D***! Life is Good off in back after workout, out of Derby.
https://www.paulickreport.com/news/triple-crown/life_is_good_to_miss_santa_anita_derby/
“a little off behind” per BB.
I will confess my first uncharitable thought was … maybe why BB has such a large stable of promising 3YOs is that after a winter/spring of collecting KD points, he’s got one or two that actually make the KD starting gate. 
[quote=
I will confess my first uncharitable thought was … maybe why BB has such a large stable of promising 3YOs is that after a winter/spring of collecting KD points, he’s got one or two that actually make the KD starting gate.
[/quote]
Not uncharitable when it’s based on facts & past events 
I’d be ok if BB didn’t have a starter in the KD this year…
I understand people’s feeling about BB, but I still would have liked the colt to have run in the KD.
I watched the video of the workout–looks like he took a funny step at the end just as he came down from a canter to a trot.
BB says Life is Good will be back later in the summer after 60 days off.
I’m sitting here wondering if we will see Life is Good back on the track or if he’ll stay at WinStar for an ‘extended’ rehab and subsequent retirement.
My bet is the latter
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Ugh, Spielberg! Not surprised, that was a Hail Mary on BB’s part.
So disappointed in Greatest Honour–like the horse and his connections. He did not have a great trip, but the really good ones overcome not-great trips.
I totally agree with this. Bad trip for Greatest Honour, boxed in and eating dirt most of the race. But, the really good ones can overcome bad trips.
I would be willing to overlook this finish but Greatest Honour did slide down my personal list. Derby is, IMO, so dependent on post position and if Greatest Honour gets a bad one, he may have lost the race before the gate even opens.
Having said that, a friend of mine asked me who my favorite is for the Derby and I have to admit, I don’t have one. Mandaloun, Medina Spirit, Dream Shake I all like but at the same time, not sure I think they can really win. Too many horses that haven’t run their last qualifying race to get in the gate… ask me in three weeks 
My picks right now are purely sentimental. Greatest Honour just because Shug McGaughey is a great horseman and a real gentleman. And I like Mandaloun because I think it’d be a neat tribute to the late Khalid Abdullah if one of his last homebreds were to win.
Congratulations LaurieB! Dream Shake was 3rd in the Santa Anita Derby today!
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Some great racing today.
Bourbonic came out of nowhere to take the Wood Memorial at odds of 72-1.
Rock Your World had a nice race in the Santa Anita Derby going gate to wire; his first on dirt after two starts on turf. Medina Spirit took second and our @LaurieB’s Dream Shake had a nice third place finish.
As expected, Essential Quality took the Toyota Blue Grass although Highly Motivated didn’t make it easy.
On the ladies side, Malathaat looked very nice taking the Ashland today over Simply Ravhishing.
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Thank you!
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Well done LaurieB! 
What a lovely horse!
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Rock Your World looked really good in the SA Derby. However it was only his third start. So he is going to Kentucky with not much experience. He was switching leads down the stretch–indication of green?
And in the Blue Grass, Essential Quality and Highly Motivated both looked much better than the rest of the field. Interesting that a TV commentator noted that it was a tough race for both, and hope they could recover in time. Really?–they have a month.
The Wood Memorial? Can’t figure that one.
The Wood was super slow; you don’t usually see graded stakes caliber horses doing a half in 50 and change. I didn’t watch the rest of the card; was Aqueduct really playing that slow on Saturday?
Hard to say if Bourbonic is the real deal off that one race.
Bourbonic’s final time was 1:54:49.
The winner of the Gazelle for 3 year old fillies ran a mile and one eighth in 1:54+. Carter Handicap at 7 furlongs for older sprinters had time of almost 1:24. Excelsior Handicap (grade 3) time for nine furlongs was 1:54+.
Track must have been super slow.
Sat was a really fun day for racing and it was nice to see so many of the hot 3 year olds and top qualifying races at one time.
For me, not having a clear Derby favorite, it was most revealing. Especially the Bluegrass where the gritty stretch drive revealed much. I have learned not to get too enchanted with less experienced colts who rack up a few spectacular wins without having to really work. Sometimes they get to CD and fail to pass their first real test.
I am now in the EQ camp for the Derby. He got tested pretty good there. Hooked up early and dueled all the way home. He struggled a bit when passed and looked like he would fade but found that other gear. Both those colts ears were plastered flat back the last furlong. Couple of real triers there.
And Dance Shake is no quitter, LaurieB, any idea if they planning a summer campaign for him if all goes well this spring? And do you still have that mare?
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F8, I’m in the Essential Quality camp too, because he’s not only a really good horse, he’s also been battle tested. Of course he will still have to get a good trip, which matters more in the Derby than in any other U.S. race.
I’m having a great time watching Dream Shake compete. His current connections have been good about keeping me informed so I try not to ask too many questions. I would hope that they plan to keep running him if all goes well. We currently have 2 half-sisters of his, including a 2yo filly whom we will be racing this year (fingers crossed!) 
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I’m so bad with names… Puffin? Zing and Race are yearlings (or has time gone by even faster than I thought 
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