Life Is Good Blitzes to Pegasus Victory Over Knicks Go

It's only January and there are still 11 months to go in the 2022 racing season. But judging by what happened Jan. 29 in the rich Pegasus World Cup Invitational stakes Presented by 1/ST BET (G1), one point has become crystal clear. If anyone hopes to outshine Life Is Good they will need an unearthly performance to do it. Impending 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go tried to do just that in his final start, but he proved to be no match for the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief, who sprinted to a clear lead on the first turn of the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus and then romped home 3 1/4 lengths ahead of defending race winner Knicks Go in the $2,941,500 stakes at Gulfstream Park. "I can't think of a horse (I trained) better than him," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "He's extra special. He has that unique ability to go fast and just keep going." Considering that Pletcher is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and his horses have earned more purse money than any other trainer, those are not hollow words. They were forged by a record of six wins in seven starts for the ownership group of WinStar Farm and China Horse Club and confirmed by an effort in which the bay colt and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. beat Knicks Go at his own game with a blazing display of speed. "That shows how brilliant Life Is Good is," said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of owner Kenny Troutt's WinStar Farm. "When they were on the backstretch, Irad said he was going so fast and when he looked back the rest of the field was so far back and he hadn't asked him to run yet. It was just a great feeling to see that. I felt great watching him. We've seen him train in the morning and he never gets tired, so when he was as far in front as he was, we knew he was not going to stop." No, Life Is Good, after leading by a stunning 3 1/2 lengths after a half-mile in :46.35, did not stop. His engine continued to run at top speed until he crossed the finish line in 1:48.91 and in the process he did not just assume the baton of leadership from a retiring Horse of the Year. He forcefully grabbed it out of Knicks Go's hands, ran away, and hid with it. "He's unreal," Ortiz said in the winner's circle, after taking home a Pegasus double when partnering with Pletcher one race earlier to take the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Turf Stakes Presented by Baccarat (G1T) with defending winner Colonel Liam. "He's the best horse I have ever sat on." "There was a risk that if Knicks Go and (Life Is Good) got into speed duel, something had to give," Pletcher said about the front-end battle with frontrunning Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Knicks Go that never materialized. "But today he was too fast and too good. It's a really special quality and it's fun to watch." With his connections enjoying the good life, the fun figures to resume March 26 when Life Is Good may return in the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airlines (G1) at a longer distance of 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles). Given how Life Is Good had never raced beyond 1 1/16 miles before Saturday, that probably will not faze the produce of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk, bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West. "We're in no rush to make a decision," Pletcher said about a colt who started his career with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and missed much of his 3-year-old season due to an ankle chip, "but we do feel this horse is talented enough to do just about anything and that includes get a mile and a quarter." Saturday underscored all of that on a day when the ascent of Life Is Good came at a time when Knicks Go turned in one of his most puzzling efforts while under the care of trainer Brad Cox. Breaking from the rail under jockey Joel Rosario, the speedy son of Paynter appeared poised to be on the front end, or at least very close to it. But after breaking cleanly, Rosario felt some pressure as Life Is Good and Stilleto Boy moved in front of him in the initial strides and he tucked in third behind them. "Joel said there were a couple of horses there with him and Joel said, 'OK, we'll take back.' That was Plan B," Cox said. "I wanted to go with Plan A (and be on the lead), but we didn't execute Plan A. He did a good job, but it wasn't good enough. The winner was very, very good." Though Knicks Go chased in second most of the way, he could not cut into the margin until the final stages when the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner was taken into hand by Ortiz after leading by 4 1/2 lengths at the eighth pole. The narrow 4-5 favorite over Knicks Go, Life Is Good paid $3.60 to win for his decisive victory. "It's just been a blessing," Troutt said. "God has really, really helped us. This horse has just been really special." For Ortiz, there was a special feeling, not just from winning the Pegasus, but from also capturing the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Baccarat (G1T) after suffering a Jan. 7 knee injury that seemed destined to sideline him for the Pegasus races. "Thank God for my health," Ortiz said. "A couple of doctors told me I couldn't make it." Knicks Go, a 6-year-old Maryland-bred owned by the Korea Racing Authority, held second by a length over Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy (Shackleford). No one offered much of a closing kick from behind. For Knicks Go, it was the final chapter in a career that included 10 wins in 25 starts and earnings of $9,258,135. The Paynter 6-year-old now heads off to stud at Taylor Made Stallions. Life Is Good is the second of four foals from Beach Walk and her second winner. She also has a 2-year-old Blame filly and a yearling Candy Ride (ARG) colt, both of whom have yet to race.