Owner Shah, trainer O'Neill part ways

Prominent owner Kaleem Shah and trainer Doug O’Neill have parted ways, a little more than four months after some of Shah’s horses were transferred to O’Neill from Bob Baffert.

O’Neill said in a text message on Monday that he was “very appreciative of the time I’ve had with Kaleem, his family, and his horses.” O’Neill did not elaborate on the reason he and Shah are no longer working together.

Approximately six horses owned by Shah were sent from O’Neill to trainer Simon Callaghan’s stable, including Aristocratic, who is nominated for Saturday’s Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita. Aristocratic won the San Pedro Stakes on April 16.

Callaghan said in a text message that Aristocratic is scheduled to start in the Laz Barrera. Shah did not return a phone call seeking comment on Monday.

Shah and O’Neill had mixed results in recent months. Iliad won the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes in February but was retired after he was found to have injured an ankle in a recent workout. Iliad was fifth in the Santa Anita Derby on April 8 in his final race.

Shah’s horses were trained by Baffert until the start of the year, when they parted ways. Shah’s horses were then transferred to O’Neill and Art Sherman.

Aristocratic and Iliad are Shah’s only stakes winners from 25 starters this year. The stable has won four races and earned $406,520. Last year, Shah’s stable had 19 wins from 74 runners and earned $1,803,081. Shah had his best year in 2014, when Bayern won the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the stable earned $5,977,978.

With Sherman, Shah had a win at Santa Anita on Saturday with the claimer Besides the Point. Earlier this year, Shah’s Dortmund started twice for Sherman but was unplaced in stakes. A multiple stakes winner and millionaire, Dortmund has since been retired.