To view the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, click here.

by Ed DeRosa

As the sun set on Santa Anita Park and cast long shadows on the conclusion of day one of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, it was a different shadow that Life Is Sweet emerged out of with an authoritative victory in the $1,818,000 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1).

Not facing star stablemate Zenyatta or males for the first time since winning the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1) on March 14 at Santa Anita, Pam and Marty Wygod’s homebred Life Is Sweet swept past the field to win the Ladies’ Classic with ease under Garret Gomez.

Undefeated champion older female Zenyatta won the Ladies’ Classic last year, and it will be her turn to face males on Saturday in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), but trainer John Shirreffs was content to first bask in the afterglow of winning the Ladies’ Classic in back to back years with different horses.

“She’s been doing great all year, especially at Santa Anita,” Shirreffs said of Life Is Sweet, a four-year-old Storm Cat filly. “We knew this was her zone, and I’m glad she had a chance to show it.”

The Wygods also bred Life Is Sweet’s full sister, 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and champion two-year-old filly Sweet Catomine out of their Kris S. mare Sweet Life, making the mare only the third to produce multiple Breeders’ Cup winners.

“It’s just a great feeling,” Marty Wygod said. “John’s done a great job with her, and to have her full sister win the Breeders’ Cup and now have [Life Is Sweet] win the Breeders’ Cup, you just can’t put that feeling into words.”

Alabama Stakes (G1) winner Careless Jewel opened up about eight lengths on the field through an opening half-mile of :45.78, but after six furlongs in 1:09.74, the filly was clearly laboring and ended up finishing last as the 1.90-to-1 favorite.

A host of challengers appeared poised to strike the front turning for home, but it was Life Is Sweet who was full of run on the outside, and she had no trouble picking up horses down the lane, winning the 1 1/8-mile race on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface in 1:48.58.

“There is only one guy who didn’t chase [Careless Jewel], and that’s him right there,” said trainer John Gosden, pointing to Gomez as he entered the winner’s circle after the Ladies’ Classic. Gosden’s runner, European champion Rainbow View, finished fifth.

“When I saw those fractions, I realized we had a big shot,” Wygod said.

“I actually thought they’d go ahead and start backing up about the three-eighths pole, and they kept kicking on and I started getting a little worried,” Gomez said. “I started making a little run and all of the sudden, about the quarter pole, they all started coming back really solid and [Life Is Sweet] started finding her stride.”

Mushka, winner last month of the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) via the disqualification of first-place finisher Proviso (GB), ran well to finish second but had no response for the winner. Music Note checked in third to complete a winless day for the powerful Godolphin racing operation. Proviso finished fourth.

Life Is Sweet completed a day in which all four main track Breeders’ Cup races were won by horses exiting races on a synthetic surface.

For video of winning jockey Garrett Gomez, click here.

For video of winning trainer John Shirreffs, click here.

For video of Life Is Sweet owner Martin Wygod, click here.

For quotes, click here.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Ed DeRosa is new editor of Thoroughbred Times