham last year, he was sort of puzzling, zig-zagging all the way down the stretch, but they're babies.

“Still, you can see their raw talent.”

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Heavy Favorite Life Is Good Wins Sham But Baffert Stablemate Medina Spirit Made It Close

Sent from his outside post position, heavily favored Life Is Good was running easily throughout but survived a mild scare late from stablemate Medina Spirit to prevail by three quarters of a length in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., thus stamping his ticket for the early trail to the Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Bob Baffert, who won last year's Sham with eventual Derby winner Authentic, Life Is Good, a striking bay colt by Into Mischief, got a flat mile in 1:36.63 and despite the fact the winning margin was evaporating late, held sway on the gallop-out around the Club House turn as he seemed to re-focus while not letting Medina Spirit pass him at any point.

“It was his first time around two turns,” said Smith, who had been aboard for a sensational 9 ½ length maiden win going 6 ½ furlongs on Nov. 22 at Del Mar. “He got away just a little slow, but he got up and of course he's naturally so quick, he was just up underneath himself. Just as we were heading for home, he was doing things all by himself so easy out there.

“He didn't know what he was doing going twice around, and he just got the lead and was looking out at the Infield on the big screen. He could see himself, and he got to looking, but I was watching as well so I saw the horse coming on the outside. I didn't want to panic, I just showed it (the stick) to him a little bit. What I liked really was after the race, when I stood up and the (other) horse got next to me, he jumped back in the bridle and I mean I had to pull him up.

“He's just very, very talented. We don't know yet how talented. We haven't gotten close yet.”

Off at 1-5 in a field of five sophomores, Life Is Good paid $2.40, $2.10 and $2.10.

“Medina is a nice horse, he's a good horse and I could tell that Mike was just cruising out there,” said Baffert, who has now won a record seven Sham Stakes. “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 out there and it was just the kind of race we were looking for. They ran pretty fast…It is so exciting he passed the two turn test.”

Owned by CHC Inc. and Winstar Farm, Life Is Good, who was bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West and is out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk, picked up 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, along with $60,000 for the win, which increased his earnings to $94,200.

Medina Spirit, who broke his maiden first time out going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos, sat second the entire trip and finished some 13 lengths clear of Parnelli. Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Medina Spirit was off at 9-1 and paid $3.60 and $2.20.

The second choice at 9-2 with Drayden Van Dyke, Parnelli paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.56, 46.67, 1:10.66 and 1:23.24.

Medina Spirit picked up four Derby qualifying points, Parnelli two and fourth place finisher Waspirant will receive one point.

Updated Kentucky Derby points leaderboard

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races are available free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager via 1^st.com/Bet.

The post Heavy Favorite Life Is Good Wins Sham But Baffert Stablemate Medina Spirit Made It Close appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘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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