Life Is Good on way back
Ex-derby contender’s ankle better, could run in Jerkens at the Spa
Earlier this year, Life is Good was the horse everyone was going to have to beat to win the Kentucky Derby. He never made it to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May after an injury knocked him out of the Triple Crown.
The 3-year-old with so much promise has resurfaced in Saratoga in a new barn and with a new plan.
Elliott Walden, the CEO and President of Winstar Farm, which owns the horse along with China Horse Club, Inc., said Saturday that Life is Good could run at the Spa on Travers day. But not in the Travers.
“The 3-year-old races that come up in August and September would be logical,” Walden said while watching turf works on the Oklahoma Training Track. “Not the Travers first time back. The (seven-furlong Allen) Jerkens or the races at Parx. There is a slight chance, yes. I would not put (the Jerkens) out of the question.”
Parx offers the Grade III, $300,000 Smarty Jones on Aug. 28 which serves as a prep race for the Grade I, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 25.
Walden said Life is Good arrived in Saratoga two weeks ago. He had his first work with new trainer Todd Pletcher on Saturday, going a half-mile in a time of 48.83 seconds after two works at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. Life is Good started his career with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in California.
Baffert is embroiled in controversy as his seventh Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, failed a post-race drug test and could have that victory taken away. Walden declined to discuss the reasons for taking Life is Good away from Baffert.
Life is Good is undefeated in three starts and won the Grade
III Sham and Grade II San Felipe in California before a small chip in his left hind ankle put him off the Triple Crown trail.
“He is very special,” Walden said. “He is one of the few horses I have been around that I can say that about. Justify (2018 Triple Crown winner) and Victory Gallop (1998 Belmont Stakes winner) come to mind. Saratoga is big and you know he is a Saratoga kind of horse. If he makes (the Jerkens), great. If he needs a little more time, we are not going to put him on a schedule just to make Saratoga.”
First Captain gears up; Essential Quality gets work
The undefeated First Captain worked a half-mile in 52.95 seconds on the Oklahoma Training Track on Saturday morning. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug Mcgaughey, First Captain was in company with stablemate Cambi Lion.
“It was more of a three-quarter work,” Mcgaughey said later back at his barn. “He went from the five-eighths (pole) to the three-quarter (pole) in 1:12. He is doing really well up here.”
First Captain is 3-for-3 with all of his wins coming this year. In his most recent start, he won the Grade III Dwyer at Belmont by 13⁄4 lengths.
“He lost his whole 2-year-old year, so he is still behind,” Mcgaughey said. “He’s trying to catch up. He certainly likes this little track (Oklahoma) here.”
First Captain, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, is being pointed to Friday’s $120,000 Curlin at the Spa.
Also on Saturday, Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality worked five furlongs in 1:00.90 over the main track. He remains on target to run in the Grade II, $600,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga next Saturday.
The Caress
Caravel, the even-money favorite, won the Grade III, $200,000 Caress for fillies and mares aged 4 and up. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. — his third win of the day — Caravel completed the 51⁄2 furlongs on the Mellon Turf in a time of 1:02.38.
The 4-year-old Caravel, trained and co-owned by Elizabeth Merryman, has now won five of seven career starts on turf. After the race, it was announced that the filly would be transferred to the barn of trainer Graham Motion. Merryman will remain co-owner along with Bobby Flay.