Henry Q back on dirt, gets blinkers in Shared Belief

Even as autumn approaches, some 3-year-olds are still trying to find their way, including the six who race a mile on dirt in Sunday’s $125,000 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar.

Every entrant but one is still eligible to the first allowance condition. The exception is stakes winner Henry Q, trained by Doug O’Neill, who tinkers with surface and equipment.

Henry Q returns to dirt, adds blinkers, and enters the Shared Belief as the most likely winner. He is not a cinch against stretch-out Tahoe Sunrise and stakes-placed Mr Fisk, both trained by Bob Baffert. The field includes stakes-placed Clouseau and Low Expectations, and Smart Mo. The Shared Belief goes as race 7 on the 11-race card.

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In four starts after he won the Mine That Bird Derby by more than 14 lengths in March at Sunland Park, Henry Q traveled far and wide with limited success. He finished third in Grade 3 races at Sunland and Belmont Park, followed by off-the-board finishes at Thistledown and on turf at Del Mar. O’Neill looks forward to a home game on preferred footing.

“The last time he ran on the dirt out of his own stall, he won,” O’Neill said. “We’re hoping to make it a double.”

The turf experiment last month by Henry Q seemed reasonable at the time; he started as second choice in the betting. But his sixth-place finish in the La Jolla Handicap convinced O’Neill the colt’s preferred surface is dirt.

“Turf is so much more of being patient and finish, where dirt is more of a gate-to-wire race,” O’Neill said. “We’re putting blinkers on him, which he’s had off and on in the mornings, just trying to put him in the race. Trying to conserve horse and have him involved. He’s very keen with [blinkers] in the morning.”

Antonio Fresu, who rode 10 of the 16 winners trained by O’Neill this meet (through Thursday), is back aboard Henry Q. The colt owns some of the top figures in the field, and if he avoids a duel with Tahoe Sunrise, Henry Q can score his third win and second stakes with a pressing trip.

Tahoe Sunrise and Mr Fisk will try to add to Baffert’s win total in the Shared Belief. He has won the race 10 times (seven before it was renamed from the El Cajon). Victor Espinoza rides Tahoe Sunrise, who is expected to be forwardly placed in his first try around two turns. In a way, Tahoe Sunrise is dropping in class following a runner-up finish against older in an allowance sprint.

Juan Hernandez rides Mr Fisk, who returns to dirt after finishing 10th in the opening-day Oceanside Stakes on turf. Mr Fisk’s runner-up finish two back behind subsequent Grade 1 winner Geaux Rocket Ride puts him in the hunt. Through Thursday, Hernandez had ridden 10 of the 14 winners trained by Baffert this meet.

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