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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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Hot Rod Charlie Prepares for Belmont

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 under Flavien Prat at 7:45 a.m. at Santa Anita Saturday morning in preparation for the June 5 GI Belmont S. The colt worked in tandem with SW Liam's Pride (Liam's Map).

“I was very happy with the breeze,” said trainer Doug O'Neill. “I got him in 1:01 and out [six furlongs] in 1:13 and change.”

The winner of the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 20, the dark bay most recently finished third at 5-1 odds in the May 1 Kentucky Derby.

Prat, winner of last week's GI Preakness S. with Rombauer (Twirling Candy), is expected to be reunited with Hot Rod Charlie for the 1 1/2-mile Classic.

“He looked great,” added O'Neill. “If all goes well, he'll breeze again here Friday and get on a plane [to New York] on Saturday.”

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Study Finds That Trailering Is A Full-Body Workout For Horses

Many studies have been done on a horse's preferred position while traveling in a horse trailer, but not much is known on how the horse's body reacts while the trailer is in motion.

A research team led by Dr. Robert Colborne created a horse trailer that allowed them to study how a horse's body moves to compensate for trailer movement. They found that a horse's legs play a key role in dampening road vibrations from the trailer floor and helping a horse maintain his balance.

The study trailer had fitted force plates that allowed researchers to measure precisely how a horse moves in response to braking, turning, acceleration, and constant speed horses experience on a typical trailer trip. Two study horses were taken on a 56-mile trip that took 58 minutes to complete; it covered both city and country roads.

They discovered that in total, the horse's bodies moved over 228 and 320 feet vertically during the trip. Though these values seem large, the horse's movement was still less than the vertical movement of the trailer floor. This indicates that horse's use their legs as springs to dampen trailer vibrations.

The horses also adjusted their bodies horizontally to deal with braking. The team found that the horses moved 745 and 797 feet horizontally over the course of the trip. The horses swayed over 11 inches back and forth and side to side during the trip.

It is expected that as horses become more seasoned travelers that their energy expenditure to stay upright and maintain balance would decrease.

Classic Bound Sophs Highlight Saturday Worktab

On a brisk spring morning, Juddmonte Farm's Mandaloun (Into Mischief) began his serious preparation toward the GI Kentucky Derby with a half-mile breeze in :49.80 under jockey Florent Geroux Saturday. The GII Risen Star S. winner worked outside of stakes winner Australasia through a moderate :25.40 opening quarter-mile fraction. The duo galloped out together through five furlongs in 1:02.60 and completed the work with a six-furlong time of 1:16.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. Trained by Brad Cox, Mandaloun was the 6-5 favorite in the Mar. 20 GII Louisiana Derby, but finished a disappointing sixth.

“There really wasn't an excuse in the Louisiana Derby,” Cox said. “I hate to use the cliché of drawing a line through the race, but that is what we are doing. At the half-mile pole, he really didn't continue to put himself into the race and was out of gas. We had high hopes, obviously, that he would run better in that race. We talked it over with the folks from Juddmonte and if he continues to train well, we are going to pursue the Derby.”

Moments before Mandaloun's work, Cox's top GI Longines Kentucky Oaks contender Travel Column (Frosted) breezed a half-mile in :48.60. She began the work with a :24.60 quarter-mile time and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.

Other stars that recorded works Saturday morning at Churchill Downs included 2020 GI Preakness S. winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who worked a half-mile in :48 under jockey Robby Albarado and undefeated GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf hero Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire)), who worked a half-mile in :48.60 under Geroux.

On the West Coast, Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) worked four furlongs Saturday morning in :49.40 under Flavien Prat, while Derby-bound GII Rebel S. winner Concert Tour (Street Sense) went six furlongs in a bullet 1:12.80 for Bob Baffert.

“He went the last eighth in :11 and change,” trainer Doug O'Neill said of Hot Rod Charlie. “I'm very happy.”

Of the 145 recorded workouts, including 25 on the training track, 21 were for runners conditioned by O'Neill. Baffert also sent Rebel runner-up Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile) four furlongs in a bullet :46.60 as the colt prepares for next Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby. It was the fastest of 67 drills at the distance and almost three seconds quicker than the average time of :49.26

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