Shared Belief picks up pace in breeze for BC Classic

After an easy half-mile drill last week, Shared Belief picked up the pace this week with a sharp five-furlong drill in 1:00.60 on Tuesday at Golden Gate Fields, the second of four scheduled workouts he will have prior to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

As usual, Russell Baze, the Hall of Fame jockey, was aboard for the work for his longtime supporter, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Mike Smith has the mount in the Breeders’ Cup.

Hollendorfer said Shared Belief began his work “a few lengths behind a set of horses,” then breezed past them.

“We do that all the time with him,” Hollendorfer said. “He’ll work better if he has a little something to keep him motivated.”

Shared Belief most recently captured the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita, his seventh win without a defeat, four of them this year. He is the ante-post favorite for the Classic, and a victory there likely would bring him Eclipse Awards as both Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male. He was the champion 2-year-old male last year, when he won all three of his starts.

If Shared Belief wins the Classic, in addition to the first prize from the race itself, he would win a $1 million bonus for sweeping the Los Alamitos Derby, Pacific Classic at Del Mar, and BC Classic. That bonus, the Bolton Challenge, was set up this year by Los Alamitos.

Shared Belief has trained on the synthetic Tapeta surface at Golden Gate Fields since the spring, when a bruise and a subsequent quarter crack to his right front foot forced him to the sidelines. Since returning to action early this summer, Shared Belief has made three trips to Southern California, winning races at Los Alamitos, Del Mar, and Santa Anita. After each race, he heads back up to Golden Gate.

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He is scheduled for two more works there before returning to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup. Per Breeders’ Cup rules, all starters in the Nov. 1 races must be on the grounds by 10 a.m. local time Oct. 29.

At Santa Anita on Tuesday, Majestic Harbor worked five furlongs in 1:00.80. He worked by himself, with regular jockey Tyler Baze aboard.

“He went well, just breezing,” said trainer Sean McCarthy.

Majestic Harbor also is scheduled to have two more works prior to the Classic. He most recently finished fourth behind Shared Belief in the Awesome Again.

Bayern, who flew through a five-furlong drill in 58.40 seconds with regular jockey Martin Garcia on Monday, came out of the work well, trainer Bob Baffert said Tuesday. The work was the fastest of 58 at the distance Monday. Bayern also is scheduled for two more drills prior to the Breeders’ Cup.