Shared Belief Sprints to Game Malibu Triumph

Shared Belief bounced back from a horrible trip in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) with his third grade I victory of the year, holding off a game Conquest Two Step by a neck in the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (gr. I) on opening day at Santa Anita Park Dec. 26 .



In the final grade I race of 2014, 1-2 favorite Shared Belief produced another quality victory—his eighth in nine starts—before a crowd of 40,810. Last year's champion 2-year-old male was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 1 after being roughed up at the start in the only loss of his career.

In stalking style, the gelded son of Candy Ride   out of the Storm Cat mare Common Hope defeated a quality field of nine 3-year-olds while completing the seven-furlong Malibu in an excellent time of 1:20.69 with Mike Smith aboard. It was a rare sprint effort by Shared Belief, making a last-ditch bid for Horse of the Year honors while cutting back drastically in distance from the 1 1/4-mile Classic.

"This race proved what a great horse he is, just by doing what he did," Smith said. "To run route races, then to come back to seven eighths against top sprinters...To me, that puts a big feather in his cap and puts him in front for Horse of the Year. I think this put him ahead of the rest."

Conquest Two Step, at odds of 72-1, refused to give way while racing to the line on the inside of Shared Belief, with pacesetting Chitu a stubborn third at the rail.

"He ran a winning race," jockey Joe Talamo said of Conquest Two Step. "He was fighting with a champion at the end and he gave it his all.



Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer completed a sweep of the grade I stakes on the opening day program after his 12-1 shot Sam's Sister won the La Brea Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies two races earlier. It was the first win in both races for the Hall of Fame conditioner.

"He was sitting in a good spot, and he was in between horses, but really, I was watching and never had any doubts that he would get out and come running down the lane," Hollendorfer said. "Once the horses have been getting on the outside today, they've been running very well."

Hollendorfer said he is considering a couple of options to kick off the 2015 campaign with Shared Belief. That includes the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 7, which could set up an early-season showdown with California Chrome.

Shared Belief surpassed $2 million in career earnings for his ownership group. Hollendorfer trains the winner for a partnership that includes Jim and Janet Rome's Jungle Racing, Jason Litt, Alex Solis II, George Todaro, and Kevin and Kim Nish's KMN Racing.



The dark bay was purchased by Hollendorfer privately from owners/breeders Pam and Marty Wygod after he debuted at Golden Gate Fields in October 2013, taking a six-furlong maiden special weight by seven lengths. Shared Belief went on to win all three of his starts at 2, wrapping up an Eclipse Award with a 5 3/4-length romp in the CashCall Futurity (gr. I).



After missing the Triple Crown campaign with a foot injury that was slow to heal, Shared Belief has now won five of six starts in 2014 including stellar efforts in taking the TVG Pacific Classic and Awesome Again Stakes (both gr. I).

In the Malibu, second choice Chitu hustled to a clear early advantage for Joel Rosario before his Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Indianapolis advanced alongside up the backstretch and prompted the pace through so-so quarter-mile fractions of :23.13 and :45.24. Shared Belief broke well and was forwardly placed in third on the outside of the early leaders, with 128-1 outsider Frensham perched on his outside as part of a closely grouped field.

They continued to race in that order rounding the bend as Conquest Two Step progressed into contention for Talamo after steadying earlier in traffic.



Indianapolis appeared to poke his head in front of Chitu coming out of the turn, but Chitu fought back along the inside. As they made their way past the furlong marker in 1:08.59, an ultra-game Shared Belief, under some right-handed encouragement from Smith, made the front and refused to yield as Conquest Two Step and Joe Talamo barreled toward the line between rivals in a terrific finish.

Smith said he was concerned with the break as he wanted to put Shared Belief into the race early and wasn't sure how his charge would respond to the faster pace.

"I don't know if people really understand how difficult it is to go from a mile and a quarter back to seven eighths," the Hall of Fame rider said. "It's really hard to do. It takes a special kind of horse; he's that, and maybe more.



"I truly believe he would be undefeated right now if you take the start of the BC Classic out of it," Smith added. "I got beat three lengths and I lost at least seven or eight leaving the gate and on down the track. I was carried out wide after that as well. I certainly would have liked to have seen us undefeated right now and then there wouldn't be a question about Horse of the Year right now."



Chitu finished half a length back in third, with Indianapolis weakening late in fourth. Frensham was next, followed by the Hollendorfer-trained Tamarando, Rprettyboyfloyd, Diamond Bachelor, and Midnight Hawk, the last of three Baffert-trained runners in the Malibu. Baffert scratched his fourth entrant, Pimpernel.



Shared Belief carried 123 pounds, five more than his rivals, and paid $3, $2.40, and $2.10. Conquest Two Step, who was still seeking his first stakes win for trainer Mark Casse, came oh-so-close while returning $21.80 and $6.80 for the place. The exacta was worth $81. Chitu, off at odds of 2-1, paid $2.80 to show.



The victory, worth $180,000 hiked Shared Belief's career bankroll to $2,032,200. in his only other try at the seven-furlong distance, he won the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III) by 7 3/4 lengths last year prior to the CashCall Futurity.

Hollendorfer declined to discuss the Breeders' Cup Classic result and the Horse of the Year vote.



"We put all that behind us," he said of the Breeders' Cup controversy. "There's nothing we can do about what happened and so we forget about it and just remember that he's a good horse and we came back and won, so I feel like he really justified himself today.



"I don't vote on Horse of the Year but all the other folks can take a look and see what they think."



Co-owner Solis, standing nearby, chimed in: "They run the race (Breeders' Cup Classic) again next year. Don't worry."

Rome added, "It was an awesome, awesome day, and sometimes people are disappointed because he didn't win by open lengths and think, 'What's the matter? Maybe he's not all that (good).'

"The horse just won a grade I cutting way back (in distance) and did it with a lot of grit and a lot of moxy, and I could not be more proud of Shared Belief. I love this horse."