Life Is Good is making up for lost time. At one of horse racing’s biggest stages, Life Is Good set the Breeders’ Cup World Championships alight with a performance of such audacity and sustained searing speed it had to be seen to be fully appreciated.
Less than 95 seconds was all that was required for the colt, raced by partners WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, to lead throughout and win the USD1,000,000 G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile by almost six lengths. In doing so, Life Is Good:
- Secured a deserved G1 win
- Lifted his earnings beyond USD1,000,000 from only six racetrack appearances
- Provided CHC with its first big Breeders’ Cup win after Bulletin’s win in the 2018 USD1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
- Put forward a compelling argument for being the best of his generation
Life is Good recorded the 40th G1 win for China Horse Club, a tally that was almost 41 after Meritable burst clear down the straight in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas the day before. Meritable, a homebred for China Horse Club, came from well off the pace to strike the front, only to be rundown by eventual winner Noverre. But the weekend was rightly all about Life Is Good.
“To have our members, friends and long-time staff here made the occasion even more special,” said Teo Ah Khing, China Horse Club Chairman, said after the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
“This is why CHC is involved in horse racing, to share in unforgettable moments and allow people who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to the elite level of this sport to race and, in this case, to win.
“We have enjoyed so many amazing memories with our partner and friend Kenny Troutt and WinStar Farm. This is another one. Life Is Good came through their training system, impressed immediately and has never been anything less than exceptional. They have a lot to be proud of.
“So do [trainer] Todd Pletcher and [jockey] Irad Ortiz. Their handling of Life Is Good, not only today, but in preparing for the Breeders’ Cup has been first class.”
The dominance of Life Is Good against older rivals has ignited discussions as to who may be the best three-year-old in the United States. Denied of a tilt at any of the three Triple Crown legs because of a setback, Life Is Good has only been bested once in six starts and that was off a near six-month layoff when claimed late by the exceptional sprinter Jackie’s Warrior in the G1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes.
Life Is Good also holds successive wins over his former stablemate, subsequent Kentucky Derby victor and Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up, Medina Spirit, including a well-documented eight length triumph in the G2 San Felipe Stakes. His curriculum vitae also lists multiple graded stakes wins over older horses and a season record from five starts of four wins (1 x G1, 2 x G2, 1 x G3, 2nd G1) by a combined 21 lengths.
The club’s US talisman is ably carrying on a legacy that has been created by some of the best performers the country has seen over the last decade including Justify (undefeated Triple Crown winner; US Horse of the Year); Abel Tasman (Eclipse Award winner, 5 x G1 winner); Improbable (Eclipse Award winner; 4 x G1 winner); Yoshida (multiple G1 winner); and Audible (G1 winner; 3rd G1 Kentucky Derby).
Just where Life Is Good is measured against such a peer group is expected to play out throughout 2022 with connections intended to race the gift colt on. The USD3,000,000 Pegasus World Cup has established itself as an early season target for many elite US runners and is expected to come under consideration from Pletcher.
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