Life Is Good off Triple Crown trail after workout injury

Life Is Good emerged from a fast work at Santa Anita on Saturday morning with an apparent hind-end injury and is off the Triple Crown trail, his trainer, Bob Baffert, said Saturday afternoon.

The unbeaten colt, who is the current favorite for the Kentucky Derby on May 1, was scheduled to make his next start in the Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

"He came back to the barn after the work and was off when he turned," Baffert said earlier Saturday. "We have to do more tests on him. It's nothing obvious."

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Baffert said he did not believe this was a career-ending injury.

Baffert said Life Is Good would be sent to noted veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage in Kentucky for further evaluation.

Life Is Good worked six furlongs in 1:11.40 on Saturday morning under regular exercise rider Juan Ochoa. It was his first drill since winning the San Felipe Stakes two weeks ago, and the first of what was scheduled to be two works for him in advance of the Santa Anita Derby. Video of his work on XBTV shows him working straight coming through the lane, as opposed to how he drifted out in the San Felipe.

"He worked beautifully," Baffert said. "When he came back he took a funny step. When he turns you notice it a little bit. We won't know more until we do a nuclear scan on him."

Life Is Good, by Into Mischief, has won all three of his starts and would have been an overwhelming favorite against what was expected to be a small field for the Santa Anita Derby. The Santa Anita Derby now figures to significantly increase in field size among local entrants. Baffert is pointing San Felipe runner-up Medina Spirit to that race. Among those also under consideration for the Santa Anita Derby are Dream Shake, Rock Your World, Rombauer, and The Great One, but more are expected.

Life Is Good is owned by WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, who bought Life Is Good as a yearling. Life Is Good was bred by Gary and Mary West, who from this crop kept another colt they bred, Concert Tour, who is also 3 for 3 for Baffert and won last week's Rebel Stakes. He is scheduled to make his next start in the Arkansas Derby on April 10.