Life Is Good gets the job done in Woodward
OZONE PARK, N.Y. -- Life Is Good has been brilliant. Saturday, he was simply good enough in a short field where he towered over his rivals on paper but was only narrowly best, winning the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths over Law Professor.
Cognizant of Life Is Good taking off too early in the Grade 1 Whitney two months ago at Saratoga, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. wanted the horse to relax early on in the Woodward. Perhaps the horse relaxed too much as he loafed over the sloppy main track through splits of 24.40 seconds for the quarter, 48.60 for the half-mile, and 1:13.07 for six furlongs.
When Law Professor came to him at the top of the lane, Life Is Good responded, repelling that challenge, opening up about a two-length advantage before settling for the rather narrow victory by his standards.
Law Professor finished second by 10 1/4 lengths over Keepmemind. Informative was last of four. Thomas Shelby scratched to run in next Saturday’s Grade 2 Vosburgh.
“Going to the first turn he had his ears straight up and was really relaxed. That was good, but it also maybe plays against his strength a little bit to be that turned off,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I think part of his brilliance is to be able to go fast and to keep going. It was the logical tactics for today, but I don’t think it was his preferred running style, really.”
Ortiz said he was loving the fact that Life Is Good was so turned off early and said he wasn’t ever truly worried about getting beat.
“I love it because he was too aggressive last time,” Ortiz said. “As soon as he felt the other one, he let me know and he jumped into the bridle. I asked him and he kept going all the way to the wire.”
Life Is Good, a son of Into Mischief, covered the 1 1/8 miles over a sealed, sloppy track in 1:49.57 and returned $2.10 to win as the 1-20 favorite. Life Is Good, owned by WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, improved his record to 9 for 11 and increased his career purse earnings to $4,361,700.
Life Is Good earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure.
Pletcher said Life Is Good would ship to Keeneland on Monday to prepare for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic and a date with Flightline on Nov. 5.
Meanwhile, the connections of Law Professor were thrilled with their gelding’s performance. Trainer Rob Atras said the horse gave him a little thrill at the five-sixteenths pole when he got within a neck of Life Is Good.
“I knew the fractions were a little soft, but definitely a thrill on the turn because we’ve seen Life Is Good get a little bit late sometimes going a mile and an eighth or farther, but he obviously had enough horse to hold us off,” Atras said.
Atras said the plan is to send Law Professor to the Grade 2, $350,000 Fayette Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 29.
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