Shared Belief maintains fitness for Santa Anita Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. – Shared Belief will not have a strenuous series of workouts in advance of the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7.

On Wednesday at Golden Gate Fields, Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013, worked a half-mile in 51.80 seconds, and more of the same is likely in the coming weeks for the 4-year-old gelding, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.

“I don’t have to be real hard on him for his next race,” Hollendorfer said. “He’s very fit and doing very well.”

Shared Belief will be favored in the Big Cap, run at 1 1/4 miles. Owned by a partnership led by sports commentator Jim Rome, Shared Belief won the $590,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 7, beating California Chrome, the 2014 Horse of the Year. California Chrome will not start in the Big Cap and is being pointed for the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates on March 28.

Shared Belief’s half-mile workout Wednesday was his first major exercise since the San Antonio. Hollendorfer plans two additional workouts before Shared Belief is shipped to Santa Anita.

“If we can keep him fit, we should be in good shape,” Hollendorfer said.

Shared Belief has won 9 of 10 starts and earned $2,332,200. His only loss was a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, in which he was severely bumped by eventual winner Bayern shortly after the start.