Life Is Good follows Authentic's path into Sham Stakes

Authentic, Charlatan, Gamine, Improbable and now Life Is Good.

The hits just keep on coming for Bob Baffert.

Life Is Good is the latest equine athlete drawing rave reviews while flourishing at the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer’s seemingly infinite barn of champions, the plaudits flowing despite the $525,000 colt having had only one start.

But what a start it was. The bay son of Into Mischief won his debut race by 9½ lengths Nov. 22 at 20 cents on the dollar under Mike Smith, and could be just as low in the betting when he tries two turns for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile.

The $100,000 Sham, named for the 1973 Santa Anita Derby winner, is the West Coast’s first step on the Triple Crown trail, offering 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, four to the runner-up, two to the third-place horse and one to the fourth.

Baffert won the 2020 Sham with Authentic, who went on the capture the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic and is a virtual cinch to be named Horse of the Year at the 50th annual Eclipse Awards on Jan. 28. 

It was Baffert’s record sixth Sham Stakes winner. The previous were Wild and Wise (2001), Bob and John (2006), Midnight Hawk (2014), Collected (2016) and McKinzie (2018).

“I think this is sort of the same path I took with Authentic, and I didn’t want to sit on (Life is Good) for another month so we’re going to run him here going a mile,” Baffert said early Thursday morning.

Last week Baffert said he also was considering the San Vicente Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs Feb. 7 for Life Is Good.

“I always like to see what they’re going to do going two turns," Baffert said. "We know he’s got a lot of speed, he’s shown brilliance, but until they go two turns... I think he should handle it but I’ve got to see it myself.”

Owned by China Horse Club Inc. and WinStar Farm, Life Is Good had a six-furlong workout Sunday in a bullet 1:10.60, fastest of six at the distance, while Medina Spirit, the second Baffert trainee entered in the Sham, went five furlongs the same day in 1:02 flat.

Baffert removes blinkers from Medina Spirit, who wore them in his debut victory by three lengths going 5 ½ furlongs Dec. 11 at Los Alamitos.

“I don’t think he needs blinkers,” Baffert said. “I want him to relax. He’s not as quick a horse as Life Is Good, but he’s bred to go two turns. I think he should handle it."