santa anita derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Surgery for Life is Good

WinStar Farm and CHC's Life is Good (Into Mischief) has officially been taken out of consideration for the GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed on Los Angeles radio Sunday morning.

“He couldn't have worked more beautifully,” Baffert told Mike Willman on Thoroughbred LA radio. “It was a great, nice cruising work like he usually does. He's so light on his feet. He came back, the rider said he felt great…Then all of a sudden later in the morning, you could tell something was bothering him in the hind leg. He took a couple funny steps, so that's when we realized he had done something to his hind leg. He'll be fine, he'll be back. It wasn't anything serious, but it's enough that he'll need some time off.”

Later Sunday, XBTV's Millie Ball quoted Baffert in a tweet, “He has a very small chip in his left hind ankle. Dr. [Larry] Bramlage will do the surgery on Friday in Kentucky at Rood & Riddle.”

Life is Good is unbeaten in three starts, most recently romping by eight lengths in the Mar. 6 GII San Felipe S.

With Life Is Good out of the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, Baffert said he's planning on running San Felipe S. runner-up Medina Spirit (Protonico) and possibly Defunded (Dialed In), a Mar. 6 maiden winner at Santa Anita in the Apr. 3 race.

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Life Is Good Exits Breeze ‘A Little Off Behind,’ To Miss Santa Anita Derby

The unbeaten Into Mischief colt Life Is Good will not be entered in the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3 after coming out of a six-furlong breeze on Saturday morning “a little off behind,” according to his trainer, Bob Baffert.

“It's nothing obvious but he cooled off a little behind,” said Baffert. “So he's going to miss the Santa Anita Derby and we've got to do some tests on him. The timing is not good.”

Baffert does not believe the setback will be career ending.

“He would show a little something while cooling out, but then he would walk fine,” he said. “They'll do a scan to see what they can find.”

Life Is Good worked alone at about 9 a.m. PT, going six furlongs in 1:11.40 and galloping out well past the seven-eighths pole. Santa Anita officials lit up the video screen in the field at Baffert's request after jockey Mike Smith said the colt was bothered by the screen when he last ran in the G2 San Felipe on March 6, winning by eight lengths but drifting in and out in the stretch.

“His work was unbelievable,” Baffert said. “He went perfectly straight. They had the screen on and he went around there like nothing. He was good. Then, all of a sudden, you get an uppercut like this. That's why you can't get ahead of yourself in this game.”

Workout video courtesy of XBTV.com.

Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, Life Is Good races for WinStar Farm and CHC Inc., which purchased the colt for $525,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He broke his maiden at Del Mar in November, then added the G3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 2 before his victory in the San Felipe.

Life Is Good was made the 2-1 favorite in the most recent Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool.

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Unbeaten Life Is Good to Miss Runhappy Santa Anita Derby

Unbeaten star 3-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) came out of a workout Saturday at Santa Anita with what appears to be a minor problem, one that will keep him from starting in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby.

According to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, the horse was off in his left hind leg.

Baffert said it was too early to tell if Life Is Good could still make the GI Kentucky Derby. But Elliott Walden, the president and CEO of WinStar Farm, the co-owners of the horse, told horseracingnation.com that Life Is Good would be “out for a few months.” If that turns out to be the case, he will not make the Derby. In the last round of betting in the Derby Future wager, Life Is Good was the 2-1 favorite.

Life Is Good worked six furlongs in a bullet 1:11.40 Saturday. Initially, Baffert was pleased with what he saw.

“He breezed really well,” he said. “Cooling out, we noticed the problem. Something is going on. It's nothing obvious. It's not that he's lame. He just isn't 100%.”

Baffert said the recent runaway winner of the GII San Felipe S. may be sent to Dr. Larry Bramlage for tests.

“The timing is bad,” Baffert said. “It's disappointing and frustrating. He is such a brilliant horse. At least this is not something that should be career ending.”

While Baffert may not be able to run what is considered his best 3-year-old in the Derby, he has a powerful bench. He has four other horses that have enough points at this juncture to make the Derby.

That group is led by GII Rebel S. winner and fellow 'Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street Sense).

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Santa Anita To Open To Limited Number of Fans April 2

Beginning Friday, Apr. 2 and in keeping with the State of California's guidelines for large sporting event venues, Santa Anita Park will open to a limited number of fans. The opening is one day prior to the running of the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby.

All tickets, which include an assigned seat, must be pre-purchased. For the time being, there will be no walk-up admissions, but that could be changed should COVID-19 numbers improve in Los Angeles County. To receive notifications on ticket sales as soon as they become available, fans are encouraged to sign up for Santa Anita's Newsletter.

“We are extremely excited to welcome back our racing fans to Santa Anita, just in time for the Santa Anita Derby,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager. “It hasn't been the same without the people who are so important to this sport. While the current restrictions are going to limit the size of the crowds, we are working hard to provide a memorable experience for our guests and to thank them for their support.”

Tickets will include a seat, program, and parking. All fans must follow stringent guidelines and protocols, including mandatory wearing of cloth face coverings and maintaining social distancing at all times. Box seats, tables and individual seats will be spaced out and sold to maximize social distancing.

For real-time updates, visit www.santaanita.com.

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