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Derby Prep: Dazzling Maiden Winner Life Is Good Stretches Out In Saturday’s Sham Stakes

A dazzling 9 ½ length maiden winner in his first start, Bob Baffert's Life Is Good will no doubt be a short priced favorite as he stretches out to a flat mile and heads a field of five sophomores in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.

Named in honor of the winner of the 1973 Santa Anita Derby, the Sham winner will receive 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, with four to second, two to third and one Derby qualifying point to the fourth place finisher.

Off at 1-5 with Mike Smith up in a field of five going 6 ½ furlongs on Nov. 22 at Del Mar, Life Is Good earned a lofty 91 Beyer Speed figure in his maiden win, easily best of those competing in the Sham. Purchased as a Keeneland September Yearling for $525,000, he made the lead easily through splits of 21.80, 44.80 and 1:09 flat en route to a smashing 9 ½ length score while getting the distance in 1:15.40.

Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, Life Is Good is by top stallion Into Mischief and is out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk, who was winless in five starts. Owned by China Horse Club, Inc. and WinStar Farm, Life Is Good will be making his second start as he tries to provide Baffert, who won the 2020 Sham with eventual Kentucky Derby winner Authentic, with his record seventh Sham Stakes winner.

Baffert will also be represented by first-out maiden winner Medina Spirit, who sped to a three length score going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos on Dec. 11 while earning a 76 Beyer.

The John Shirreffs-conditioned Parnelli, a $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling, was attentive to the early pace en route to a huge 5 ¾ length maiden win as the 1-5 favorite going a flat mile at Del Mar on Nov. 28. Owned by Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable, Parnelli, who is by Quality Road, out of the unraced Bernardini mare Sip Sip, will likely set a close second to Life Is Good in what will be his fifth start. Second in his first three assignments, the last two at one mile, Parnelli earned a 79 Beyer in breaking his maiden and will be ridden back by Drayden Van Dyke.

Shirreffs will also saddle Waspirant, who also broke his maiden at one mile, winning by three quarters of a lengths after stalking the pace on Aug. 29 at Del Mar with regular rider Umberto Rispoli. Subsequently a well beaten fourth in the G1 American Pharoah going a mile and one sixteenth here Sept. 26, he'll be making his fourth start and third consecutive try at two turns in the Sham.

Owned and bred by Pam and Martin Wygod, Waspirant is by Union Rags out of the Storm Cat mare Life is Sweet, who was a multiple Grade I stakes winning earner of more than $1.8 million.

A first-out maiden $32,000 claiming winner going 5 ½ furlongs here on Oct. 12, trainer Andrew Lerner's Uncle Boogie came back to be a solid second in a first condition allowance going 5 ½ furlongs as the even money favorite at Del Mar Oct. 31. Most recently second to runaway winner Red Flag in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs Nov. 15, Uncle Boogie, a Florida-bred colt by Ride On Curlin who was purchased for $38,000 at an Ocala Sales 2-year-old in training sale in July, retains the services of Flavien Prat will likely seek a stalking trip in his first try around two turns. Owned by Eric Homme, he'll be making his fourth overall start.

THE G3 SHAM STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Medina Spirit—Abel Cedillo—120
Waspirant—Umberto Rispoli—120
Parnelli—Drayden Van Dyke—120
Uncle Boogie—Flavien Prat—120
Life Is Good—Mike Smith—120

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

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Unbeaten Mineshaft Colt Impressive in Come-From-Behind Springboard Mile Score

The unbeaten Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) put himself on the map with an ultra-impressive, last-to-first victory in Friday evening’s Remington Springboard Mile.

Off a beat slow from his rail draw, Senor Buscador caboosed the field in 10th–some 17 lengths behind–through contested fractions of :23.52 and :47.22. He began to wind up entering the far turn, caught the eye with a visually impressive sweeping move approaching the quarter pole and kept on motoring from there to inhale the field in the stretch and win going away.

Cowan, runner-up in the GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and one of only two contestants racing free of Lasix, completed the exacta.

“He broke bad, but that was good because he settled down on the backstretch,” winning jockey Luis Quinonez said. “On the turn for home, I thought, ‘Oh my God, what a horse I have.’ It feels like he can go farther.”

Senor Buscador also passed them all on debut for a good-looking tally going 5 1/2 furlongs at Remington Nov. 6.

“We’ll see how he comes back and then take him to Houston and possibly on to the Fair Grounds for their stakes schedule,” winning trainer Todd Fincher said. “We do what’s best for the horse. That’s my responsibility. So we’ll see.”

