H. Allen Jerkens Stakes a heck of a spot for Life Is Good to return

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The return of Life Is Good to the races in the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens headlines a terrific Travers Day undercard at Saratoga.

Had an injury not sidelined him in late winter, Life Is Good might have been among the choices for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers. Instead, he enters the Jerkens, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds, off a near six-month layoff while having to face the multiple graded stakes winner Jackie’s Warrior in a field of six.

Life Is Good, trained earlier in his career by Bob Baffert, went 3 for 3 including victories in the Grade 3 Sham in January and Grade 2 San Felipe in March, both at Santa Anita. Saturday, he will go out for the first time for trainer Todd Pletcher, who has had him since the beginning of the Saratoga meet following his recovery from the injury that knocked him off the Triple Crown trail.

“Horse trains great,” said Pletcher, who also entered Following Sea in the race. “It’s always a tall order running seven-eighths off a layoff in a Grade 1 stake, but he’s been very impressive to watch train.”

Mike Smith, who rode Life Is Good to his three victories in California, will be in to ride him Saturday.

Jackie’s Warrior is 3 for 3 at Saratoga, having won the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and Grade 1 Hopeful last year and the Grade 2 Amsterdam by 7 1/4 lengths over Drain the Clock on Aug. 1.

Drain the Clock, who beat Jackie’s Warrior by a neck in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont, drew the rail in a field of six. He is followed in post order by Jackie’s Warrior, Newbomb, Following Sea, Judge N Jury, and Life Is Good.