Where to next?
In less than two minutes Life Is Good put paid to the newly crowned world’s best racehorse, left his seasoned Hall of Fame trainer searching for superlatives, provided America’s reigning champion jockey with a ride like no other and all but anointed himself as the most exciting racehorse on the planet.
For a veteran of only seven starts it is far to early to talk about legacy. However, with the attention of the racing world now firmly locked on his every move, there will be tremendous interest to see just what Life Is Good can achieve over the next 11 months.
“We’ve had a lot of great ones,” said U.S. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher immediately after the USD3 million Pegasus World Cup.
“I can’t think of one that’s better than him. [Life Is Good] is just a phenomenally talented horse. We see it every day from him when we breeze him. He’s extra special. He has the ability to go really fast and just keep doing. It sounds so simple, the unique ability to continue to throw down those kinds of fractions.”
“We’ve had a lot of great ones. I can’t think of one that’s better than him.”
– Todd Pletcher, U.S. Hall of Fame Trainer
“He’s the best horse I sat on in my whole life.”
– Irad Ortiz, U.S. champion jockey
“The winner, he ran off the TV screen.”
– Brad Cox, rival trainer
Jockey Irad Ortiz had entered the 2022 G1 Pegasus World Cup with spreadsheet of different plans in his head. Most had expected to see Knicks Go and Life Is Good vying for the lead and ultimate victory in a good old fashion ‘match race’. It never eventuated.
Ortiz, who is bidding for a fourth straight Eclipse Award as America’s best jockey, was swept to the lead early by the explosive start of Life Is Good and continued to roll along as thought he was aboard an automaton.
“He’s unreal,” Ortiz said, still shaking from his adrenalin hit.
“He’s the best horse I sat on in my whole life.”
Brad Cox, trainer of soon to be U.S. Eclipse Horse of the Year for 2021, was humble, kind and open in his assessment of the race. His charger Knicks Go had been primed for a final career start having been crowned the world’s best racehorse for last year by the Longines IFHA World’s Best Racehorse Rankings just days earlier.
“That horse [Life Is Good] was much better than us. We were second best today. Congratulations to Todd Pletcher and his team,” Cox said.
“It looked like [Knicks Go] broke all right and then kind of got outrun a little bit. I don’t know, the winner, he ran off the TV screen. It shows you how really good [Life Is Good] is, I guess. It was a little bit of a jaw-dropping performance.”
Pletcher and connections now have the enviable task of assessment the immediate programme for Life Is Good as well as keeping an eye on his end of season goals which will no doubt culminate at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The USD20 million Saudi World Cup and the USD12 million Dubai World Cup are in the crosshairs.
For now, let’s enjoy what could be the emergence of a true talent.
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