Shared Belief Wins Clash of Titans in San Antonio

Shared Belief pulled away from California Chrome late to win the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita Park. (All photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
It is rare when a heavyweight battle of championship-caliber athletes lives up to the hype and even moreso when it exceeds expectations.
Two of racing’s current Goliaths — reigning Horse of the Year California Chrome and champion Shared Belief — met on Saturday at Santa Anita Park in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes and racing fans received exactly what they’d hoped for at the top of the stretch.
California Chrome blitzed into the lane off the final turn with Shared Belief on his hip pocket. Chrome tried to put away the 2013 champion 2-year-old male, but Shared Belief was up to the challenge. He began to cut into California Chrome’s advantage with determined strides, seized command and surged away late to win by 1 ½ lengths.
“I’m numb right now,” said winning rider Mike Smith, a Hall of Fame jockey. “I’d like to see what the final time was because it felt like we flew.”
SHARED BELIEF POWERS CLEAR

Shared Belief completed the final eighth of a mile in less than 12 seconds, which served as a reminder of just how fast and talented this Candy Ride gelding is when he’s on top of his game. His nine wins in 10 career starts have included moments of pure brilliance, and the San Antonio victory definitely ranks right up there.
“I can’t even describe that performance,” Smith said. “He ranks right up there with the top five horses I have ever been on, with room to grow. It really was so impressive. There’s no telling what this horse can do or the potential that he can reach. I think he still has room to grow.”
Shared Belief completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.45 as the even-money favorite to earn the $300,000 winner’s share for an ownership group that includes sports personality Jim Rome’s Jungle Racing, KMN Racing, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Jason Litt, Alex Solis II and George Todaro.
He has earned $2,332,200 in three seasons with Hall of Famer Hollendorfer.
“He’s still a young horse and he’s going to mature some more, and I think the people who looked at him today can see that he was carrying a little more weight,” Hollendorfer said. “He’s still training on a regular schedule, which is a little bit hard for these kinds of horses, and he’s gaining weight, not losing.”
Smith agreed: “I would say this is the best he’s ever run but I would also say this is the best he’s ever looked. He’s not very tall but he’s made really well and he had more flesh on him today than normal.”
The San Antonio also leaves fans to wonder what might have been in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where eventual winner Bayern veered into Shared Belief’s path at the start and forced jockey Mike Smith to check him before he bumped with another horse on his inside. His troubled Classic fourth-place finish is the only blemish on his lifetime record.
Any questions about California Chome’s ability to return to his best form also were answered in the San Antonio. You won’t see many better second-place finishes — third-place finisher Hoppertunity, a Grade 1 winner and a very nice colt in his own right, finished 6 1/2 lengths behind Chrome.
California Chrome was absolutely loaded entering the stretch and he accelerated powerfully under jockey Victor Espinoza. He simply lost to a horse who was better on that day. 
“I know I had him right behind us. I was trying to open it up on him as much as I could turning from home,” Espinoza said. “California Chrome just got a little tired the last 20 yards. It was an awesome race. He was running. I could feel him tire on me over the last 20 yards. But I think it’s normal. It’s the first time he’s run this year; he was out for two months.”
Hollendorfer said the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7 will be strongly considered for Shared Belief. California Chome’s trainer, Art Sherman, said the four-year-old Lucky Pulpit colt will be considered for the $10-million Dubai World Cup at the end of March.
“You saw two of the best handicap horses in the country,” Sherman said. “We had a helluva turnout here today at Santa Anita to see California Chrome and the match up. We are looking forward to a match up again down the line. Jerry’s horse is the Real McCoy. My horse is very good, too; we just got outrun.”
For an Equibase chart, click here. 
SAN ANTONIO: A HECK OF A HORSE RACE