As we roll toward the first Saturday in May — and we are only nine weeks away from that, so spring is on the way – we know one thing. Bob Baffert is going to be a player in the Kentucky Derby, the most famous horse race on the planet. He always is.
So, is it really all that surprising that Baffert has four horses in our first installment of the Times Union’s Derby Dozen? Granted, we are early in the preps season and the big ones are still to come, but, for now, — for me — Baffert’s Life Is Good holds the top spot.
And, when it comes to the Kentucky Derby, life has been all good for the California-based Hall of Fame trainer.
He has started 33 horses in the Run for the Roses, which is third-most, and has won the race a record-tying six times. When he won with Authentic last year, it tied Baffert with Ben Jones, who, incredibly, won his six from just 11 starters from 1938-1952.
Baffert’s Derby career started in 1996.
“That is our program,” Baffert said by cellphone from California. “It’s all about results. If you get results, you get horses. I used to have to buy my own horses; now people are sending me their good horses. It’s what we do here. When you train for WinStar (Farm) and all the big guys, it sure helps.”
Trainer Bob Baffert holds up the Kentucky Derby winner's trophy after Authentic won the race in 2020. It is one of six victories Baffert has had in the Run for the Roses, and he compared early Derby favorite Life Is Good to Authentic. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union archive)
Skip DicksteinLife Is Good, a son of Into Mischief, is owned by WinStar and the China Horse Club. He has already shown Baffert blazing speed, something he also saw from Authentic on his way to last year’s Horse of the Year award.
Life Is Good’s resume is only two races long. He won the Grade III Sham by three-quarters of a length in his first start this year going a mile. He beat four other horses, including another Baffert horse, Medina Spirit, who was second.
“Authentic was very immature and quirky,” Baffert said. “(Life is Good) is more aggressive. We’re trying to get him to shut it down a little bit. But he has brilliant speed. I am not going to change my opinion on him. I think he is a top horse.”
Baffert will get another look at his Derby first-teamer next weekend when he runs in the 1 1/16-mile, $300,000 Grade II San Felipe at Santa Anita.
He also might run Medina Spirit in the same race.
For now, he has four horses — Concert Tour and Freedom Fighter are the others — on the Derby trail. He has other 3-year-olds in his barn that might show up to the party later on.
“We are getting to the point where if I don’t start running those horses, the (Derby) window closes,” Baffert said. “I’ve got these in a nice cycle now. There may be a time when you say, ‘OK, he’s not going to make the Derby. Remember, they bring you to the Derby.”
DERBY DOZEN
Rank Horse Trainer Jockey Comment
1. Life is Good Bob Baffert Mike Smith Plenty of speed, has already been compared to last year’s Horse of the Year and Derby winner Authentic, makes third career start in San Felipe next week.
2. Essential Quality Brad Cox Luis Saez Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner was 3-for-3 last year, drew rail and will face six others in Saturday’s Southwest at Oaklawn.
3. Greatest Honour Shug McGaughey Jose Ortiz Holy Bull winner will look to continue Florida domination when he runs in Saturday’s Fountain of Youth, Shug very high on this one.
4. Risk Taking Chad Brown Eric Cancel Has been in New York all winter, Withers winner will wait until Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, blinkers have been a game-changer for him.
5. Concert Tour Bob Baffert Joel Rosario Unraced at 2, has won both races this year sprinting with triple-digit speed figures, son of Street Sense trying two turns in Oaklawn’s Rebel on March 13.
6. Mandaloun Brad Cox Florent Geroux Vaulted into the picture with a win in Risen Star at Fair Grounds, Louisiana Derby on March 20 is next.
7. Medina Spirit Bob Baffert Abel Cedilio Won Robert B. Lewis after getting beat by three-quarters of a length by Life is Good in Sham, could see him vs. Life is Good in San Felipe.
8. Caddo River Brad Cox Florent Geroux Eye-popping 10 1/4-length win in Smarty Jones at Oaklawn, which was first try around two turns, makes him a player, will see him in Rebel.
9. Candy Man Rocket Bill Mott Junior Alvarado Did not beat stellar bunch in Sam F. Davis at Tampa, but answered some questions, will have to answer more in Tampa Bay Derby next weekend.
10. Hot Rod Charlie Doug O’Neill Joel Rosario Second in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 94-1, third in Robert B. Lewis, but beat by a neck for the win, expect he moves forward in Louisiana Derby.
11. Freedom Fighter Bob Baffert Manny Franco Baffert sending him East for Gotham next weekend at Aqueduct, has to prove to trainer he can go long.
12. Jackie’s Warrior Steve Asmussen Joel Rosario Bubble burst for Hopeful winner when he lost for first time in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, makes first ’21 start in Southwest.
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February 26, 2021 at 06:15AM
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Derby Dozen: Life Is Good sitting in top spot - Times Union
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