Life Is Good will use Kelso to earn a spot in Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
ELMONT, N.Y. – Life Is Good will get his prep for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 6 when he squares off against as many as four rivals in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park.
A race that looked iffy to fill did draw a field of five, including Chance It, third in the Grade 1 Forego; Doubly Blessed, seventh in the Forego; Fort Peck, a recent winner for $50,000 claiming at Saratoga; and Informative, upset winner of the Salvator Mile who is cross-entered in Saturday’s $200,000 Parx Dirt Mile.
Life Is Good, a son of Into Mischief, was the leading 3-year-old of the winter before an injury forced him to miss the Triple Crown series. Transferred from Bob Baffert to Todd Pletcher over the summer, Life Is Good came off a nearly six-month layoff to run second, beaten a neck, by Jackie’s Warrior in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga.
Subsequently, it was decided to target the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and the Kelso was selected as the best way to prepare for that race.
“Obviously, we need to run here, assess how he does, but that’s what we’re thinking at the moment,” Pletcher said of the BC Dirt Mile.
Since his race, Life Is Good has come back with two solid breezes, including a half-mile move in 48.22 seconds last Saturday over the Belmont training track. Pletcher had him galloping out a strong seven furlongs.
“Watching him, he doesn’t look like he’s going that fast and you look down and he gallops out in 1:25 and change.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Life Is Good, replacing Mike Smith who had ridden him in his four previous starts, which included an eight-length victory in the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 6 when he beat Medina Spirit.
Saturday’s 11-race Belmont card also includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia Stakes for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on turf where Pocket Square, facing just four rivals, figures a strong favorite coming off a 4 1/4-length third-level allowance win on Aug. 25 at Saratoga.
Pocket Square is one of two entered by Chad Brown, who also sends out Miss Teheran, second in the Miss Liberty Stakes at Monmouth Park last out. Lake Lucerne, Made In Italy, and Stand for the Flag complete the field.