Medina Spirit outruns Rock Your World in Shared Belief Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – Medina Spirit, freshened since a tiring third in the Preakness, again on Sunday showed the tenacity that carried him to narrow first-place finishes earlier this year when he turned back Rock Your World in the $100,500 Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds at Del Mar.

The one-mile race drew both Medina Spirit, who crossed the wire first in the Kentucky Derby, and Rock Your World, who upset Medina Spirit in the Santa Anita Derby, plus four outsiders.

The two headliners went at it from the start, with John Velazquez intent on sending Medina Spirit to the front from a draw one slot inside of Rock Your World. Medina Spirit covered the opening quarter in 22.42 seconds and the half in 46.92 seconds, with Rock Your World right alongside him.

Both appeared to be getting weary toward the head of the stretch, but a fortuitous bumping incident between Stilleto Boy and Team Merchants impacted Stilleto Boy, who was making steady progress at the time. Rock Your World, who lost ground to Medina Spirit in upper stretch, closed the gap late, but Medina Spirit prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:37.29 on the fast main track, with a final half-mile in 50.37 seconds. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 100.

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As the favorite, Medina Spirit paid $3.80.

Rock Your World finished second, 2 1/4 lengths in front of Stilleto Boy, with The Great One fourth. Team Merchants tired to fifth, and Willy the Cobbler trailed throughout in the six-horse field.

The stewards looked into the incident in upper stretch. In a majority decision, they felt Team Merchants caused the bump, and since he finished behind Stilleto Boy, they let the original finish alone.

There was an animated discussion among Kent Desormeaux, who rode Stilleto Boy, Mario Gutierrez, who rode Team Merchants, and Umberto Rispoli, who rode Rock Your World, as to who was at fault, with Gutierrez insistent he moved out to avoid a drifting Rispoli and Rock Your World.

“I tried to get away from him,” Gutierrez told the stewards on the telephone adjacent to the winner’s circle.

“I don’t do anything!” Rispoli shouted when overhearing Gutierrez’s opinion.

Desormeaux said he “lost all my momentum” when Team Merchants hit Stilleto Boy’s hindquarters.

Medina Spirit, ironically, was clear of all the tumult. He’s got plenty still surrounding him, as Kentucky authorities continue to look into his Derby victory. He could be disqualified for having a therapeutic medication that is not legal to use on race day in his system.

“We’re waiting for the process to happen,” said his trainer, Bob Baffert.

Baffert said he was relieved Medina Spirit came back well. “The Shared Relief,” he called the race. “I threw him to the wolves off the layoff. I was a little nervous today.”

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Velazquez, who rode Medina Spirit in his prior four starts – including the Derby – traveled from Saratoga for the mount. He said Medina Spirit was going well under him, “and when I touched him on the belly he picked it up right away.”

“I just had to keep his mind on running,” Velazquez said.

Medina Spirit has now won four times in eight starts, his current victories including the Derby and the Grade 3 Robert Lewis earlier this year at Santa Anita. Medina Spirit, a colt by Protonico who is owned by Amr Zedan, has current earnings of $2,345,200.

Baffert said the Pennsylvania Derby against 3-year-olds at Parx Racing or the Awesome Again against older horses at Santa Anita are possibilities for his next start.

“I ran him here to have options,” Baffert said.