Baffert teaching Life Is Good how to succeed in San Felipe

ARCADIA, Calif. – When it comes to natural talent, there’s no better 3-year-old in California this year than Life Is Good. The key with him going forward, though, is trying to harness his inclination to go too fast too soon, and that’s what his morning lessons have been designed to teach in recent weeks.

Based on how he’s done in his last couple of drills, including Sunday morning here at Santa Anita, he seems to be getting the hang of it. In his final drill before Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes, Life Is Good worked six furlongs in 1:12.20. He started off well under control, then galloped out a full mile. The work was reminiscent of what trainer Bob Baffert did with Arrogate and American Pharoah.

Life Is Good has started only twice, so he’s got a long ways to go to be put in the same pantheon as those two. He can take another step toward that in the San Felipe, in which he’ll try 1 1/16 miles for the first time when facing several other promising prospects for the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby. The San Felipe offers 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points overall, including 50 to the winner.

On Sunday, Life Is Good, working solo, went off as exercise rider Juan Ochoa pleased, finished well, and kept going.

“Just have to keep working on his mind,” said Baffert, who had Life Is Good begin his work at the 4 1/2-furlong pole. “I did that with Pharoah, so he wouldn’t get too tough.”

Like American Pharoah, Life Is Good is an impressive mover, his action effortless.

“He just glides over the ground,” Baffert said.

Life Is Good defeated maidens sprinting in his debut on Nov. 22 at Del Mar, then came back and won the one-mile Sham Stakes here Jan. 2. Mike Smith, aboard him those two times, has the mount again in the San Felipe. Smith was out early Sunday to watch the work.

Medina Spirit, the Baffert trainee who lost the Sham by three-quarters of a length and then returned to win the Robert Lewis Stakes on Jan. 30, also will go in the San Felipe following a workout Saturday – six furlongs in 1:11.20 – that was an improvement over his drill the previous weekend.

“I wasn’t really happy with his work the week before. I went easy on him because he had a hard race. But he earned his way the way he worked yesterday,” Baffert said Sunday.

John Velazquez will ride Medina Spirit for the first time Saturday, replacing Abel Cedillo, who had been aboard for Medina Spirit’s first three races.

Cedillo will ride The Great One, who crushed maidens here Jan. 23 in his lone start after narrowly losing the Los Alamitos Futurity to Spielberg.

Roman Centurian, second by a neck to Medina Spirit in the Lewis, also is expected for the San Felipe, along with Dream Shake, who won a loaded maiden race in his debut Feb. 7.

– Jay Privman

Rispoli picks Smooth Like Strait

Faced with an intriguing decision, jockey Umberto Rispoli has chosen to ride Smooth Like Strait over Hit the Road in Saturday’s Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf at Santa Anita.

Rispoli finalized his decision over the weekend. In response, trainer Dan Blacker said Sunday that Florent Geroux will have the mount on Hit the Road.

Rispoli rode Smooth Like Strait and Hit the Road to stakes wins in their lone starts at the current winterspring meeting – Smooth Like Strait in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile for 3-year-olds on Dec. 26 for trainer Michael McCarthy and Hit the Road in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes against older horses at a mile on Feb. 6.

Rispoli has been the regular rider of both colts in the last six months.

Rispoli rode Smooth Like Strait to a win in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar last August, a victory in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby here in October, a second in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar in November, and in the Mathis Brothers Mile.

“It’s not an easy decision,” Rispoli said. “I had to choose. I’ve won a Grade 3 on the horse and two Grade 2s.

“I wish the best for Dan and his team.”

Hit the Road has won his last three starts with Rispoli aboard for each victory, a span that includes the restricted Oceanside Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar last July in what turned out to be the colt’s final start of 2020.

Blacker said Hit the Road has thrived in recent weeks since the Thunder Road and he would have preferred for Rispoli to stay with his team.

“I’m disappointed he’s chosen the other, but that’s his decision,” Blacker said. “I’m tickled to have Florent. He’s a good rider.”

Hit the Road and Smooth Like Strait are two of the best locally based contenders for the $400,000 Kilroe Mile, the track’s richest turf race of the winterspring meeting. Hit the Road has won three stakes and ran the best race of his career in the Thunder Road.

“He’s been doing awesome since the day after his race,” Blacker said. “He hasn’t missed a beat.

“His weight is perfect and his works are perfect. He’s doing really well.”

The Kilroe Mile is expected to draw an outstanding field, including as many as six runners from Florida – Casa Creed, Flavius, Flying Scotsman, Ride a Comet, Social Paranoia, and Spirit Animal.

Ride a Comet, winner of the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Stakes, will be ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke, a replacement for Tyler Gaffalione.

The other locally based runners are Anothertwistafate, Count Again, and Royal Ship.

Count Again won the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf on Nov. 28 at Del Mar and was last of seven as the even-money favorite in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf here Jan. 2.

On Sunday, Count Again worked five furlongs in a rapid 58.20 seconds on the infield dirt training track. Trainer Phil D’Amato said he timed Count Again in 58.60.

“It will be one of the toughest Kilroes in years,” D’Amato said. “You have to throw out the last race and give him the benefit of the doubt.”

The field will not include four-time stakes winner United, who finished eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland in his most recent start. Trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday that United will be trained toward the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on March 20.