Plenty of quality in Shared Belief Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jerry Hollendorfer claims it’s apocryphal, Art Sherman swears it happened. They were in the paddock before a race back when they both trained in the Bay Area. According to Sherman, Hollendorfer turned to him and said, “If I don’t win, I hope you don’t either.”

The tale brought down the house at a fundraiser for the Gregson Foundation on Tuesday night, when both trainers, who are good friends, were honored. On Saturday, they face off on the track at Del Mar, with Hollendorfer sending out Battle of Midway, and Sherman countering with Klimt, in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes, a listed stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile that feels more like a Grade 2, what with those two plus Gormley among the field of seven.

Hollendorfer won’t be able to trade barbs with Sherman, because he’ll be at Saratoga on Saturday to run two-time champ Songbird in the Personal Ensign. Also on that card is the Travers, a race Sherman will be eyeing, as Klimt is coming off a second-place finish to Travers entrant West Coast in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby when Klimt was returning from an eight-month layoff.

“I thought he ran a great race coming off a long layoff,” Sherman said at his barn Thursday morning. “That was at a mile and an eighth. I’d have been more comfortable if it was a mile. He was game and laid his body down against a horse who might be the best 3-year-old in the country, who might be the favorite for the Travers.”

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Both Gormley and Battle of Midway, who earlier this year finished one-two in the Santa Anita Derby before embarking on the Triple Crown trail, are adding blinkers for the first time.

“We thought we’d add them because of the way he looks around,” said John Shirreffs, who trains Gormley.

Hollendorfer said jockey Flavien Prat thought Battle of Midway “would focus better” with blinkers.

“They’re not great, big blinkers,” Hollendorfer said from Saratoga, “just little French cups.”

The Shared Belief, named for the popular champion 2-year-old of 2013 who won the 2014 Pacific Classic here, goes as race 7 on the 10-race card.

KEY CONTENDERS

Klimt, by Quality Road
Last 3 Beyers: 96-75-88

◗ He got a career-best Beyer Speed Figure in his comeback race and now returns to the track where he won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last summer.

Gormley, by Malibu Moon
Last 3 Beyers: 89-82-88

◗ He was freshened after finishing fourth in the Belmont, which followed a ninth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

Battle of Midway, by Smart Strike
Last 3 Beyers: 81-94-91

◗ After finishing third in the Kentucky Derby, he subsequently won the Grade 3 Affirmed at Santa Anita before finishing sixth of seven in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth.

Gato Del Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro
Last 3 Beyers: 93-89-70

◗ Though he’s raced just three times and is making his stakes debut, he won a fast allowance race over this track going a mile when beating elders last time out.

“He’s training great, working great,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “It’s a tough task, but we think the horse is up for it.”