sham stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

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.”

The post Baffert: Life Is Good And Authentic Both Showed ‘Raw Talent’ In Sham appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Life is Good Possible for San Felipe

Life is Good (Into Mischief) exited his 3/4-length victory over late-closing stablemate Medina Spirit (Protonico) in Saturday’s GIII Sham S. in fine shape and could make his next start in the Mar. 6 GII San Felipe S., trainer Bob Baffert reported Sunday.

“They both came back well, so we’re pretty happy about both of them,” Baffert said. “The San Felipe is a race we’re considering, but I might keep them separated. I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet. It’s a long way off, but they both ran really well.”

Despite Life is Good’s fast-diminishing advantage nearing the wire Saturday, Baffert is not concerned about distance limitations for the ‘TDN Rising Star.’

“I always tell Mike [Smith] 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 [2020 GI Kentucky Derby and Sham S. winner] 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.”

The post Life is Good Possible for San Felipe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

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.

Source of original post

Newlywed Lerner Says Uncle Boogie Not In Sham Stakes ‘Just To Fill The Race’

Andrew Lerner didn't go on a honeymoon after he got married last Sunday. The 31-year-old trainer will celebrate later, but he could get an early start if longshot Uncle Boogie wins Saturday's Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

It will take some doing, however. Uncle Boogie, at 12-1 on Jon White's morning line, is the longest shot in the one-mile Kentucky Derby prep. He faces two promising colts trained by John Shirreffs and two by Bob Baffert, including 2-5 morning line favorite Life Is Good, already earmarked for the Hall of Fame in the opinion of some insiders, although he has had only one race.

Lerner and his bride, Katie, will have a “mini-honeymoon” at Cabo San Lucas in a couple weeks, since training requires a 24/7 commitment and “it's really tough to get away,” Lerner noted.

“Uncle Boogie is a longshot, but he's done nothing wrong so far and he definitely deserves a chance. He broke his maiden first out (by 6 ¼ lengths in a $32,000 claimer at Santa Anita last Oct. 12), then ran two seconds. He had trouble at the start in the (G3) Bob Hope and was too far back … so we're not in the Sham just to fill the race.”

Uncle Boogie is owned by Eric Homme, who “got into the game two years ago taking fractional percentages of horses. Uncle Boogie is the first horse he owns solely,” Lerner said.

Lerner already has had one winner this meet but it came while he was getting married, so he didn't have a chance to enjoy it. Octopus, of which Lerner owns a share along with Alydom Racing LLC, won Sunday's sixth race by a length and a quarter as the 4-5 favorite under Joel Rosario.

“I didn't get to watch it,” Lerner said, “My best man was giving his speech but my Dad (Ross) was behind him watching it on his phone simultaneously, and no one knew. But he gave me a signal that we won, so I knew what was going on.

“I was under the chuppah at the time but we were in the reception area kind of doing dinner and speeches with the best man and the bridesmaids. I didn't have my phone. I lost my phone privileges for the day, but my Dad came through like he always does.”

Shalom and Happy New Year.

The field for the Sham, race eight of nine with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Medina Spirit, Abel Cedillo, 6-1; Waspirant, Umberto Rispoli, 15-1; Parnelli, Drayden Van Dyke, 5-2; Uncle Boogie, Flavien Prat, 12-1; and Life Is Good, Mike Smith, 2-5.

The post Newlywed Lerner Says Uncle Boogie Not In Sham Stakes ‘Just To Fill The Race’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post