Life Is Good
Three years after combining to deliver U.S. racing its most recent triple crown star, the firm of trainer Bob Baffert, jockey Mike Smith and owners WinStar Farm and China Horse Club are starting to draw parallels with boom colt Life Is Good. The powerhouse front runner stimulated considerable discussion over the weekend when streeting rivals by eight lengths in the USD300,000 G2 San Felipe Stakes, a race that Authentic used as a platform to his Kentucky Derby success 12 months ago.
The Santa Anita Stakes feature has been dominated by the Baffert stable in recent years with the Hall of Fame trainer using it as an important litmus test to determine future key targets. The response from the undefeated Life Is Good was affirmative and definitive.
“I’ve always thought, you know, [Life Is Good] could be a super horse—we’ll find out today,” Baffert told Bloodhorse.com post-race.
“At the quarter pole, I could tell he was just still cruising, just doing it easy. I just feel fortunate that I have this horse in my barn. And my horse that ran second—he’s a really nice horse. I felt bad having to run him against (Life Is Good), but they need these races and I didn’t want to ship yet.”
Life Is Good secured 50 points for the Kentucky Derby and carried his record to three wins from as many starts. The son of Into Mischief also spearheaded a weekend of exceptional results for the China Horse Club. Just hours earlier, in Australia, the Club’s colours were carried to a facile win by exciting sprinter Wilder Ruler in the AUD 140,000 Listed Fireball Stakes (1100m), a stepping stone to the G1 The Galaxy in a fortnight’s time, an event that cemented the status of Russian Revolution as an elite stallion prospect for China Horse Club and partners four years ago.
Wild Ruler
Wild Ruler’s three-year-old season is mirroring that of his Newgate Farm based predecessor. Trainers Peter and Paul Snowden also put the polish on Wild Ruler and have trekked a path that has seen both colts win the G2 Roman Consul Stakes in the spring of their three-year-old seasons before targeting the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. Russian Revolution finished a close up fourth, Wild Ruler a determined third. The former was given two trials before resuming in G1 The Galaxy, Saturday’s Fireball Stakes was used to tighten the screws on Wild Ruler ahead of his tilt.
“[Wild Ruler] is really strong now and has developed a terrific turn of foot,” said champion jockey James McDonald.
“They went really hard but he just accelerated so well. Exciting horse.”
Co trainer Paul Snowden was equally emphatic in his assessment of Wild Ruler.
“Spring was a little too soon for him last campaign, yet he still performed so well. He was winning races when he wasn’t mature enough. Well, he is now.
“We knew we had a good one. And today, we anticipated something would go hard to a degree like that. It strung the horses out, but James was brilliant.
“He handled him superbly and you saw the result, [Wild Ruler] was very dominant late. We shall head to The Galaxy second up, that was always our intention because he can handle all ground – wet to fast.”
Not to be outdone, China Horse Club Australia’s breeding arm also enjoyed a positive boost with Equation becoming its latest stakes winning graduate. The daughter of former CHC colour bearer Press Statement was strategically sold as a weanling to help boost interest in the first crop of Press Statement and has continued to carryout her task on the track. Sunday’s AUD150,000 Listed Canberra Guineas was her fourth win from only five starts and there is the considerable promise of more to come.
If you would like to learn more about the China Horse Club exclusive membership offer, please email your inquiry to horses@chinahorseclub.com.