Life Is Sweet (horse)

Last updated
Life Is Sweet
Sire Storm Cat
Grandsire Storm Bird
DamSweet Life
Damsire Kris S.
Sex Mare
Foaled2005
Country United States
Colour Bay
Breeder Pam & Martin Wygod
OwnerPam & Martin Wygod
Trainer John Shirreffs
Record16: 6-4-1
Earnings$1,820,810 [1]
Major wins
El Encino Stakes (2009)
La Cañada Stakes (2009)
Santa Margarita Handicap (2009) Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (2009)
Honours
Life Is Sweet Stakes at Hollywood Park

Life Is Sweet (foaled March 5, 2005, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who in early 2009 was thought to be a threat to her unbeaten stablemate, Zenyatta, after winning three straight stakes races. Though beaten by Zenyatta.

Kentucky State of the United States of America

Kentucky, officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. Although styled as the "State of Kentucky" in the law creating it, (because in Kentucky's first constitution, the name state was used) Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth. Originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky split from it and became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States.

Thoroughbred Horse breed developed for racing

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.

Zenyatta American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Zenyatta is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of 19 consecutive races in a 20-race career. Owned by Jerry and Ann Moss, Zenyatta was trained by John Shirreffs and guided by jockey Mike Smith for 17 of 20 starts. David Flores rode Zenyatta in her first three starts.

Contents

Background

Life Is Sweet was bred by her owners, Pam & Martin Wygod. By leading sire Storm Cat, she is out of the Kris S. mare Sweet Life, who is also the dam of champion juvenile filly Sweet Catomine. Sweet Life would be named the 2009 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. [2]

Martin J. Wygod is an American businessman and a prominent Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder.

The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to stallions which are based in North America, but currently includes earnings from overseas races in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany and the United Arab Emirates as well as domestic earnings.

Storm Cat was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North America in 1999 and 2000, and the leading juvenile (two-year-old) sire a record seven times. He sired 108 graded stakes winners and eight champions, including Giant's Causeway, who also became a leading sire.

Life Is Sweet originally raced on the east coast with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, but at age four was transferred to the California-based barn of John Shirreffs, best known as the trainer of Zenyatta. [3]

John Shirreffs American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer

John A. Shirreffs is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.

Racing career

Life Is Sweet made her debut as a two-year-old at Saratoga on August 30, 2007, finishing eighth. [1] On October 7, she made her second start, this time at Belmont on the turf, and won by a commanding nine lengths. [4] She was next entered in the Epitome Breeders' Cup Stakes on October 27 but finished sixth. [1]

Life Is Sweet did not run again until an allowance race at Gulfstream Park on February 22, 2008, which she won. On April 5, she faced Grade 1 company for the first time in the Ashland Stakes, finishing fourth. She then ran second in both the Calder Oaks on April 26 and Sand Point Stakes on May 31. [1]

Gulfstream Park is a racetrack and county-approved casino in Hallandale Beach, Florida. During its annual meet, which spans December through October, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America.

The Ashland Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. It and the Ashland Oaks, the Kentucky Association racetrack's predecessor race, were named for Ashland, the homestead and breeding farm of statesman Henry Clay in Lexington, Kentucky. Restricted to three-year-olds fillies the race is currently run at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles. The race is a Grade I event with a current purse of $500,000 and has been a prep race to the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, including the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and Mother Goose Stakes.

Life Is Sweet did not return to racing until January 18, 2009 in the El Encino Stakes at Santa Anita. Now trained by Shirreffs, she settled behind horses for the first ​3⁄4 miles, then swung four wide around the turn to get running room. In the stretch, she pulled to the lead and won by ​2 1⁄2 lengths. [5] [6] Her next start was the La Canada Stakes on February 15, for which she was made the 6-5 favorite. She once again settled near the back of the field until swinging wide on the final turn, finally gaining the lead near the finish line to win by ​3⁄4 lengths. Although the opening fractions were quite slow, Life Is Sweet ran the last eighth of a mile in a very quick 11.20 seconds. Jockey Garrett Gomez said, "She really showed a great turn of foot and to be able to overcome that slow pace like she did is amazing. You can see her stride gets longer as she gets closer to the wire." [7] [8]

The El Encino Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to four-year-old fillies, it is raced over a distance of ​1 1⁄16 miles on the synthetic Cushion Track surface. A Grade II event, it currently offers a purse of $150,000

