A Life That’s Good returns with Niagara Stakes victory

By Tom Law

Emcee Stable’s homebred A Life That’s Good opened the 2021 stakes slate at Finger Lakes Monday with a comeback victory in the $50,000 Niagara Stakes for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies.

Off since finishing fifth of five in her stakes debut in the Jan. 16 Franklin Square at Aqueduct, A Life That’s Good won by 1 1/4 lengths over odds-on favorite Summer Brew. The daughter of Congrats won the 6-furlong Niagara in 1:13.15 under Andre Worrie for trainer Jeremiah Englehart.

Sent off the 2-1 second choice in the field of four – reduced by one with the scratch of Beach Banker – A Life That’s Good ducked out at the start then raced close to the pace of 1-5 favorite Summer Brew. Summer Brew, the winner of three straight including an open-company allowance against older fillies and mares May 29 at Belmont Park, led by a half-length through the opening quarter-mile in :22.58.

Summer Brew and jockey Oscar Gomez still led by a length after a half in :45.52. A Life That’s Good still trailed by a length with a furlong to run and after a brief battled she edged away late for her first stakes win. Summer Brew held second by 4 1/4 lengths from Isle Storm with Pazzion another 27 ¾ lengths back in fourth.

A Life That’s Good finished sixth in her debut late last October in a 6-furlong state-bred turf maiden. Englehart switched her to the main track following that effort and she won a 6-furlong maiden Dec. 4 at Aqueduct by 5 ½ lengths to earn a trip to stakes company.

Sent off at 9-1 in the 6 1/2-furlong Franklin Square, A Life That’s Good raced toward the back early before fading to fifth behind Secret Love and 2020 New York-bred champion 2-year-old filly finalists Laobanonaprayer and Vacay.

After two breezes at Belmont after the Franklin Square, A Life That’s Good went to the sidelines and didn’t work again until late April with Travis Durr at Webb Carroll Training Center in St. Matthews, S.C. She breezed twice there before joining Englehart’s string bedded down in the Oklahoma Annex at Saratoga Race Course, where she breezed five times on the main track before the Niagara.

Foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, A Life That’s Good is the third foal out of the Lion Hearted mare Lions Terms, a Maryland-bred who won 16 of 43 starts and earned $235,042. Her first foal, I Still Miss You, a New York-bred daughter Majestic Warrior, won a pair of stakes in 2017 and retired with six wins in 15 starts and $276,737 for Englehart and owners Gold Star Racing Stable, Matthew Hand and Brian McKenzie.

Lion’s Terms second foal, an unraced colt by Blame, sold for $100,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. She’s also the dam of an unraced New York-bred 2-year-old Flatter filly named Raymond Road and a yearling filly by Twirling Candy born Feb. 7.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2021/06/28/a-life-thats-good-returns-with-niagara-stakes-victory/

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