Life is Good Faces Elders in Kelso

[Wandering Eyes]

'TDN Rising Star' Life is Good (Into Mischief) takes on his elders for the first time Saturday and will likely be heavily favored to defeat them in a five-horse renewal of Belmont's GII Kelso H. Devastating the field to graduate by 9 1/2 lengths and earn a 91 Beyer Speed Figure on debut at Del Mar Nov. 22, the $525,000 KEESEP buy captured the one-mile GIII Sham S. next out at Santa Anita Jan. 2. Romping by eight lengths when trying two turns in the GII San Felipe S. in Arcadia Mar. 6, the bay was knocked off the GI Kentucky Derby trail in March after a chip was discovered in his left hind ankle. Transferred from Bob Baffert to Todd Pletcher in the interim, Life is Good returned in Saratoga's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. Aug. 28, finishing a narrow second after a brawl with Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music). He ran triple-digit Beyers in his last the races, numbers which put him well above the rest of the field. With Irad Ortiz in the irons, Life is Good can be expected to go right to the front and never look back.

“He ran a giant race off the layoff and has trained well since then,” said Pletcher, who plans to use this race as a springboard to the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. “He's just a very talented horse so I was not surprised he had run so well off the bench. It was an ambitious goal to run in a Grade I, but he's a very talented horse and ran terrific. He came out of it well and has continued to train great.”

Chance It (Currency Swap) has been knocking at the door of a graded victory. Runner-up in the GIII Smile Sprint S. at Gulfstream July , he checked in third behind a savage battle between Yaupon (Uncle Mo) and Firenze Fire (Friesan Fire) in the GI Forego at Saratoga Aug. 28.

GIII Salvator Mile winner Informative (Bodemeister) has failed to hit the board going further in the July 3 GII Suburban S. and the Aug. 27 GII Charles Town Classic. The dark bay should appreciate the cutback in trip here, but will likely be running for place or show money.

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