Life is Sweet, who was to travel to Dubai for the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I), has been retired after having muscle cramps following a workout March 13 at Hollywood Park, Daily Racing Form reported.
Trainer John Shirreffs confirmed that Life Is Sweet is retired due to muscle cramps prior to watching Zenyatta start in the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I).
“After she worked she came back to the barn and she just had muscle cramps," Shirreffs told The Blood-Horse. "She had done this before.”
According to drf.com, her owner, Marty Wygod, said the winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) would be bred to Smart Strike.
The 5-year-old mare is by Storm Cat out of the Kris S. mare Sweet Life. She was bred in Kentucky by her owners, Marty and Pam Wygod.
Life is Sweet made one start in 2010, running second in the Feb. 13 Santa Maria Handicap (gr. II). In all, she won six of 16 starts and earned $1,820,810. She made her first seven starts for trainer Bill Mott and then was transferred to Shirreffs' barn.
"It's unfortunate," Wygod told the paper. "If she can't run at her best, I don't want to. He got her right for the Breeders' Cup. She was compromised in most of her races because of her tying up. We don't want to take a risk with her.
"She's totally sound but she does have a problem with tying up."