He continued, “The first time he won, he really didn’t know what he was doing or what was going on. He was really ornery in the post parade. But he was impressive in that race even though he sure doesn’t like breaking from the gate.”

Favored Outadore (Outwork), third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, tired to fifth after pressing the early leader in his dirt debut here.

The winner’s dam Rose’s Desert, also represented by GIII Sunland Derby hero Runaway Ghost (Ghostzapper), was bred to Candy Ride (Arg) for 2021.

In 2017, the Springboard Mile was added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race schedule, offering points to the top four finishers on a 10-4-2-1 basis. Points, however, are awarded only to horses who compete on race day without Lasix in the series leading up to the First Saturday in May.

REMINGTON SPRINGBOARD MILE S., $200,000, Remington, 12-18, 2yo, 1m, 1:37.87, ft.
1–SENOR BUSCADOR, 121, c, 2, by Mineshaft
1st Dam: Rose’s Desert (MSW, $626,035), by Desert God
2nd Dam: Miss Glen Rose, by Peaks and Valleys
3rd Dam: Snippet, by Alysheba
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.; B-Joe R Peacock
Sr. & Joe R Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher; J-Luis S.
Quinonez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $137,247. *1/2
to Sheriff Brown (Curlin), SW, $136,671; Runaway Ghost
(Ghostzapper), GSW, $783,509.
2–Cowan, 121, c, 2, Kantharos–Tempers Flair, by Smart Strike.
($185,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP; $385,000 RNA 2yo ’20 OBSMAR).
O-William & Corinne Heiligbrodt, Madaket Stables LLC &
Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Inc (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen. $40,000.
3–Red N Wild, 121, c, 2, Bayern–Contrasting, by Distorted
Humor. ($9,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O/T-Terry Eoff; B-Lunsford &
Sikura Racing, LLC (KY); $22,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 3 3/4, NO. Odds: 3.90, 3.70, 30.20.
Also Ran: Saffa’s Day, Outadore, Joe Frazier, Vim and Vigor, Number One Dude, Flash of Mischief, Gushing Oil. Scratched: Game Day Play.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Last-To-First Rally In Springboard Mile Sends Senor Buscador Onto Derby Trail

Senor Buscador means Lord Seeker in English. Jockey Luis Quinonez must have been saying some prayers in the early going when he was about 17 lengths behind in the field of 10 for the $200,000 Springboard Mile on Friday, Dec. 18 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Senor Buscador and Quinonez made up every bit of their trailing deficit, and more, to win the Springboard, Remington Park's top 2-year-old offering and a Kentucky Derby qualifying-points race. After making the lead before mid-stretch, Senor Buscador pulled away with ease to win by 5 3/4 lengths.

“He broke bad, but that was good because he settled down on the backstretch,” said Quinonez. “On the turn for home, I thought, 'Oh my God, what a horse I have.' It feels like he can go farther.”

This 2-year-old colt by Mineshaft, out of the Desert God mare Rose's Desert, showed signs of his bloodlines from his 2003 Horse of the Year sire. Mineshaft finished his career that year with three Grade 1 wins in a row, sweeping the Suburban Handicap, the Woodward Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup all at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Two of those races came at 1 1/4 miles and the other at 1 1/8 miles. Mineshaft won 10-of-18 starts lifetime for $2.2 million in earnings.

It sure looked like Senor Buscador wasn't stopping as he cleared the field and drove through the finish line without being asked to run by Quinonez.

On the dam side, Rose's Desert's sire was unraced, but she won 10-of-15 starts, albeit in New Mexico, winning $626,035 in her career. That's not easy to do on that circuit. Rose's Desert won most of her stakes sprinting, taking one at one mile.

“She had bad ankles and still did that,” said trainer Todd Fincher. “She did win one around two turns.”

The New Mexico circuit is one Fincher frequents and calls home. He said it doesn't look like their 3-year-old races are going to be a go this year, sending Senor Buscador in search of his next late-running effort.

“We'll see how he comes back tomorrow and then take him to Houston and possibly on to the Fair Grounds (in New Orleans) for their stakes schedule,” said Fincher. “We do what's best for the horse. That's my responsibility. So we'll see.”

Senor Buscador won his first race, a maiden event, at 5 1/2 furlongs by 2 1/2 lengths at Remington Park on Nov. 6, but he was very green in that race.

