Horse racing newsletter: Life Is Good out of Kentucky Derby

LALIC (FR) broke in a bit at the start, settled inside, saved ground to the stretch, moved out a path and closed well to overhaul the runner-up. NEW DRAMA dueled outside of SWEET SONNY to the stretch, put away that rival nearing the eighth pole and yielded to the winner in the final sixteenth. SHOUT IT OUT stalked the top pair from inside, came off the rail leaving the bend, angled out further in the stretch, lacked the needed late kick and saved the show. PREDICTABLE TULLY (IRE) stalked the leaders while outside of SHOUT IT OUT, exited the turn three wide, steered out in the stretch and missed the show. SWEET SONNY dueled for command from inside to the stretch and weakened inside the furlong grounds. AMERICAN BOURBON tracked off the rail, entered the turn three wide then shifted to the two path leaving the bend and could not rally. CHIQUITA PIQUITA sat off the pace off the inside, took the turn two then three wide and offered no response. SWEET SOULMATE broke out then drifted out early, raced very wide up the backstretch then moved in nearing the turn, came four wide into the stretch and was never a factor.

NONE ABOVE THE LAW broke well then settled behind the speed, went between rivals then bumped foe and steadied at the seven-sixteenths, traveled two wide into the drive, rallied inside the leader and kicked clear. CLUB CAL trailed the field early, took closer order outside rivals on the backstretch, took aim at the leader three wide into the drive and finished willingly. WEDDING GROOM got floated out six wide into the first turn by CASHLINGS, went for the front outside a trio of rivals, took the lead early on the backstretch then moved clear, inched away then opened up on the second turn, showed the way in the two path into the drive, lost command mid-stretch and flattened to third. KENNEBEC showed early speed from inside then got taken back off the pace, moved off the rail on the backstretch and went three then four wide around the second bend and lacked a rally. GABBY HAYES stumbled a bit leaving the gate, had early speed and vied off the rail between rivals around the clubhouse turn, chased the leader up the backstretch, lost ground around the far turn and faded. CASHLINGS drifted out into the first turn, chased under a hold through the bend, got bumped by rival at the seven-sixteenths, dropped back around the far turn and tired.

PALACE PRINCE tracked in the two path then swung four wide into the stretch, put to right-handed urging in upper stretch and closed fast under strong handling get up late. ARMOUR PLATE controlled the pace from inside, pressured past the half-mile pole, challenged around the far turn, responded to urging and cleared that rival in upper stretch, led clear to the sixteenth pole and got caught late. FOOTHILL was forwardly placed near the inside, moved into the two path around the far turn, came back to the rail in the drive and needed to find more in deep stretch. INVICTATATUS brushed from outside leaving the gate, chased off the rail, entered the lane three wide and finished evenly. SHUSTER trailed the field in the two path, angled in around the far turn, came out in the stretch and made no impact. FULL DRAW brushed inside rival at the start, angled to the inside quickly, swung five wide leaving the far turn and lacked a rally. HARD COUNT closest to the pacesetter early, applied pressure past the halfway point, challenged around the far turn and into the stretch, then tired in the final sixteenth.

I'LL STAND TALLER showed early speed outside a pair of rivals then chased THRIVE up the backstretch while outside a rival, took aim two wide into the lane, headed the leader mid-stretch, drove past and held off CRASH CORRIGAN in the closing moments. CRASH CORRIGAN broke well then chased the speed up the backstretch, went two wide into the turn then angled out into the three path, closed outside the top pair and kept gaining to the wire. THRIVE broke in and bumped ATOMIC DROP, vied for the lead between rivals before kicking clear on the backstretch, led along the inside into the drive and yielded to the top pair late. ATOMIC DROP broke in then got bumped by outside rival at the start, vied for the lead from inside then chased the leader past the five-eighths, saved ground along the inside to the stretch, moved off the rail and finished evenly through the final furlong. FUNKENSTEIN traveled along the inside then came out into the stretch and failed to menace. COUNT TOLSTOY raced outside a rival from off the pace, floated out by that same foe into the stretch and weakened.

WARD 'N JERRY settled outside a rival, entered the stretch two or three wide, tipped out and dug in late to edge LURE HIM IN in the final moments. LURE HIM IN stumbled slightly leaving the gate, forwardly placed along the inside early then moved off the rail first time through the stretch while under a hold, chased two wide then bid three deep in upper stretch, took control and led through the final furlong but could not hold off the winner. RED KING jumped the track crossing surfaces early, stalked from inside, angled out with a furlong to go, waited for room then shifted in and bumped rival near the sixteenth pole and finished well to earn the show. TARTINI chased off the rail then outside the leader, bid between foes in upper stretch, got bumped by RED KING near the sixteenth pole and flattened late. OSCAR DOMINGUEZ (IRE) angled in on the the hill, sat off the pace, shifted out at the top of the lane and lacked a serious bid. THE STIFF raced off the rail into the stretch for the first time, moved inside and saved ground through both turns, came out in the lane and passed tired rivals. IRISH HEATWAVE sped to the front from outside, cleared and set all the pace to the lane, was overtaken in upper stretch and gave way. NEW YEAR tracked three wide then two wide into the stretch, altered out when THE STIFF came out in upper stretch and weakened.

