Champion Shared Belief Coasts in Comeback

Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013, kept his unblemished record intact with a comfortable victory versus four older foes in a $35,000 allowance event at Golden Gate Fields May 26.

Shared Belief, owned by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Jungle Racing, and KMN Racing, won the Hollywood Prevue (gr. III) and CashCall Futurity (gr. I) as a 2-year-old to win the Eclipse Award. The now 3-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Candy Ride   out of the Storm Cat mare Common Hope missed the Triple Crown prep races this year and didn't compete in the Breeders' Cup last year.

Shared Belief is now four-for-four in his career.

Ridden by Russell Baze, Shared Belief broke on top in the six-furlong race on the Tapeta surface and led throughout to win in 1:09.78 on the synthetic Tapeta surface. Shared Belief set fractions of :23.32 for the opening quarter-mile and :46.48 for the half-mile while under outside pressure from Ourwestcoastghost, who held on for second, 4 1/4 lengths behind the winner. Moonshine Bay was a head back in third.

"Wow, what a nice horse," Baze said. "It was a nice bunch of older horses and he did it well within himself. He was blowing a little bit after the wire, but after going 1:09 and change on this track, he should have been. He's extremely talented and very athletic. Obviously, he's got a very bright future. He's a blast to ride."

Hollendorfer also was satisfied with the comeback effort. He didn't say where Shared Belief would race next time out.

"He was supposed to run well, because he is a good horse," Hollendorfer said. "(The foot injury) was just an unfortunate turn of events for the first half of the year. Our plan is to do well at the end of the year."

Shared Belief paid $2.20, $2.10, and $2.10 across the board. Ourwestcoastghost paid $3.20 and $2.10, while Moonshine Bay returned $2.10. The $1 exacta paid $2.90 and the $1 trifecta returned $6.

Shared Belief was bred by Pam and Marty Wygod.