Shared Belief, California Chrome head separate ways after San Antonio

ARCADIA, Calif. – Shared Belief and California Chrome were separated by 1 1/2 lengths at the finish of Saturday’s $590,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita.

They will be apart by 8,300 miles for the better part of March.

On Sunday morning, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer reiterated Shared Belief’s next start will be the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles March 7. Trainer Art Sherman confirmed California Chrome’s next start will be March 28 in the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates.

Sherman said California Chrome will not start again until the Dubai World Cup, which is run at 1 1/4 miles.

Saturday’s San Antonio Stakes lived up to high expectations as a meeting between the two champions. Shared Belief was the champion 2-year-old male of 2013. California Chrome is the reigning Horse of the Year.

In the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/8 miles, both raced close to the pacesetter Alfa Bird to the end of the backstretch. California Chrome, the 7-5 second choice, led on the turn and into the stretch under jockey Victor Espinoza but could not hold off a threat from Shared Belief, the even-money favorite. Shared Belief took the lead in the final furlong and drew away late under jockey Mike Smith.

“I think two good horses hooked up,” Hollendorfer said. “We got the better of California Chrome. You can’t take anything away from California Chrome. I thought I was bringing a 100 percent ready horse over there, and I thought it was a good race.”

Hollendorfer said Shared Belief would be sent to his stable at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California on Monday and will be based there through February. Hollendorfer customarily has trained Shared Belief at Golden Gate Fields, stating the gelding prefers everyday training on the Tapeta Footings synthetic surface there.

“He gets along better with that racetrack,” Hollendorfer said.

Shared Belief has won 9 of 10 starts and earned $2,332,200. He races for a partnership led by sports talk show host Jim Rome. Hollendorfer is part of the partnership and said there are no plans for a start in Dubai.

“I think for the most part our partnership is not interested in running in that race,” Hollendorfer said.

California Chrome returned to Sherman’s base at Los Alamitos after Saturday’s race. Sherman said California Chrome would stay in California until about March 14, when he will be flown to Dubai.

“I’ll be there two weeks before the race,” he said. “I want him to get acclimated on the track and train on it. We’ll see how the track there is playing. We can see what the competition is. It will be a whole new experience.”

Sherman said a trip to Dubai is the preference for owner Perry Martin, who is partners on California Chrome with Steve Coburn.

“He’s made up his mind, and that’s what we’ll do,” Sherman said of Martin.

A crowd favorite, California Chrome drew a tremendous cheer from the on-track crowd of 21,522 when he took the lead into the stretch, a short-lived advantage. Sherman was left wondering whether California Chrome was in peak condition Saturday after easy workouts in the build-up to the race.

“The only thing that might have concerned me is that Victor didn’t let him run in two works,” he said. “It might have made a difference. That’s the only thing that concerned me. I thought he might have gotten a little leg weary. My personal opinion is that those are the two best horses in the country.”

With March plans solidified, months could go by before Shared Belief and California Chrome meet again. Hollendorfer has not stated his plans for Shared Belief beyond the Santa Anita Handicap, but a majority of the starts are likely to be in California.

California Chrome will need a few months rest after Dubai to recover from the trip and resume training. A race such as the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, tentatively scheduled for Aug. 22, could fit on the schedules of both horses.

Sherman said this likely will be the last season for California Chrome, who is expected to go to stud in 2016. Sherman said stallion farms from Kentucky and Japan have been to the stables to inspect the colt.

“This will be his last year,” he said.

The Santa Anita Handicap field will include Hoppertunity and Bronzo, who were third and fourth in the San Antonio. Hoppertunity, who won the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 10, was beaten 6 1/2 lengths by California Chrome. Hoppertunity finished a head in front of Bronzo. Bronzo was a Group 1 winner in Chile in 2014 and was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last October.

“He’s getting better,” trainer Neil Drysdale said. “I think he’ll prefer more distance.”

One horse not expected for the Big Cap is Bayern, unraced since winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1. Bayern was an intended runner for the San Antonio Stakes until a minor foot injury surfaced in January. He is in light training, trainer Bob Baffert said.

“He jogged two miles,” Baffert said Sunday. “He’s healing. I want to make sure that foot is 100 percent.”

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Shared Belief earned all of his winnings for a partnership headed by Jim Rome. Shared Belief won his first start for Pam and Marty Wygod and was sold afterward to the Rome partnership.