January 31, 2022 
What was supposed to be a farewell retirement party for the 2021 Longines IFHA World’s Best Racehorse of the Year, the certain North American Eclipse Award Horse of the Year and likely Eclipse Award Older Champion Horse, Knicks Go, turned instead into a cakewalk for party-crasher Life Is Good.
The four-year-old son of rising sire Into Mischief (out of Beach Walk by Distorted Humor) bolted sharply from the #4 gate under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and ended the sixth running of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup at its very start with a 3 1/4-length, gate-to-wire victory on a fast, firm dirt track at Florida’s Gulfstream Park Saturday afternoon in a swift 1:48.91.
Favored Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Knicks Go was squeezed in at the start from his rail position and was never able to challenge the winner, holding on to place a length ahead of Stiletto Boy.
Life Is Good’s easy victory in the 1 1/8th-mile test capped a stellar day for Hall of Fame trainer Todd A. Pletcher and reigning three-time consecutive Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Pletcher also trains and Ortiz, Jr. rode Colonel Liam to a consecutive repeat victory one race earlier in the $1 million Pegasus Turf (G1).
“I don’t want to get in trouble with any other owners I have trained for, but I can’t think of any horse better than him right now,” said Pletcher in what for him was a rare display of post-race tongue-in-cheek humor. “He has the ability to run fast, gain a high cruising speed and keep going. He’s just a phenomenal talent.”
Jockey Ortiz, Jr.’s thinking reflected what most observers believed before the race. “I thought it was going to be a match race,” confirmed Ortiz, Jr. “But going into the first turn, my horse was so fast, I just let him do his thing. I had a lot of horse and I just let him run.”
Knicks Go was attempting consecutive wins in the richest single race in the U.S. Trainer Brad Cox had no explanation other than Life Is Good was simply the better horse on this day.
“The winner ran off the TV screen,” said Cox. “Our plan was definitely to go [for the lead]. I wanted him to go, but we just got outrun.”
Pletcher is the third handler to saddle the China Horse Club, Winstar Farm-owned colt. Originally trained by fellow Hall Of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert, Life Is Good was moved to another Hall Of Fame trainer, Steve Asmussen, in the aftermath of owner concerns following Baffert-trained Medina Spirit’s still-disputed 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) victory.
Medina Spirit, since passed away, tested positive for the post-race presence of the substance betamethasone. Though legal, it is not permitted in any amount on raceday in Kentucky. That matter is currently one subject of a present hearing in New York and will be the focus of a Feb. 7 scheduled hearing in Kentucky.
Life Is Good was moved to the Pletcher barn following a loss by a head to Jackie’s Warrior in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) at Saratoga. Eligible for the Breeder’s Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar following his win in the Kelso Handicap (G2), Pletcher and connections opted instead to bypass a California confrontation with Knicks Go in the Classic. He was entered in and handily won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Life Is Good did not compete in the 2021 Triple Crown series because of an ankle injury. Brought back cautiously, he hadn’t run beyond 1 1/16 miles. There were concerns he was a miler, not competitive at the added 1/16 mile distance in the Pegasus. But Pletcher’s strategy of saving the additional 1/4 mile he would have run in the Classic and giving his charge a near-three-month rest proved inspired.
Knicks Go entered his final career race with a four-race win streak capped by a near-record performance in the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The Maryland-bred six-year-old gray son of Paynter raced for owners KRA, the Korean Race Authority Stud Farm, and will now begin his new stallion career in Kentucky with Taylor Made Stallions.
“He’s been good to us,” said Cox. “We’re proud of him. We’re happy that he’s retiring sound and healthy. He’s six. It’s time. Hopefully, he’ll pass on his heart and determination.”
Knicks Go retires with a 25:10-4-1 record that includes five G1 wins and earnings of $9,258,135.
Life Is Good has now earned six victories in seven starts, all graded, with a lone second-place finish and earnings to date of $2,814,200.
No immediate future race plans were announced for Life Is Good. He has already earned invitations to the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1), to be run in Riyadh Feb. 26, and the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) Mar. 26.
Though either is a possibility, the Dubai World Cup seems the more likely choice since Pletcher often chooses to rest his horses between races.
Should connections for Life Is Good opt for Dubai, he would face Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up Hot Rod Charlie. The Doug O’Neil-trained American fan favorite is already in training in Dubai in preparation for the Dubai World Cup and is expected to run a prep, perhaps later this week in Friday’s Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (G2).
