Life Is Good, making his first start since the Dubai World Cup (G1), turned in yet another dominating showing in the July 2 John A. Nerud S. (G2) at Belmont Park, defeating Speaker’s Corner by five lengths.
The victory was the seventh in nine career starts for the 4-year-old co-owned by WinStar Farm and CHC Inc. His Beyer Speed Figure of 112 was a career-best and the seventh time in eight starts in the U. S. that Life Is Good earned a triple-digit number.
Life Is Good was hustled out of the gate for the lead by Flavien Prat, and quickly took command to settle in nicely. Speaker’s Corner tracked the pacesetter, who was leading by less than a length, through a fast half-mile in :44.70. Coming into the stretch, Life Is Good began to pull clear under a hand ride, pouring it on in the stretch to finish the seven furlongs in 1:21.70 on a fast track.
“You never take anything for granted,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “There’s only one outcome that was okay and that was for him to win. He ran against a Grade I winner [Speaker’s Corner] and drew the rail, so you worry about all those things. He broke sharp, high-cruising speed and just kept going. I loved the way he galloped out. I’m just happy to get that win under our belt and hopefully move forward to the Whitney like we planned.”
The Whitney (G1) is at Saratoga on Aug. 6.
Life Is Good, who has now earned $3,551,700, won this year’s Pegasus World Cup (G1), and capped a terrific 2021 that included four graded wins with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
