WE have a new clear favourite for the Kentucky Derby on May 1st in Life Is Good, and it is easy to see why after the son of Into Mischief made it three out of three at Santa Anita on Saturday in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, a race won last year by his one-time stablemate and subsequent Derby (and Breeders’ Cup Classic) winner Authentic.

Life Is Good had accounted for Medina Spirit by just three-quarters of a length in the Sham Stakes here in January but extended that to eight on this occasion.

He posted a 121 rating that has him comfortably top of those US three-year-olds to have run so far this year and up to the average winning standard for Churchill Downs.

Meydan’s meeting earlier on the same day featured Group 1 wins for Lord Glitters (just 110 in a bunched finish) in a weak Jebel Hatta and Salute The Soldier (115) in Round Three of the Al Maktoum Challenge.

There was a significant and emphatic Group 2 win for Walton Street (118) on turf in the Dubai City of Gold.

The 2017 Gallinule Stakes winner Homesman (rated 104 back then but 113 since) got home in front by a short head in the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington.

Nature Strip – on his day a contender for the title of best sprinter in the world – went down by a similar margin in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick, seemingly performing about 10lb below his 124 best.