Shared Belief Simply Sensational in Big ’Cap

Shared Belief overwhelmed the opposition on Saturday at Santa Anita Park in the Santa Anita Handicap (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
The best athletes in the world have the ability to make remarkable performances look easy, and Shared Belief proved again he is a dominant force in horse racing with a sensational score in the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap on Saturday.
The Candy Ride gelding outclassed and overwhelmed 12 challengers in the 1 ¼-mile Big ’Cap in what was arguably his most impressive performance to date.
Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith gave Shared Belief his cue to accelerate on the final turn and he advanced willingly before drawing alongside pacesetter Moreno. Shared Belief surged right on by Moreno with Smith barely moving his hands and powered well clear before coasting to the finish line a 4 ¼-length victor.
“He surprises me every time. I have to pinch myself that I get to be his pilot,” said Smith, who won the race for the third straight year. “It’s Zenyatta, Holy Bull and then Shared Belief for me. I’m so blessed to have been able to ride all those great horses and to be the age I am and still be able to do this is a blessing.”
Shared Belief completed 1 ¼ miles in 2:00.67 as the 3-to-10 favorite for his 10th win in 11 career starts. Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer trains Shared Belief and co-owns the gelding along with Jungle Racing, KMN Racing, Jason Litt, Alex Solis II and George Todaro.
Jungle Racing is the racing operation of national sports personality Jim Rome.
“It’s an amazing thing. It’s like he shows up every single time – he always runs big, is always tough, and just has a lot of grit, a lot of heart,” Rome said. “It’s an absolute dream to be involved with a horse like this. He never disappoints. I couldn’t be more proud. I love the horse.”
The lone blemish on Shared Belief’s résumé is his troubled fourth-place finish in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic, in which he was bumped hard at the start of the race by eventual winner Bayern.
The Santa Anita Handicap was Shared Belief’s fifth career Grade 1 win and the $600,000 winner’s share boosted his career earnings to $2,932,200. With each victory, Shared Belief’s record becomes more and more impressive. Horses are not machines, so when a racehorse goes out and delivers an elite performance every time he steps on the racetrack, it warrants the attention and accolades now being showered upon Shared Belief.
“I’m just so grateful to have a horse like this. You never expect it, so I’m very pleased to have this horse and hope that we can keep him racing well like he has been,” Hollendorfer said. “I’m real grateful to have a horse like this. It doesn’t happen often.
“It’s something that you don’t expect. Horses get ups and downs and he just stays the same. He does whatever we ask him to do and he seems very happy and enthusiastic about it.”
The connections of Shared Belief said the $10-million Dubai World Cup on March 28 is not currently under consideration and they prefer to keep the stable star closer to his Southern California home.
Moreno held on for second in the Santa Anita Handicap, followed by Catch a Flight in third and Hard Aces in fourth. But the 2015 Big ’Cap was all about Shared Belief, the 2013 champion two-year-old male who has staked his claim as the best horse in the U.S.
“That horse knows where the wire is, and he does not like to lose,” Rome said. “You have a Hall of Fame jockey who always has the horse in the right spot. He’s been in all the big races and has always come through before, and you’ve got a horse that’s awfully tough to outfinish.
“I think a lot of people were caught up in, ‘He’s not that big of a horse.’ But he’s long, he’s balanced. He’s not that tall, but if you cut that horse open and look inside him, you’ve got a heart that’s bigger than any horse you’ve ever seen. He looked awesome.”
For an Equibase chart, click here.
SHARED BELIEF ROLLS IN SANTA ANITA HANDICAP

BENOIT photo