“The first time he won, he really didn't know what he was doing or what was going on,” said Fincher. “He was really ornery in the post parade. But he was impressive in that race even though he sure doesn't like breaking from the gate.”

Senor Buscador was 10 lengths behind in his career debut after a half-mile and still caught his opponents like they were standing still. He went off at 7-2 odds in that maiden race, and was amazing enough for his fans to knock him down from 15-1 morning line odds in the Springboard to go off at 7-2 again.

Senor Buscador paid $9.80 to win, $5.80 to place and $4.60 to show across the board. Cowan (7-2), a shipper from Keeneland out of trainer Steve Asmussen's barn, was a distant second and he was 3 3/4 lengths ahead of longshot Red N Wild (30-1), who finished the slimmest of noses ahead of fourth place Saffa's Day (9-1).

The 7-5 betting favorite, another shipper from Wesley Ward's barn, Outadore, could do no better than fifth. He had run third in the Grade 1, $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. in his last start before the Springboard.

The rest of the Springboard order of finish was Joe Frazier (9-1) sixth, Vim and Vigor (61-1) seventh, Number One Dude (9-1) eighth, Flash of Mischief (23-1) ninth and Gushing Oil (33-1) last. Game Day Play was a late scratch after he got loose in the walk over to the paddock before the race, hopping the outside rail on the backstretch, and then going back to his barn.

Senor Buscador wasn't in the same time zone with the Springboard field during the early part of the race. The pacesetters, Saffa's Day and Flash of Mischief, hit the timers in :23.52 for the first quarter-mile, :47.22 for the half-mile and 1:12.51 for three-quarters of a mile. Senor Buscador made the lead at the top of the stretch, reaching the time for seven furlongs in 1:25.69. He stopped the mile timer at the wire in 1:37.87 over the fast track.

Senor Buscador put up a quality time for the mile on the night compared to older horses earlier in the program. Dont Tell Noobody, a 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred gelding, won the one-mile $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes in 1:39.50. Dipping In, a 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly, won the $70,000 Useeit Stakes at one mile in 1:40.69.

Senor Buscador earned $120,000 for owner Joe Peacock Jr., of San Antonio, and is two-for-two lifetime with $137,247 in earnings. He was bred in Kentucky by the owner and his father, Joe Peacock, Sr., both of San Antonio.

Senor Buscador was the second Springboard win for Quinonez who won aboard Louies Flower in 2013. He provided the first victory in the race for the rest of his connections.

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TVG’s Weekend Coverage Highlighted By Road To The Kentucky Derby Preps

The road to the 2021 Kentucky Derby will run through Remington Park and Los Alamitos this weekend with live coverage of the $200,000 Remington Springboard Mile on Friday and the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) on TVG, America's horse racing network. Additional stakes races from Fair Grounds and Gulfstream Park will highlight the weekend's broadcast.

With qualifying points for the 2021 Kentucky Derby on the line, Friday night's $200,000 Remington Springboard Mile has drawn a field of eleven juveniles to compete in the one-mile contest. Outadore, third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) for trainer Wesley Ward, will square off against a pair of rivals for trainer Steve Asmussen including Cowan, the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1). Post time for the Remington Springboard Mile is 11:28 p.m. Eastern.

TVG's Mike Joyce and Britney Eurton will be live on-site at Los Alamitos this weekend with expert analysis and insights into Saturday's ten-race card including the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), the fourth race of the day. The race offers points towards a spot in the starting gate at the 2021 Kentucky Derby and has drawn a field of six including Spielberg for trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert has won the last six editions of the Los Alamitos Futurity and saddled Thousand Words to victory in 2019 with Flavien Prat aboard. Prat also has the mount on Spielberg.

The action will continue at Fair Grounds this weekend with a supersized thirteen race card which will feature six stakes races. The thirteenth and final race on the card, the $75,000 Tenacious Stakes, will mark the return of promising 3-year-old Maxfield for trainer Brendan Walsh. A homebred for Godolphin, the dark bay son of Street Sense is undefeated from three starts and has been on the sidelines since a victory in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in May. Florent Geroux will be in the irons.

The featured race at Gulfstream Park on Saturday is the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) which has attracted a contentious field of twelve including the 2019 winner, Diamond Oops for trainer Patrick Biancone. The 5-year-old gelding, sixth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) will face off against multiple graded stakes winner Firenze Fire for trainer Kelly Breen.

In addition to racing from Los Alamitos, Remington Park and Fair Grounds, TVG will also be featuring Aqueduct, Tampa Bay Downs, Laurel Park and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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