Baffert barn readying for next Kentucky Derby assault

Trainer Bob Baffert earned entry into the Racing Hall of Fame thanks in large part to his unequaled success with 3-year-olds in the classics. Can he add to his record haul of six Kentucky Derby wins in 2021?

Further insight will be provided starting Saturday when smashing debut winner Life Is Good makes his stakes and two-turn debut in the one-mile Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park, a points-paying prep for the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

By top stallion Into Mischief, Life is Good aired by 9 ½ lengths when unveiled at Del Mar on Nov. 22. The effort was impressive enough to make him the early favorite for the 2021 Run for the Roses in both the Kentucky Derby winter book at Circa in Las Vegas, as well as pool one of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that took place over Thanksgiving weekend.

“I think he’s extremely talented,” Baffert told host Ron Flatter on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod from Vegas Stats & Information Network. “He’s by a hot sire, well bred and very fast.”

A $525,000 auction purchase, Life Is Good is starting his career on a similar path to that of Baffert’s most recent Kentucky Derby winner, Authentic. Like Life is Good, Authentic was a debut winner sprinting at Del Mar in November and then was wheeled back in the Sham, which he won by 7 ¾ lengths.

Authentic proved emphatically he could go a route of ground in the Sham. It remains to be seen if Life Is Good will do likewise.

“I remember with Authentic we were in the same boat with him,” Baffert said. “We had one out at Del Mar and broke his maiden going 5 ½ furlongs. But I wasn’t sure how far he was going to go.

“I’ve learned in this game, it’s not until you actually send them two turns that you know for sure. Even American Pharoah, I wasn’t quite sure if he would go two turns until I ran him two turns," Baffert continued. "[Life is Good] should, I don’t see why he shouldn’t. But if he goes too fast, that’s the whole key.”

Life Is Good will have Hall of Famer Mike Smith in the irons when he takes on five rivals in the Sham, which includes stablemate Medina Spirit. The top four finishers each receive Kentucky Derby qualifying points with 10 points going to the winner. The Sham is carded as Santa Anita's eighth race with an approximate post time of 7 p.m. Eastern.

Also on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod, Baffert pointed out a few promising  3-year-olds in the barn that are nearing their debut and could eventually join stablemates Life Is Good and Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) winner Spielberg on the Kentucky Derby trail. Among them are Hozier, Concert Tour and Bezos.

Hozier is by Pioneerof the Nile and is the first foal out of multiple graded stakes winner Merry Meadow, by Henny Hughes. Bred by WinStar Farm, he was a $625,000 auction purchase as a yearling by SF Bloodstock.  He has worked eight times since Nov. 11 with the most recent being a six-furlong gate drill at Santa Anita completed in 1:13.40.

Concert Tour is a son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense out of the Tapit mare Purse Strings. A homebred for Gary and Mary West, he has also worked eight times towards his debut. As for Bezos, he is by Empire Maker out of the A.P. Indy mare A P Mink. He commanded $400,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale from SF Bloodstock, Madaket Stables and Starlight Stables. Bezos has worked four times since Dec. 4.

“They all look like they are very talented,” said Baffert, who has won a record 16 Triple Crown races. “We’ll see in the next 30 days, you’ll see horses springing up in Florida and New York and everywhere else that took a little longer to get ready. This is when things start to get exciting.”