Three Takeaways from the 2021 San Felipe

Mar 09, 2021 by James Scully/TwinSpires.com

Saturday’s San Felipe S. (G2) at Santa Anita awarded 85 points as a qualifier, and early Kentucky Derby favorite Life Is Good did not disappoint as the odds-on choice.

Here are three San Felipe takeaways.

Life Is Good crushes foes!

After winning the Jan. 2 Sham S. (G3) by three-quarters of a length, Life Is Good drew off to a spectacular eight-length, wire-to-wire victory in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe. And the bay colt did so over a well-regarded group of rivals.

Five of the seven San Felipe contestants were included as individual interests in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW). After being the individual favorite in the first three KDFW pools, Life Is Good was hammered down to 2-1 favoritism in Pool 4 following the San Felipe.

That’s a short price to take eight weeks out. But with the possibility of another dominant performance by Life Is Good in the April 3 Santa Anita Derby (G1), Pool 4 supporters were leery of lower odds on Kentucky Derby Day.

Freakish potential

The San Felipe came back fast. Life Is Good registered a 103 Brisnet Speed rating, which is tied for the top number earned in a two-turn qualifier this year, and the front-running dynamo received a solid 98 Late Pace figure.

Unbeaten from three starts, the Into Mischief colt has plenty going for him. Six-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert has captured three of the last six runnings with talented front-running types – American Pharoah, Justify, and Authentic – and the Hall of Fame conditioner knows how to prepare his runners for the 1 1/4-mile distance.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith is a two-time Kentucky Derby winner.

Life Is Good has speed to spare as well as an encouraging pedigree for longer distances.

Into Mischief, who was represented by his first Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner in 2020 (Authentic), has been the leading sire the last two years. Life Is Good’s dam is by Distorted Humor, sire of 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide, and the only sibling to race has recorded both wins at two turns.

Life Is Good lost focus while widening his advantage in the stretch, drifting out toward the center of the track, and Baffert and Smith both blamed the infield TV screen. Immaturity probably played a role as Smith always appeared to have plenty of horse beneath him.

There’s no telling how high the ceiling runs with Life Is Good.

Pace pressure

Life Is Good may be able to handle longer distances while taking pace pressure, but everything’s come easy so far. He’s dictated terms unopposed in all three starts.

A hot and contested pace is always possible in a 20-horse Kentucky Derby field.

The innermost post position forced Smith’s hand in the San Felipe. I don’t know whether Life Is Good will face different circumstances in the Santa Anita Derby – he may wind up being too quick for rivals once again – but it would be a valuable learning experience.