Life Is Good

When bloodstock agent David Ingordo bought Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) for just $60,000 out of the 2005 Keeneland September Sale he probably thought he had found that once-in-a-lifetime horse. Little did he know that the 2010 Horse of the Year, who was admitted to the Hall of Fame in 2016, might not be his very best purchase. Fourteen years after he discovered Zenyatta, he picked out Flightline (Tapit), paying $1 million for the future superstar. There was nothing coincidental about any of these selections. Over the years, Ingordo has solidified...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - Solid trade continued right through the conclusion of the second and final Book 2 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale Thursday, with the 3-year-old broodmare Finesse (Street Sense) bringing the section's top price of $900,000 when selling to Dixiana Farms. "It was really solid today," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "It was very competitive. I was speaking to a lot of buyers out there, and they were finding it very difficult to buy the foals that...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale produced a day of solid trade with the opening session of its two-day Book 2 section Wednesday in Lexington. For the session, 201 horses grossed $29,440,000. The day's average of $146,468 dipped 9.38% from the corresponding session in 2023, while the median remained unchanged at $120,000. "It was a good, solid day's trade," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "I think it was fair. There were some sticky spots, it was a little...

It was quite a few days for Canadian-based trainer Kevin Attard. On Saturday, he won his first Breeders' Cup race with Moira (Ghostzapper) in the GI Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf and some 48 hours later she went through the ring for $4.3 million. Knowing he'd have plenty to say, we invited Attard to join us on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He admitted that saying goodbye to the best horse he has ever trained was difficult. "Well, right now it's extremely difficult, no doubt...

WinStar Farm will host open houses at the farm beginning Nov. 6 and running through Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the farm's complex on Paynes Mill Road in Versailles. No appointment is necessary to inspect the WinStar stallions for 2025, headed up by Constitution and Life Is Good, in addition to two of WinStar's newest stallions, Heartland (Justify) and Timberlake (Into Mischief). Heartland, a 'TDN Rising Star', is a son of Justify and a half-brother to Classic Empire. Heartland flashed his brilliance in a head-turning career...

Constitution (Tapit) continues to lead the roster at WinStar Farm and will stand the 2025 season for $110,000 S&N alongside Life is Good (Into Mischief) who will stand for $75,000 S&N, the farm announced Monday. The roster will be fortified further by new additions Cogburn (Not This Time), who will make his next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with a stud fee to be announced after the race; Timberlake (Into Mischief), who will stand for $20,000 S&N; and Heartland (Justify), who will stand for $10,000 S&N. "We...

At 76 and with none of his children particularly interested in racing, Stuart Janney, III had to make some decisions about the future of his racing and breeding operations. He didn't want to get out of the sport entirely and he also didn't want to breed mares whose foals won't get to the races for years. So he has decided to disperse his band at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. There, he will sell 13 broodmares and two broodmare prospects. Among others, they are in foal to Good Magic,...

As recently as 2015, it looked like Dylan Davis's career was stuck in neutral. He won just 57 races that year with earnings of $1,859,318. He was, at best, a middle-of-the-pack rider on the NYRA circuit. Fast forward to 2024 and a new Davis has emerged. With three months to go on the year he's already won 147 races and earned $11,318,656 and is on schedule to have the best year of his career. His win aboard Todd Pletcher trainee Tapit Trice (Tapit) in last Saturday's GII Woodward Stakes was...

Thirteen broodmares, in foal to the likes of Good Magic, Life Is Good and Not This Time, and a pair of broodmare prospects will be catalogued as part of the Complete Dispersal of Breeding Stock for prominent Thoroughbred owner, breeder and executive Stuart S. Janney III at the upcoming Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington. The sale begins Tuesday, Nov. 5 and runs nine sessions through Wednesday, Nov. 13. Claiborne Farm will handle the consignment for its long-time client. Janney, who serves as chairman of The Jockey Club, was...

It's not easy to live in Life Is Good's shadow, but his half-brother has been eking out a name for himself one photo finish at a time, and his most recent exploits had him in view all alone at the line. It was a battle down the lane, but Most Wanted (Candy Ride {Arg}--Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor) would not be denied en route to securing his first graded black-type in the GIII Oklahoma Derby. Undefeated in his career by a grand total of less than two lengths, the West...

9th-Churchill Downs, $122,102, Msw, 6-21, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:22.63, ft, neck. MOST WANTED (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor), a half-brother to young WinStar stallion Life Is Good (Into Mischief), Hwt. Older Horse-UAE at 9 1/2-11f, MGISW, $4,541,700, wasn't much of a secret here and was sent off as the 4-5 favorite for this unveiling. Not off to the cleanest of beginnings from his outside draw, Most Wanted broke inward and bumped into a rival at the start. He raced in fifth through fractions of :22.58 and :45.56...

WinStar Farm has secured a 'Name, Image, and Likeness' deal with University of Kentucky basketball player Reed Sheppard to promote WinStar stallion Life Is Good (Into Mischief). A freshman guard for John Calipari's Wildcats, Sheppard was Mr. Kentucky Basketball in 2023 and a McDonald's All-American. Also honored as the 2022 Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year, Sheppard is off to a fast start for the Wildcats (20-8) this season. With March Madness on the horizon, Sheppard is averaging 12.5 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in the 2023-24...