Pegasus World Cup and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good meets a field of 5 challengers in Saturday’s Grade 1 $1 million Whitney at Saratoga, as drawn today. NYRA morning line maker David Aragona made the Todd Pletcher trainee the 6-5 favorite from post 6. The 1-1/8 miles Whitney also includes Olympiad (post 4) in search of a sixth straight victory in 2022.
Bettors playing the Whitney Stakes with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet can take advantage of a $5,000 late pick 4 Hit & Split promotion. It’s all part of $50,000 in Saturday / Sunday Hit & Splits on the two platforms from tracks across the country. Whitney weekend also corresponds with the first-ever Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager, available at Xpressbet and 1/ST BET from noon Friday through 6 pm Sunday.
The lightning-fast Life Is Good once again will be expected to control the early pace, and will be sent with intent from the outside draw and a short run to the clubhouse turn. He’s won 7 of 9 starts, including the Pegasus World Cup at the Whitney distance – but did drop one of his losses in his only Saratoga try to champion sprinter Jackie’s Warrior last summer in the 7-furlong Jerkens. Olympiad has employed a nearly cut-and-paste style of sitting second and pouncing each race in his five-race win streak. The Whitney should set up similarly with Hot Rod Charlie, runner-up in the Belmont Stakes and Dubai World Cup, just off that top pair.
Trainer Todd Pletcher not only has Life Is Good, but also Happy Saver and Americanrevolution in supporting roles. Pletcher has won the Whitney 3 times, most recently with Cross Traffic in 2013.
Saturday’s 12-race program begins at a special 12:35 pm ET first post time, with the Whitney Stakes post time set for 5:48 pm ET as Race 10.
Saratoga // Race 10 // Grade 1 $1 million Whitney Stakes// 1-1/8 miles
1. Americanrevolution // Todd Pletcher // Luis Saez // 5-1
2. Hot Rod Charlie // Doug O’Neill // Flavien Prat // 9-2
3. Zoomer // Mark Casse // Joel Rosario // 30-1
4. Olympiad // Bill Mott // Junior Alvarado // 2-1
5. Happy Saver // Todd Pletcher // John Velazquez // 8-1
6. Life Is Good // Todd Pletcher // Irad Ortiz Jr. // 6-5
For more Whitney Stakes and Saratoga in-depth coverage visit news.1st.com and the blog section at Xpressbet.com for Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know” each racing day for Saratoga.
%20(1).png)
.svg){kind=logo}
