(Life Is Good / Photo Courtesy of Santa Anita)

Editor’s Note:

Big weekend coming up.

Life Is Good — so impressive in his debut win at Del Mar — will take the next step in the G3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.

The Jerome Stakes — one of the oldest and most historic races in America racing history — will be held at Aqueduct on Friday.

Other top youngsters will turn 3 and have upped their morning workout schedules.

We will have more next week, but here’s our updated standings.

For now.

Stay tuned.

Rankings Horse Sire Trainer Jockey Last Race Next Race Career Comments
1 Essential Quality Tapit Brad Cox Luis Saez 1st G1 BC Juvenile @ KEE TBD (Worked 1/2 at FG on 12-27) 3/3-0-0 Undefeated Son of Tapit / What’s Not to Like
2 Life Is Good Into Mischief Bob Baffert Mike Smith 1st in MSW @ Del Mar Jan. 2: G3 Sham Stakes 1/1-0-0 Can He Duplicae Debut Masterpiece?
3 Prime Factor Quality Road Todd Pletcher Irad Ortiz, Jr. 1st in MSW @ GP TBD (Worked 1/2 at PBD on 12-27) 1/1-0-0 Broke MSW by Nearly 9 / Cost $900K / Wow
4 Red Flag Tamarkuz John Shirreffs Victor Espinoza 4th in G2 Los Alamitos Futurity TBD 4/2-0-0 Soundly Beaten at LA / Hmmm?
5 Keepmeinmind Loaban Roberto Diodoro David Cohen 1st in G2 KY Jockey Club @ CD TBD (Last Official Work in Nov) 4/1-2-1 Has Shown Up at Oaklawn Park / Work to Begin Soon
6 Caddo River Hard Spun Brad Cox Florent Geroux 1st in MSW @ CD TBD (Worked 1/2 at OP on 12-27) 3/1-2-0 Will Be Pointed to Derby Preps in Hot Springs
7 Hot Rod Charlie Oxbow Doug O’Neill Tyler Gaffalione 2nd in G1 BC Juvenile @ KEE Jan. 30 — G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes 5/1-1-1 Sold in Feb. 2019 for $17K / 2nd in BC @ 94-1 odds
8 Mandaloun Into Mischief Brad Cox Florent Geroux 1st in ALW @ CD TBD (Worked 5F at FG on 12-27) 2/2-0-0 Closer Should Love Extra Ground Coming
9 Dr. Schivel Violence Mark Glatt Flavien Pratt 1st in G1 Del Mar Futurity @ DM TBD (No Recent Works) 4/2-1-1 Has Won 2 In Row / Beat Spielberg in last
10 Petruchio Into Mischief Richard Mandella Mike Smith 3rd in G2 Los Alamitos Futurity TBD 5/1-1-3 Rallied to Be 3rd in LA Futurity, But Beaten 31/2 / Mixed
11 Whiskey Double Into Mischief Steve Asmussen Ricardo Santana, Jr. 1st in MSW @ CD TBD (Worked 5F at FG on 12-28) 1/1-0-0 To Prep for KY Derby at FG / Soon
12 Get Her Number Dialed In Peter Miller Flavien Pratt 1st in G1 American Pharoah TBD (No Recent Works) 3/2-0-0 Speedster Won G1 AP at 11/16-miles in Sept. / Next?
13 Highly Motivated Into Mischief Chad Brown Javier Castellano 1st in Nyquist Stakes TBD (Last Work on 11-1) 3/2-1-0 Won Nyquist on BC Undercard / Impressive / $240K Weanling
14 Prisoner Violence Todd Pletcher Irad Ortiz, Jr. 1st in MSW @ Belmont Park TBD (No Recent Works) 1/1-0-0 Broke MSW on Debut / Came on 6-3/ What’s Up?
15 Jackie’s Warrior Maclean’s Music Steve Asmussen Joel Rosario 4th in G1 BC Juvenile @ KEE Feb. 15: G3 Southwest Stakes 5/4-0-0 To Prep for KY Derby at OP, Too / Soon?
