Shared Belief to return Monday at Golden Gate

Shared Belief, the Eclipse Award winner as 2013’s top 2-year-old, will make his 2014 debut Monday at Golden Gate Fields in a six-furlong allowance race against older horses.

Shared Belief won his debut at Golden Gate Fields last year and capped his season with a victory in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity. Foot problems kept him off the Triple Crown trail.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said that he opted to run Shared Belief at Golden Gate Fields because that is where he has been training.

Shared Belief has had seven works since April 15. He had a five-furlong 1:00.80 bullet drill from the gate on May 8 and another five-furlong bullet work in 1:00.40 on May 15. He worked six furlongs in 1:14.80 on May 21.

Shared Belief will face four older runners, including multiple-stakes-placed stablemate Moonshine Bay, the stakes winner Ourwestcoastghost, multiple-stakes-placed Valiant Flame, and Zehner’s Zenna, who has earned over $200,000. He will break from post 4 with jockey Russell Baze aboard.

“It will be a good challenge for him,” said Hollendorfer. “All the ones in there can run.”