Medina Spirit Supplemented to Shared Belief Stakes

While his Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) victory remains in limbo pending a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ruling, the next start for Medina Spirit  was made quite clear the morning of Aug. 26.

The son of Protonico   was supplemented at a cost of $1,000 to Sunday's $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes, a one-mile event for 3-year-olds on the Del Mar main track. It will be the first start for the Zedan Racing Stables runner since he finished third, beaten 5 1/2 lengths by Rombauer , in the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course.

"I've entered him, he's running," Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. "I figure I'll use this as a prep for the Penn ($1 million Pennsylvania Derby, grade 1, on Sept. 25) and see how he likes this track."

Days earlier, Baffert indicated the Shared Belief was being given strong consideration, but he was waiting to see another workout before finalizing a decision. Medina Spirit covered five furlongs in :58 3/5 Monday, tied with stablemate Ax Man  for the fastest of 69 works at the distance and better than a half-second quicker than the next most rapid.

"He worked a little fast but he came out of it good," Baffert said. "He's going to need the race, coming off a layoff, and he's got to go a mile. But if I can run him here that will set him up to go on to the Pennsylvania Derby."

Medina Spirit joining previously committed Rock Your World  in the Shared Belief sets up a rematch of the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1), in which Rock Your World prevailed by 4 1/4 lengths to go 3-for-3 to that point in his career. The John Sadler trainee subsequently finished 17th, beaten 24 1/4 lengths, in the Kentucky Derby and was then sixth, beaten 22 lengths by Essential Quality , in the June 5 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1).

Those two will join Willy the Cobbler , Team Merchants , The Great One , and Stilleto Boy  in the starting gate.

Entries: Shared Belief S.

Del Mar, Sunday, August 29, 2021, Race 9

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo
• 6:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Willy the Cobbler (FL)	Victor Espinoza	118	Steve Knapp	-
2	Medina Spirit (FL)	John R. Velazquez	124	Bob Baffert	-
3	Rock Your World (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	124	John W. Sadler	-
4	Team Merchants (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	-
5	The Great One (LA)	Flavien Prat	118	Doug F. O'Neill	-
6	Stilleto Boy (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	124	Ed Moger, Jr.	-