Hollendorfer mulls Shared Belief's next-race options

Shared Belief, the dominant older horse in the nation this year, worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 at Golden Gate Fields on Tuesday for a start in Arkansas or West Virginia next month.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said the options are the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap in Arkansas on April 11 or the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on April 19.

“We’re still thinking,” Hollendorfer said. “I’m not sure what we’ll do.”

Owned by a partnership led by sports commentator Jim Rome, Shared Belief is perfect in two starts this year, winning the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 7 and the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7. In the San Antonio Stakes, Shared Belief beat California Chrome, the favorite for Saturday’s $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates.

In Tuesday’s workout, Shared Belief had the fastest of 10 recorded times at the distance.

“He was very steady through the workout,” Hollendorfer said.

Hollendorfer plans to start Decisive Edge in Saturday’s $100,000 Tokyo City Cup, the richest race of the week at Santa Anita. The Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup is run at 1 1/2 miles and lacks a prominent runner.

Decisive Edge beat maidens in his California debut last October and has been second or third in four subsequent starts in optional-claiming races on turf and dirt. The Tokyo City Cup will be Decisive Edge’s stakes debut.

Other probable runners are Bailoutbobby, Bronzo, Helm, Image of Joplin, Rousing Sermon, Sky Kingdom, and Soresca, a filly. Bronzo was fifth in the Santa Anita Handicap and was a Group 1 stakes winner at about 1 3/8 miles on dirt in Chile in 2014.