16 Brooklyn Strong Wicked Strong Danny Velazquez Joel Rosario 1st in G2 Remsen Staeks @ AQU Feb. 6: G3 Withers Stakes 4/3-0-1 Remind Me, Again…How Many NY-breds Have Won KY Derby?
17 Vittorio Ghostzapper Simon Callaghan Mike Smith 1st in MSW @ Del Mar TBD (No Recent Works) 2/1-0-0 Easily Whipped Petruchio In Debut Win / Impressive
18 Olympiad Speightstown Bill Mott Junior Alvarado 1st in MSW @ Saratoga TBD (Worked 3F at Payson Park on 12-29) 2/1-0-1 Impressive Winner in Last / Eat Caddo River Easily in That One
19 Team Merchants Nyquist Doug O’Neill Kendrick Carmouche 1st in MSW @ Saratoga TBD (No Recent Works) 2/1-0-0 Broke MSW Last Out at SAR in Sept. / Whipped Ten for Ten
20 Smiley Sobotka Brody’s Cause Dale Romans Julien Leparoux 2nd in G2 KY Jockey Club @ CD TBD (Worked 1/2 at GP on 12-27) 3/1-2-0 Speedster Is Game / Easily Beat Roomate Sittin On Go in Last
20A Prate Into Mischief Brad Cox Florent Geroux 1st in FG MSW TBD 1/1-0-0 Superstart in Making?
AE List Horse Sire Trainer Jockey Last Race Next Race Comments
1 Midnight Bourbon Tiznow Steve Asmussen Ricardo Santana, Jr. 3rd in G1 Champagne @ Belmont TBD (Breezed 5F at FG on 12-28) 4/1-1-2 Beaten Over 14 in G1 Champagne / Beaten 21/2 in G3 Iroquois
2 Arabian Prince Mshawish Dallas Stewart Tyler Gaffalione 3rd in G2 KY Jockey Club @ CD Jan. 16: G3 Lecomte Stakes 3/1-0-1 Beaten 21/2 Lengths in G2 KJC / Came Late / Likes Distance
3 Reinvestment Risk Upstart Chad Brown Irad Ortiz, Jr. 10th in G1 BC Juvenile @ KEE TBD (Last Work on 11-1 @ Belmont) 4/1-2-0 Made No Move in BC Juv / Before That? Super Consistent
4 Greatest Honour Tapit Shug McGaughey Trevor McCarthy 2nd in MSW @ Aqueduct TBD (Worked 1/2 at Payson on 12-19) 3/0-1-2 Lost by a Head to Known Agenda In Last / Beat 3rd by 21
5 Restored Order Tapizar Todd Pletcher Irad Ortiz, Jr. 1st in MSW @ Saratoga Dec. 19: Sugar Bowl Stakes 3/1-0-1 Not Raced Since Breaking MSW at SAR on 9-5 / Works? / Hmm
6 Ten for Ten Frosted Shug McGaughey Junior Ortiz 2nd in G2 Remsen Stakes @ AQU TBD (Worked 1/2 at Payson on 12-31) 4/1-3-0 2nd in G2 Remsen & G3 Nashua / Sold for $410K / Speedy
7 Girther Brody’s Cause Peter Miller Ricardo Gonzalez 2nd in G2 Best Pal @ Del Mar TBD (No Recent Works) 3/1-1-0 2nd by Neck in Best Pal / Speed-type / Sold for $20K
8 Sittin on Go Brody’s Cause Dale Romans Corey Lanerie 6th in G2 KY Jockey Club @ CD TBD (Worked 1/2 at GP on 12-27) 4/2-0-0 Back-to-Back Poor Outings / Did Win G3 Iroquois @ CD / Mixed
9 Known Agenda Curlin Todd Pletcher John Velazquez 3rd in G2 Remsen Stakes @ AQU TBD (Worked 1/2 at PBD on 12-27) 3/1-1-1 Beat Greatest Honour in MSW Win / Lost by 2 to Highly Motivated
10 Freedom Fighter Violence Bob Baffert Drayden Van Dyke 1st in MSW @ Del Mar TBD Worked 1/2 at SA on 12-26) 1/1-0-0 Purchased for $120K at 2019 KEE Sept / Gearing Back Up / Distance?