Life Is Sweet Wins Ladies Classic

ARCADIA, Calif., Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Life Is Sweet circled the field on the turn in Friday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic and drew off easily to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

With jockey Garrett Gomez up, Life Is Sweet stayed well behind runaway early leader Careless Jewel. As she shortened stride and the field bunched up, Gomez got Life Is Sweet moved to the outside and quickly passed the leaders. No one could go with her and Life Is Sweet was never threatened past mid-stretch.

Mushka and Music Note put in late bids to finish second and third. The 9 furlongs on the all-weather track took 1:48.58.

The 4-year-old Storm Cat filly came into the Ladies Classic winless in four starts since last March. In most of those starts, however, she had been facing the undefeated dominant force in the division, Zenyatta, who is entered in Saturday's $5 million Classic.

The absence of Zenyatta and the potential Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra, left the Ladies Classic relatively wide open. With Careless Jewel, the favorite, fading to finish last, Life Is Sweet paid $18.80 to win.

Overall, Life Is Sweet now has six wins from 15 lifetime starts.