Life Is Good strolls to victory in Kelso H. (G2)

Into Mischief’s brilliant 3-year-old colt Life Is Good won Saturday’s $300,000 Kelso H. (G2) by a facile 5 ½-lengths in his first start against older horses.

Life Is Good, who won the San Felipe S. (G2) and Sham S. (G3) earlier this year, is expected to make his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in early November at Del Mar.

Life Is Good faced just three foes in the one-mile Kelso, and broke on top. Irad Ortiz, Jr. settled his mount into a nice rhythm, going along easily through the first half-mile in :46.58. He opened up on his foes at the top of the stretch and was geared down late to finish up in 1:34.37 on the fast main track.

“He’s been training super and we were looking forward to getting him going again. I thought he was very impressive,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I left it in Irad’s hands. We weren’t going to send him away from there, but it looked on paper like he was the main speed. What we were focused on was getting him to settle a little bit, stay on the rail and relax. I thought he did that beautifully today.”

Life Is Good, owned by CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC, is now 4-1-0 in five starts and has earned $539,200. His only defeated was by a neck to future Spendthrift stallion Jackie’s Warrior in the Allen Jerkens S. (G1).

Into Mischief, currently the leading sire in North America, has 85 lifetime graded stakes winners. He finished as the leading sire at the recently concluded Keeneland yearling sale by gross of $25,967,000 and average of $418,823 from 62 lots sold.

Life Is Good sold to his owners for $525,000 at the 2019 Keeneland sale. He was bred by Gary and Mary West and is out of Beach Walk, who was bred back to Into Mischief for 2022.