Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Breeders’ Cup Results & Payouts: Life Is Sweet Wins The Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita Park
Posted on Friday, November 6th, 2009
After fruitlessly chasing the undefeated mare Zenyatta in 3 previous races, Life Is Sweet, ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez, found the winner’s circle in the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic by 2 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita Park Friday, November 6.
Life Is Sweet was one of four longshots to win on the opening day of the 26th Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Check out the Breeders’ Cup winners and who the Breeders’ Cup contenders are for BC Day 2.
“It was exhilarating,” co-owner Marty Wygod said.
The 4-year-old filly Life Is Sweet shares the barn of defending champion Zenyatta, who stayed in her stall resting ahead of Saturday’s $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic against the boys where will put her 13-0 winning streak on the line in the 1 1/4-mile race.
Both horses are trained by John Shirreffs for different owners.
“I was glad she was able to get it done today,” race horse trainer John Shirreffs said. “She really deserves this. She had been coming into this race really great.”
Life Is Sweet ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.58 and paid $18.20, $8 and $5 at 8-1 odds. Mushka returned $12.80 and $6.40, while Music Note was another length back in third for the second straight year and paid $3.20 to show.
Proviso (GB) finished fourth followed by Rainbow View, last year’s second place finisher Cocoa Beach (CHI), Lethal Heat and Careless Jewel, the 9-5 wagering favorite, romped to an early nine-length lead before fading to last in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic field of eight.
“She locked onto the bridle and went as far as she could as fast as she could. That’s not her,” said jockey Robert Landry, who rode Careless Jewel. “It’s disappointing because she’s a much better filly than she showed.”
American horses won 4 of the day’s 6 Breeders’ Cup races, with jockey Julien Leparoux riding two Breeders’ Cup winners on a day that went off without incident to horses or riders.
It was the second consecutive Breeders’ Cup to be run on Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface, which kept stellar filly Rachel Alexandra away. She was 8 for 8 this year, including 3 wins over male horses, one of them in the Preakness. But her owner Jess Jackson doesn’t like synthetics, so he shut down the Horse of the Year favorite.
Life Is Sweet had lost to Zenyatta in 3 of her previous four races. She improved to 4 for 5 this year in races where Zenyatta wasn’t running, with her only loss to males in the Hollywood Gold Cup.
“If you have to be overshadowed by something, that is the right mare to be overshadowed by,” Wygod said. “She’s a great, great mare.”
Life Is Sweet went from last midway through the final turn to the front with a run on the far outside. She overcame getting pinched out of the starting gate.
“I’m glad she picked today to show up,” jockey Garrett Gomez said. “When you run some tough races like she did, it will take something out of you. I’m glad they were able to get her confidence back and have her prepared.”
It was the sixth win in 15 career starts–and fourth on a synthetic track–for filly Life Is Sweet, whose training was disrupted by severe muscle cramping in July and August.
“I knew Life Is Sweet was going to really put in a tremendous run. I told that to Garrett before he got up on her,” Marty Wygod said. “When I saw those fractions, I realized we had a good shot. She did it easily. She really did.”
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Tags: Careless Jewel, Cocoa Beach, Lethal Heat, Life is Sweet, Mushka, Music Note, Proviso, Rainbow View
"Breeders’ Cup Results & Payouts: Life Is Sweet Wins The Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita Park" was posted on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 10:51 pm and is filed under Breeders' Cup, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Results & Payouts, Santa Anita Track, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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