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BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPSNovember 6, 2009Martin J. WygodPam WygodARCADIA, CALIFORNIA ERIC WING: We are joined now by the winning owners of today's Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic winner Life is Sweet, Pam and Martin Wygod. This is their second Breeders' Cup victory. The first coming, of course, back in 2004 in the Juvenile Fillies with Sweet Catomine. Congratulations to you both. I've already been asked from the folks up in the press box to ask you had Zenyatta -- you've run against Zenyatta three times already. Is it safe to assume that had she run in the Ladies' Classic again you still would have run against her today? MARTIN WYGOD: We were running in this race regardless. But we were very happy that she was going in the Classic. Q. Beyond the mere fact that Zenyatta was in against you, and she's obviously a wonderful mare, that was one place farther down in the order of finish that Life is Sweet was. Did the fact that they had somewhat similar running styles also serve to hamper Life is Sweet in those earlier races in your mind? MARTIN WYGOD: I don't think so. I think after she ran her races earlier this year, the three races she won at Santa Anita, that she went off her game a little bit. And John had his hands full with her from July until all of Del Mar with her tying up, et cetera. She was off and on medication. Then we ran her in the Ladies Secret, and we rushed her into that race. We knew she was only 70% ready, but John felt very strongly she'd be right today. And she hasn't done anything wrong in the last 40 days, so we felt the old Life is Sweet was going to show her head back up today. Q. Sweet Catomine was favored in her Breeders' Cup victory. Life is Sweet was let go at 8-1, despite the strong company line she had been exiting. How does today's win compare with Sweet Catomine's? MARTIN WYGOD: I don't know how you can compare the two. They sort of blend together like an extension for me of Sweet Catomine. PAM WYGOD: They're both sweet. Q. Obviously your filly trailed early in the race. Were your spirits buoyed when you saw Careless Jewel throw down that 45 in 3? MARTIN WYGOD: We were -- I was feeling okay then. And I knew that Life is Sweet was going to really put in a tremendous run. I told that to Garrett right before he got up on her. She was going to be a different filly. When I saw those fractions I realized we had a good shot. She did it easily. She really did. Q. I'm sure you were watching your horse all the way. When did you start feeling good about her chances during the race? MARTIN WYGOD: When she started to move right before the quarter pole. Right before the quarter pole. I could just see that she was doing it the right way, and plus in front was already getting a little late. We knew we had a hell of a shot. Q. Was there ever a sense of frustration that Life is Sweet was overshadowed by Zenyatta? Just describe what it was like in the Owner's Box when Life is Sweet made that run today? MARTIN WYGOD: Not really, because Zenyatta is an unbelievable filly. So if you have to be overshadowed by something, that is the right mare to be overshadowed by. She's a great, great mare. The thing that was frustrating us was that after her three races at Santa Anita where she was showing that she had the makings of possibly being a champion, she just wasn't right after that, and she would continually tie up and give John a lot of different problems. So you could see in the whole month of July and August she had one work. You know, it just was very, very challenging, but John did a great job, and he got her back for the day that counts. Q. Just about your feeling as the horse was making the move and what went on in the Owner's Box when your horse was starting to really pick it up? MARTIN WYGOD: I was trying to scream, but I wasn't breathing, so I was really trying to get it out, but I couldn't get it out because I had stopped breathing. It's extremely exciting. Especially when you know she got the job done and was still close to an eighth of a mile left for her. It was, I don't know, exhilarating. Q. What's in store for Life is Sweet now? Are we going to see her next year? PAM WYGOD: I think we're going to rest for a little while. MARTIN WYGOD: If she's totally sound, we would seriously think about racing her another year, but she's going to have to go over a careful exam. If she's 100%, we would think about another year. Q. How much of a success do you feel is due to the firmness of this particular track? MARTIN WYGOD: I think a lot. I've been saying for quite a while I can't wait to get back on Santa Anita's track for her. The other part, which I don't know how to qualify, is why she tied up as much as she did after she went back over to Hollywood and to Del Mar. But you all saw the way she won it today, so she obviously loves this surface. But I can't tell you what happened to her during that period of time. Q. What did you think about how she came out wide? MARTIN WYGOD: No, that's the way when she really ran well, and she won on the three big races. She came way around. That's what we wanted Garrett to do, and he did the perfect job on it. ERIC WING: Last year today was Zenyatta's day. Today is Life is Sweet's day. Congratulations on a brilliant performance in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. And we do look forward to seeing her next year if she does compete. End of FastScripts |
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