Life Is Good's departure may open Santa Anita Derby floodgates

ARCADIA, Calif. - The absence of top 3-year-old Life Is Good from the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3 will likely lead to a larger field in the West Coast’s leading prep for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1.

On Saturday, trainer Bob Baffert said Life Is Good will miss the Triple Crown after emerging from a morning workout with an apparent hind-end injury. Unbeaten in three starts, including two stakes, Life Is Good would have been a heavy favorite in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles.

Life Is Good’s presence would have resulted in some horses being sent to other races. Without him, the list of candidates includes Defunded, Dream Shake, Get Her Number, Medina Spirit, Rock Your World, Roman Centurian, Rombauer, and The Great One.

Defunded, trained by Baffert, won a maiden special weight race at six furlongs on March 6 in his first start this year. Medina Spirit, Dream Shake, Roman Centurian and The Great One were second through fifth behind eight-length winner Life Is Good in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 6.

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report

Medina Spirit is trained by Baffert.

Dream Shake had his stakes debut in the San Felipe. On Saturday, Dream Shake worked five furlongs in 58.20 seconds, the fastest of 75 works at the distance.

“It was a faster work than I envisioned, but the way he did it was nice to see,” trainer Peter Eurton said.

Eurton said that leading rider Flavien Prat will ride Dream Shake for the first time in the Santa Anita Derby, replacing Joel Rosario, who is not riding at Santa Anita that day.

Roman Centurian and Rombauer, the winner of the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields in his 2021 debut on Feb. 13, have been mentioned as possible starters in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct on April 3. The Santa Anita Derby is now part of the discussion for their next starts.

“We were leaning toward New York,” said Simon Callaghan, who trains Roman Centurian. “Maybe we’ll be leaning here. We’ll see how the works go.”

The Great One is trained by Doug O’Neill, who also has Saturday’s Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie in his stable. The Great One was beaten 16 3/4 lengths by Life Is Good in the San Felipe, and worked a half-mile in 49 seconds on Saturday.

“We were disappointed with The Great One’s last race,” O’Neill said. “We’re optimistic to run him back.”

Trainer Peter Miller said he is considering the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 10 for Get Her Number, who won the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes last September and was a troubled seventh in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 13 in his 2021 debut.

Rock Your World will have his main track debut in the Santa Anita Derby. Trained by John Sadler, Rock Your World has won both of his starts on turf, including the Pasadena Stakes at a mile on Feb. 27.

The Santa Anita Derby field is unlikely to include The Chosen Vron, who was third in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 6 in his second start and stakes debut. Trainer Eric Kruljac said Sunday that The Chosen Vron is likely to start in the $150,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for statebreds at 6 1/2 furlongs on April 3.

“I can’t pass that even with the defection of Life Is Good,” Kruljac said.