Santa Anita: Life Is a Joy to try turf in Baffle Stakes

Life Is a Joy, a minor stakes winner trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, makes his turf debut in Sunday’s $75,000 Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course, a race the trainer considers an experiment.

“I want to try something different with him,” Hollendorfer said.

Bred and owned by Hollendorfer, with his wife, Janet, and George Todaro, Life Is a Joy has won 3 of 7 starts and earned $158,830, the highest earnings of the seven entrants in the Baffle.

Life Is a Joy was third in the California Cup Derby here Jan. 25, finishing 8 3/4 lengths behind California Chrome, a candidate for the San Felipe. Life Is a Joy won his first three starts last summer and fall, a span that included the Charlie Palmer Futurity at The Big Fresno Fair.

Life Is a Joy drew the outside post in the Baffle. The field includes three stakes-placed runners – Dothraki, Gangnam Guy, and Royal Banker.

The undefeated Red Outlaw makes his turf and stakes debut in the Baffle, run over about 6 1/2 furlongs.