On March 14, she faced her biggest test yet in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational, where she was the even money favorite. The race was nearly a carbon copy of her two previous wins, with Life Is Sweet starting her winning move around the far turn to eventually win by ​2 1⁄2 lengths. [9]

Life Is Sweet's next start was the Milady Handicap on May 23, in which her stablemate Zenyatta was making her season debut. The two raced in fifth and sixth down the backstretch and started their moves around the far turn. Zenyatta outkicked Life Is Sweet to win by ​1 3⁄4 lengths, with Life Is Sweet in second. [10] [3]

Life is Sweet then faced off with males in the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 11. In a large field of 13, she was trapped behind horses until they entered the stretch, where she closed from 11th to 3rd. [11] She then finished fourth behind Zenyatta in both the Clement L. Hirsch on August 9 and the Lady's Secret on October 10. [1] A slow pace in both races compromised her attempt to come from behind in the stretch. [12]

On November 6, 2009, Life Is Sweet came into her own with a runaway win in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. She broke poorly and got pinched by other horses, but soon settled near the back of the pack. On the far turn, she circled wide of the field and drew off to a convincing win. "I’m just so happy for Life is Sweet," said Shirreffs. “She’s such a nice filly. She ran so great early in the year. I was glad she was able to get it done today. She really deserves this." [13]

Life is Sweet finished second to Zenyatta in the Eclipse Award voting for champion older mare of 2009. [14]

Life Is Sweet's last race was on February 13, 2010, when she finished second in the Santa Maria Handicap. [14] On March 13, she was preparing for a run in the Dubai World Cup; however, after the workout, she suffered muscle cramps and owner Marty Wygod decided to retire her. Wygod said, "If she can't run at her best, I don't want to. [Shirreffs] got her right for the Breeders' Cup. She was compromised in most of her races because of her tying up. We don't want to take a risk with her." [15]

Retirement

She was bred to Smart Strike [16] and foaled a colt in March 2011. The colt, later named Disintermediate, [17] was euthanized after fracturing a pastern during a workout at Golden Gate in December 2013. [18] She also has a 2012 Bernardini filly named Sweet Promises and a 2013 filly named Lady Pamela by Tapit. [19]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Life is Sweet, bay mare, 2005 [20]
Sire
Storm Cat
dkb/ 1983		 Storm Bird
b. 1978		 Northern Dancer (CAN)
b. 1961		 Nearctic
Natalma
South Ocean
b. 1967		 New Providence
Shining Sun
Terlingua
ch. 1976		 Secretariat
ch. 1970		 Bold Ruler
Somethingroyal
Crimson Saint
ch. 1969		 Crimson Satan
Bolero Rose
Dam
Sweet Life
dkb/ 1996		 Kris S.
dkb/ 1977		 Roberto
b. 1969		 Hail to Reason
Bramalea
Sharp Queen
b. 1965		 Princequillo
Bridgework
Symbolically
b. 1983		 Flying Paster
b. 1976		Gummo
Procne
Hail to the Queen
b. 1977		Native Royalty
Instinctively (family 21) [21]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Life is Sweet Statistics". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "Sweet Life is KY Broodmare of the Year". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  3. 1 2 Shinar, Jack. "Zenyatta Makes Belated Seasonal Bow in Milady". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "Chart for October 7, 2007". equibase.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  5. ↑ Shandler, Jason. "Life Is Sweet Enjoys El Encino Triumph". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Chart of the El Encino Stakes". equibase.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  7. ↑ Shinar, Jack. "Dramatic La Canada Win for Life is Sweet". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  8. ↑ "Chart for the La Canada Stakes". equibase.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  9. ↑ Shinar, Jack. "Life Is Sweet Shows Salt in 'Margarita". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "Chart for the Milady Handicap". equibase.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  11. ↑ "Chart for the Hollywood Gold Cup". equibase.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "Perfect Zenyatta Repeats in 'Secret; BC Next". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  13. ↑ LaMarra, Tom. "'Sweet' Victory in the Ladies Classic". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  14. 1 2 Shinar, Jack. "St Trinians Scores Sweet Win in Santa Maria". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  15. ↑ "Ladies' Classic Winner Life is Sweet Retired". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  16. ↑ "The Sweet Life". cs.bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "Disintermediate". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  18. ↑ "In Memorium". thoroughbredchampions.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  19. ↑ "Life Is Sweet Offspring". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  20. ↑ "Life Is Sweet Pedigree". www.equineline.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  21. ↑ "Life Is Sweet Horse Pedigree". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
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