Life Is Sweet (USA)
February 14, 2002 – Living
Storm Cat (USA) x Sweet Life (USA), by Kris S. (USA)
Family 21
February 14, 2002 – Living
Storm Cat (USA) x Sweet Life (USA), by Kris S. (USA)
Family 21
Life Is Sweet labored in the shadow of her stablemate Zenyatta during 2009, but when Jerry and Ann Moss elected to try to make history with their star mare in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1), Life Is Sweet got her chance to shine on the year’s biggest stage. Sent after the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, Life Is Sweet defied her 8-1 odds and turned in a Zenyatta-like run of her own to claim the distaff division’s biggest prize. Her victory helped earn 2009 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year honors for her dam, Sweet Life, already the dam of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1) winner Sweet Catomine. Life Is Sweet raced once more after the Ladies’ Classic and retired to the paddocks, where she was much less successful.
Race record
16 starts, 6 wins, 1 seconds, 0 thirds, US$1,059,600
2008:
2009:
2010:
Assessments
Rated at 119 pounds on the 2009 World Thoroughbred Rankings, 17 pounds below overall highweight Sea the Stars (the European Horse of the Year) and 11 pounds below the top filly or mare, multiple champion Goldikova.
As an individual
A strongly made but feminine bay mare who combines substance and power with elegance, Life Is Sweet is smaller and more refined than her sister Sweet Catomine. She had a history of tying up which was a factor in the decision to retire her after one start at age 5. She has a pleasant disposition but wants things done on her own time rather than on a human’s schedule.
As a producer
Life Is Sweet produced 10 named foals, of which eight started and six won. As of December 4, 2025, her most important foal is the 2013 Tapit mare Lady Pamela, dam of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Batucada (by Union Rags).
Connections
Foaled at Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky, Life Is Sweet was bred and owned by Martin and Pam Wygod. She was trained by John Sherriffs and was ridden to her win in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic by Garrett Gomez. She was pensioned from broodmare duty after failing to conceive in 2022 and 2023.
Pedigree notes
Life Is Sweet is inbred 5x4 to 1943 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner and two-time American champion sire Princequillo, an eight-time champion as a broodmare sire. She is a full sister to 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1) winner Sweet Catomine and to Calimonco, a Grade 2-placed listed stakes winner. Life Is Sweet is also a full sister to Ain’t She Sweet, second dam of Grade 3 winner Waves of Mischief. In addition, Life Is Sweet is a half sister to Symbolic Gesture (by Bernardini), dam of 2020 Risen Star Stakes (USA-G2) winner Modernist (by Uncle Mo).
Sweet Life, the dam of Life Is Sweet and her siblings, was honored as the 2009 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. A grade 1-placed stakes winner, she is a half sister to 1995 Milady Handicap (USA-G1) winner Pirate’s Revenge and to restricted stakes winners Echo of Yesterday and Caribbean Pirate, all by Pirate’s Bounty. Sweet Life is also a half sister to Symbolic (by Silver Deputy), second dam of Grade 3 winner Fahan Mura.
Sweet Life and her siblings were produced from stakes-placed Symbolically (by Flying Paster), whose full sister, Radiantly, is the dam of stakes winner Mr. Vic (by Victorian Line). A daughter of stakes winner Hail to the Queen (by 1971 Michigan Mile and One-Eighth Handicap winner Native Royalty, by Raise a Native), Symbolically is also a half sister to Exquisitively (by Topsider), dam of multiple Venezuelan stakes winner Soul Provider (by Chayim).
Books and media
Footage of Life Is Sweet’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtj1W3tgRr4.
