Life Is Good, Medina Spirit renew budding rivalry in San Felipe

Mar 03, 2021 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Life Is Good will look to maintain his brief, flawless record against six rivals in Saturday's $300,000 San Felipe S. (G2) at Santa Anita, a 1 1/16-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby prep that offers qualifying points of 50-20-10-5 to the top four finishers.

The son of Into Mischief enters the San Felipe as trainer Bob Baffert's top prospect for a record-breaking seventh Kentucky Derby victory. After dominating maiden foes at Del Mar in November, Life Is Good was out early in the new year and captured the Sham (G3) in his two-turn debut, albeit by only three parts of a length over stablemate Medina Spirit after displaying some greenness in the stretch.

Medina Spirit, who came back to win the the Robert B. Lewis (G3) in a three-way photo over Roman Centurion, is back to oppose Life Is Good with John Velazquez traveling from Florida to take the reins. Roman Centurion, a son of Empire Maker who's faced both Baffert colts before, looks to topple both of the Hall of Fame trainer's runners for the first time and remains with upside.

Dream Shake, a surprise debut winner over 6 1/2 furlongs last month for Peter Eurton, and Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) runner-up The Great One, who belatedly broke his maiden by 14 lengths last time, are other Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4 runners entered in the San Felipe. The two outsiders in the field are Govenor's Party, recently third in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate as a 119-1 outsider, and California Cup Derby runner-up None Above the Law.

The San Felipe is one of five stakes, four graded, on Saturday's Santa Anita program. Post time for the San Felipe is 5:30 p.m. (ET), and can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.