Shared Sense Outruns Major Fed in Indiana Derby

Godolphin may have lost its top prospect for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) when Maxfield was injured and sidelined last month, but the global racing and breeding operation appears to have a promising colt who could help fill the void.

Godolphin's Shared Sense picked up the first stakes victory of his career July 8 at Indiana Grand, winning the $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3) by three lengths over Major Fed. The win earned him 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, leaving him within range of potentially qualifying for the race if his connections choose to supplement him for $45,000.

A late bloomer, Shared Sense was not an original nominee to the Triple Crown.

Favored at 5-2 odds after a runner-up finish to Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) entrant Art Collector in a June 13 allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs, Shared Sense was allowed to settle early in the Indiana Derby under Florent Geroux as Taishan went to the lead in the 1 1/8-mile dirt race with fractions of :23.93, :47.69, and 1:12.27.

Eighth of nine leaving the first turn, Shared Sense began to advance down the backstretch, moving into fifth on the second turn while saving ground. Then Geroux tipped him out and began to pick off horses, as did Major Fed, who rallied wide from last.

The two outperformed their counterparts down the stretch. Major Fed finished a half-length ahead of Necker Island, who managed to run third despite stumbling at the break and racing wide.

Major Fed's jockey, James Graham, claimed foul against the winner, alleging interference with about a quarter-mile of the race remaining, but stewards disallowed the claim after a review. 

"I went to the 3 1/2 path to get in the clear, and James came running next to me on Major Fed, and we had a little bit of a bump," Geroux said. "He was trying to block me in a bit, like he should. There was maybe some race-riding there but nothing bad. We didn’t put anybody in danger. There was a little bit of contact but not enough to change the outcome of the race."

Shared Sense finished in 1:49.46 on a fast track, including a closing eighth in :12.23. He returned $7.60 for a $2 win wager.

The victory gave Geroux and trainer Brad Cox a sweep of the two graded stakes at Indiana Grand on Wednesday. A race before the Indiana Derby, they won the Indiana Oaks (G3) with Shedaresthedevil. Cox said Shared Sense was his first Indiana Derby starter.

Shared Sense, a winner of three of eight races and $322,112, is the first foal out of the unraced Bernardini  mare Collective, a full sister to Royal Delta Stakes (G2) winner Penwith. Shared Sense's second dam is Composure (by Touch Gold), the winner of the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and Las Virgenes Stakes (G1) in 2003.

Asked about the possibility of Shared Sense getting supplemented to the Derby, Cox deferred to Godolphin, whose management includes Darley America president Jimmy Bell.

"That will be up to the Godolphin team. But, look, he's a nice horse," he said. "(We) have talked about it a couple of times, that a mile and an eighth is something he'll like. Maybe even farther. He's a tough horse. This horse, on the dry dirt, that's where he gets his best races."