Medina Spirit Wins Shared Belief Stakes in Return

Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit  made his first race appearance in over three months a winning one as he cruised to a front-running 1 1/4-length victory in the $100,500 Shared Belief Stakes Aug. 29 at Del Mar.

It was the Protonico   colt's first race since finishing third in the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course.

In winning the Shared Belief, Medina Spirit defeated Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Rock Your World , who also made his first start since the Triple Crown trail.

"It's a relief. A Shared Belief relief," said winning trainer Bob Baffert. "It's good that the fans were here for the showdown. I did not have any intention of running him in this race until a couple weeks ago. I started thinking about it, figuring it couldn't come up that tough. Then (son) Bode said, 'You know Rock Your World's running there?'"

Both horses raced in the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs. While Medina Spirit, who was second in the Santa Anita Derby, wired the opening leg of the Triple Crown, Rock Your World was off a step slow and jostled between horses soon after jockey Joel Rosario lost his left iron.

Rock Your World finished 17th in the Derby after racing mid-pack. He returned in the June 5 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at Belmont Park to finish sixth after pressing the pace.

Medina Spirit faces the possibility of disqualification from his Derby win by Kentucky stewards after an initial and split-sample test indicated the prohibited race-day presence of betamethasone, a corticosteroid. Kentucky stewards have yet to conduct a hearing pending receipt of follow-up testing.

Counsel for Medina Spirit argues that the test results are from treatment with the ointment Otomax, which contains betamethasone, and not via injection.

Jockey John Velazquez flew in from the East Coast to retain the mount on Medina Spirit in the Shared Belief. A day earlier, Velazquez guided Michael Lund Petersen's champion female sprinter Gamine  to victory in the Ketel One Ballerina Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course for Baffert.

"It went the way we wanted it. Once I made the lead into the first turn, I felt better," Velazquez said after the Shared Belief. "He was moving well. When he got on the backside, his ears went up and he was really cruising. When a horse would come to him, he'd pick it up on his own. When we got to the quarter pole, I said 'Let's go; time to pick it up.' And he was right into it. He finished strong and the gallop out was strong, too. He can build off this race."

Medina Spirit, the 4-5 favorite, broke from post 2 in the mile event for 3-year-olds and set fractions of :22.52 and :46.92 through the first half. Rock Your World, with Umberto Rispoli back aboard for the first time since the Santa Anita Derby, chased in second a half-length back. 

The pair came within a head of each other as three-quarters went in 1:11.81 and Team Merchants  loomed to their outside. Stilleto Boy  rounded the turn for home one more path out, then Team Merchants drifted out and bumped him twice. 

Rock Your World continued after the leader, but Medina Spirit drew clear to complete the distance in 1:37.29 on the fast track. The winner returned $3.80 on a $2 win ticket.

"For what this horse has gone through he's such a game horse and I wanted to run him here and see if he likes Del Mar," Baffert said. "I've never had a Derby winner come back and win here so that's a first. He looks good and John said he feels better than ever. There's still some good racing for him out there. We're waiting for the process to happen."

Prior to the Shared Belief, Baffert indicated that the Sept. 25 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing could be a possible race for Medina Spirit.

Rock Your World was second by 2 1/4 lengths over Stilleto Boy in third. The Great One , Team Merchants, and Willy the Cobbler  completed the order of finish.

"He ran well. He ran a huge race," Rispoli said of Rock Your World, who is trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing and Talla Racing. "He got beat by the winner of the Kentucky Derby. What are you going to do? I can't ask anything more of my horse."

The stewards conducted an inquiry into the bumping incident at the top of the stretch, but ruled there was no change since Stilleto Boy finished ahead of Team Merchants. 

Medina Spirit was bred in Florida by Gail Rice out of the Brilliant Speed mare Mongolian Changa. He first sold to Christy Whitman for $1,000 out of the Summerfield consignment to the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales Winter Mixed Sale. Agent Gary Young, on behalf of Zedan, then secured the colt for $35,000 from the Whitman Sales consignment to the 2020 OBS July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale. 

With eight career starts, Medina Spirit's current record stands at 4-3-1 and his earnings tally $2,345,200.

Medina Spirit is the only foal Mongolian Changa has produced to date. The mare was reported bred to Not This Time   for 2022.

Video: Shared Belief S. (BT)