Trio of Graded Winners Entered for Shared Belief Stakes

While the Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) will occupy much of the racing world's attention Aug. 26, across the continent another group of 3-year-olds looking to make a bigger splash a couple races down the line will square off in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes.

A trio of graded winners are entered for the mile dirt test at Del Mar, and while they lack the star power that will hit the main track at Saratoga Race Course hours earlier, all three could have an impact in the division as the year progresses.

Grade 1 winners Gormley and Klimt have top-class victories, but Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm's Battle of Midway has the slight morning-line favoritism coming off a rough trip and sixth-place finish in the July 30 betfair.com Haskell Invitational (G1).

Prior to that effort, the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Smart Strike colt impressively won the Affirmed Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park after he finished third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) at odds of 40-1.

"I don't know about a mile and a quarter for him, so even if all had gone well in the Haskell we might not have gone on to the Travers," said Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward. "The timing is good for this race—27 days after the last—and if he runs well it will set him up for one of the two races we have in mind for him next month."

Ward said the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) Sept. 23 and the Oklahoma Derby (G3) are both under consideration for Battle of Midway should he run well in the Shared Belief.

Unlike his grade 1-winning rivals, however, the Shared Belief favorite does not have a race over the Del Mar main track.

Jerry and Ann Moss' Gormley broke his maiden on debut in September of 2016 at Del Mar before he went on to win the FrontRunner Stakes (G1), Sham Stakes (G3), and Santa Anita Derby (G1) on his way to a ninth-place run in the Kentucky Derby and a fourth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) last time out June 10.

"He came out of the Belmont all right and we gave him a break, because he had a harsh 2-year-old (season) and intense early part of his 3-year-old year," trainer John Shirreffs said of Gormley. "The timing for this race just happened to work out."

For Klimt—the 2016 Best Pal Stakes (G2) and Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner for previous trainer Bob Baffert—the Shared Belief will be his second start of the year following a second-place finish in the Los Alamitos Derby (G3) July 15. Current trainer Art Sherman was very pleased with the Quality Road  colt's performance off the bench, especially since the trainer didn't want him to go nine furlongs for his first start in eight months.

"Being away that long and running a mile and an eighth, he laid his body down and didn't give up," Sherman said. "Even when (Los Alamitos Derby winner and Travers starter West Coast) went by, he kept on chugging, and that's the kind of horse you always want in your barn—one that doesn't give up."

Assuming all goes well for Klimt Saturday at Del Mar, Sherman is also considering sending the colt to the Oklahoma Derby, with the potential of running in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

"(The Breeders' Cup is) something you have in the back of your mind," Sherman said. "It just depends on how he performs. This will be a good test for him against some top horses. If he finishes right there with Battle of Midway, who was third in the Kentucky Derby, and Gormley, who has won big races—that'll be a good sign.

"Handling the track will make a big difference. This is one of those race meets—if they don't like it, they don't run. I've never seen more 4-5 shots get beat, and not only get beat, but don't hit the board."

Entries: Shared Belief S.

Del Mar, Saturday, August 26, 2017, Race 7

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo
• 5:11 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Cistron (KY)	Tyler Baze	124	John W. Sadler	8/1
98	2True Valor (FL)	SCRATCHED	0	UNKNOWN	-
2	3Gormley (KY)	Victor Espinoza	124	John A. Shirreffs	5/2
3	4Gato Del Oro (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	120	Richard Baltas	4/1
4	5Stone Hands (KY)	Evin A. Roman	118	Doug F. O'Neill	20/1
5	6Klimt (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	Art Sherman	3/1
6	7Battle of Midway (KY)	Flavien Prat	124	Jerry Hollendorfer	2/1