San Felipe S. (G2) – Race 6 (5:30 p.m. ET)
Leading Kentucky Derby contender Life Is Good has shown high speed winning his first two starts wire-to-wire, including the Jan. 2 Sham S. (G3), and the well-regarded colt should be the one to catch from his innermost post position in Saturday’s $300,000 San Felipe S. (G2) at Santa Anita.
Odds-on in both appearances for six-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert, Life Is Good has been favored among individual entrants in the first three Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools.
The son of Into Mischief heads a field of seven in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, which will award points on a 50-20-10-5 scale as a Kentucky Derby qualifier, and Mike Smith will be back aboard.
Baffert will also send out Medina Spirit, a fast-closing second in the Sham and gutsy wire-to-wire winner of the Jan. 30 Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) most recently. Three-time Kentucky Derby victor John Velazquez, who was up on 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic for Baffert, picks up the mount on the Florida-bred Protonico colt.
Roman Centurian, a neck second when making his stakes debut in the Lewis for Simon Callaghan, will be running late for regular rider Juan Hernandez. Dream Shake earned kudos for a smart 4 3/4-length debut maiden win over the track on Feb. 7. Joel Rosario retains the assignment on the Twirling Candy colt for Peter Eurton.
The Great One was another impressive maiden scorer, winning his last outing by 14 lengths in late January. The Doug O’Neill-trained colt finished a nose second in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) two back, and Abel Cedillo rides.
Along with Life Is Good, Dream Shake, Medina Spirit, Roman Centurian, and The Great One are listed as individual interests in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager this weekend.
California Cup Derby runner-up None of the Above will try open competition again on Saturday, and El Camino Real Derby third-placer Governor’s Party rounds out the San Felipe field.