Fun facts
Last updated: December 12, 2025
Race record
16 starts, 6 wins, 1 seconds, 0 thirds, US$1,059,600
2008:
- 2nd Sands Point Stakes (USA-G2, 9FT, Belmont)
- 2nd Calder Oaks (USA-L, 9FT, Calder)
2009:
- Won Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (USA, 9FA, Santa Anita)
- Won Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (USA-G1, 9FA, Santa Anita)
- Won La Canada Stakes (USA-G2, 9FA, Santa Anita)
- Won El Encino Stakes (USA-G2, 8.5FA, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Milady Handicap (USA-G2, 8.5FA, Hollywood)
- 3rd TVG/BETFAIR Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap (USA-G1, 10FA, Hollywood)
2010:
- 2nd Santa Maria Handicap (USA-G2, 8.5FA, Santa Anita)
Assessments
Rated at 119 pounds on the 2009 World Thoroughbred Rankings, 17 pounds below overall highweight Sea the Stars (the European Horse of the Year) and 11 pounds below the top filly or mare, multiple champion Goldikova.
As an individual
A strongly made but feminine bay mare who combines substance and power with elegance, Life Is Sweet is smaller and more refined than her sister Sweet Catomine. She had a history of tying up which was a factor in the decision to retire her after one start at age 5. She has a pleasant disposition but wants things done on her own time rather than on a human’s schedule.
As a producer
Life Is Sweet produced 10 named foals, of which eight started and six won. As of December 4, 2025, her most important foal is the 2013 Tapit mare Lady Pamela, dam of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Batucada (by Union Rags).
Connections
Foaled at Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky, Life Is Sweet was bred and owned by Martin and Pam Wygod. She was trained by John Sherriffs and was ridden to her win in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic by Garrett Gomez. She was pensioned from broodmare duty after failing to conceive in 2022 and 2023.
Pedigree notes
Life Is Sweet is inbred 5x4 to 1943 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner and two-time American champion sire Princequillo, an eight-time champion as a broodmare sire. She is a full sister to 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1) winner Sweet Catomine and to Calimonco, a Grade 2-placed listed stakes winner. Life Is Sweet is also a full sister to Ain’t She Sweet, second dam of Grade 3 winner Waves of Mischief. In addition, Life Is Sweet is a half sister to Symbolic Gesture (by Bernardini), dam of 2020 Risen Star Stakes (USA-G2) winner Modernist (by Uncle Mo).
Sweet Life, the dam of Life Is Sweet and her siblings, was honored as the 2009 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. A grade 1-placed stakes winner, she is a half sister to 1995 Milady Handicap (USA-G1) winner Pirate’s Revenge and to restricted stakes winners Echo of Yesterday and Caribbean Pirate, all by Pirate’s Bounty. Sweet Life is also a half sister to Symbolic (by Silver Deputy), second dam of Grade 3 winner Fahan Mura.
Sweet Life and her siblings were produced from stakes-placed Symbolically (by Flying Paster), whose full sister, Radiantly, is the dam of stakes winner Mr. Vic (by Victorian Line). A daughter of stakes winner Hail to the Queen (by 1971 Michigan Mile and One-Eighth Handicap winner Native Royalty, by Raise a Native), Symbolically is also a half sister to Exquisitively (by Topsider), dam of multiple Venezuelan stakes winner Soul Provider (by Chayim).
Books and media
Footage of Life Is Sweet’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtj1W3tgRr4.
Fun facts
- Life Is Sweet and Sweet Catomine are one of two pairs of full sisters to win Breeders’ Cup races. The other pair is Banks Hill and Intercontinental (Danehill x Hasili), who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (USA-G1) in 2001 and 2005, respectively.
- Life Is Sweet’s Breeders’ Cup win made her dam, Sweet Life, the third mare to produce two Breeders’ Cup winners, following Primal Force (Awesome Again, 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Macho Uno, 2000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile) and Hasili. Three other mares have since accomplished the feat: Win Approval (Miesque’s Approval, 2006 Breeders’ Cup Mile, and World Approval, 2017 Breeders’ Cup Mile), Leslie’s Lady (three-time Breeders’ Cup winner Beholder and 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn), and Senta’s Dream (Iridessa, 2019 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, and Order of Australia, 2020 Breeders’ Cup Mile).
Last updated: December 12, 2025