STREET BEHAVIOR stalked off the rail then outside a rival, angled four wide leaving the far turn, kicked clear at the eighth pole and drew away. ZORICH raced three to five wide around the first turn and between rivals into the backstretch moved closer outside the leader, bid three deep on the far turn, led into the stretch then yielded to the winner but stayed on to secure the place. SPEAKEROFTHEHOUSE angled to the rail on the first turn, moved off the inside on the backstretch, raced two to three wide on the second bend and showed a mild rally. BRAZILIAN SUMMER raced outside rivals into the first turn then dropped back off the pace, bid between on the backstretch, vied for the lead around the second bend and weakened in the final furlong. CZECHMIGHT showed early speed in the two path, vied outside a rival then relinquished command, took control back at the five-eighths, vied inside a pair of foes around the far turn and weakened in the final furlong. ROBIN'S LEGACY steadied briefly off heels early then angled inside, went up to challenge for the lead, lost command at the five-eighths, chased inside up the backstretch and faded. PRINCE RICKY went four wide into the first turn then got fanned six wide, took closer order up the backstretch widest of all, dropped back leaving the backstretch and tired around the far turn. KODIACTION tucked inside early, came two wide into the stretch and had little left.

UNITED stalked outside the leader then bid past the five-sixteenths, headed ACCLIMATE at the quarter pole, took over soon after, kicked clear in upper stretch and held safely. SAY THE WORD raced off the pace from inside, angled three to four wide leaving the final turn, finished well from outside and was gaining to the wire. MASTEROFFOXHOUNDS stalked the pacesetter from inside, angled three to four wide into the stretch, chased within striking distance through the final furlong but lacked then needed late kick. ACCLIMATE sped to the front from inside, showed the way to the final turn, was headed at the quarter pole, offered little resistance to the winner and weakened in the stretch. MULTIPLIER lacked early speed racing outside a rival, angled to the rail on the final turn and was never a factor.

FRATELLI dueled inside a pair of rivals, cleared in upper stretch and stayed strong under urging. CURRY away quickly from outside, had speed outside the top pair, vied three deep into the stretch, could not match the winner in the final furlong and held the place. WILSON MONK pulled up the backstretch, chased three wide into the stretch, angled out at the top of the lane and kept on willingly. EL DIABLO ROJO tracked off the rail, went three wide into the turn, moved into the two path leaving the bend, found the rail in the stretch and filled out the superfecta. SHADY EMPIRE dueled for the lead between rivals, vied two wide into the stretch and weakened inside the furlong grounds. SEE THROUGH IT chased four then five wide around the turn and faded.

MAN FRIDAY away quickly from inside, showed the way up the backstretch, inched away around the far turn, led clear to the sixteenth pole and held gamely. AIRMAN angled to the rail, moved out into the two path on the backstretch, exited the far turn three wide, steered out further in the stretch, rallied but could not get by. EAGLE CHIEF tracked in the two path then three wide into the stretch, rallied and got edged for the place. LONE SCOUT angled in early from the far outside and went three wide into the first turn, tracked outside a rival in mid-pack, came four wide into the stretch, shifted in and bumped rival at the three-sixteenths pole, finished with interest but drifted in and brushed rival again late. HUDSON RIDGE pulled early while outside a rival, chased off the inside to the stretch and lacked the needed late punch. NO FOOLERY HERE traveled in mid-pack in the early going, got bumped at the three-sixteenths pole, looked to advance in deep stretch but got brushed and was in a bit tight late. ENOUGH NONSENSE was forwardly placed in the two path, raced a bit off the rail into the lane and weakened. PRO BONO angled in and pulled from inside early, chased along the fence to the stretch and weakened. BATUKHAN (IRE) checked off heels early then steered to the inside, saved ground into the stretch and could not rally. GRANADA FLAVOR drifted into the first turn, lacked early speed, entered the stretch two wide and was never a factor. SPECIAL MISSION traveled two wide into the first turn, saved ground into the lane and came up empty. LALALANDHELLRAISER broke slow and inward, raced greenly early, lagged behind through the early stages and never got involved.