The Good Life steals the show with maiden victory
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − Powerline got the publicity heading into Saturday’s first race at Saratoga, but it was another well-bred first-time starter who stole the headlines exiting the race.
The Good Life, a 2-year-old son of Life Is Good, broke on top and kept on going, recording a 3 1/2-length victory under Manny Franco. Powerline, the $1.8 million yearling purchase, was away slowly and took a bump from Johnny Hockey in upper stretch and finished second, 4 1/2 lengths clear of Got Tough. Greenwell, who went off favored based on his runner-up finish in a previous start, finished fifth in a six-horse field.
Light rain was falling, a bolt of lightning briefly brightened the sky and there were rumbles of thunder as the race was being run. The Good Life, bred by WinStar Farm and owned by WinStar, China Horse Club and First Go Racing, carved out fractions of 22.92 seconds, 45.69, 57.89 and he covered six furlongs in 1:11.14.
“Ran like his dad,” said Blake Cox, son of and assistant to his father Brad. “It was good, broke sharp, Manny went on with him and he kept going, very impressed.
The Good Life was sent off the 3-1 third choice in the six-horse field and returned $8.80 to win.
“Obviously, there were was one that had already run and one that was highly-touted that hadn’t run,” Blake Cox said. “He stepped up and ran them both off their feet and acted like he could go a little further so that’s always good.”
Powerline was entered in a maiden race at Churchill Downs on June 27, but scratched when the track came up sloppy. Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Powerline, a son of Flightline, said jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. told him the horse was “a little slow into stride, got a little aggressive for a bit but he said he relaxed after that and came home nice.”
Overall, Asmussen did not seem overly disappointed with the result.
“As long as he’s a hundred percent, we’ll be in great shape,” Asmussen said.
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