Shared Belief big favorite for Malibu Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arcadia, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Eclipse Award winner Shared Belief has been made the 4-5 morning line favorite for Friday's $300,000 Malibu Stakes which highlights Santa Anita's opening day.

Co-owned and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Shared Belief has drawn post 8 in the 10-horse field of 3-year-olds, including four trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, going seven furlongs. The odds-on favorite will once again have Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith in the saddle.

"We'll see what happens," said Hollendorfer, who will also saddle Tamarando for the race. "But I think we're bringing down a very good horse."

Shared Belief, undefeated in his initial seven career starts, finished fourth in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 1. The gelding was the 5-2 favorite for the 1 1/4-mile race, but finished fourth behind Bayern, Toast of New York and California Chrome.

The 2013 champion 2-year-old posted wins this year in the Los Alamitos Derby, Pacific Classic and Awesome Again Stakes. He missed the Triple Crown races with a hoof injury and began his season with an allowance victory at Golden Gate Fields on May 26.

The gelding had his final workout Monday morning at Golden Gate Fields before being shipped to Santa Anita. Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, he worked four furlongs through heavy fog.

"I didn't actually see the work until the last eighth of a mile because of fog," Hollendorfer said from Golden Gate. "But I did get him in 12:04 for the last eighth of a mile. I haven't talked yet with Russell, but it seemed fine."

Shared Belief has won seven of eight career starts and banked $1,852,200.

Here is the Malibu field in post position order: Conquest Two Step, Joe Talamo, 15-1; Chitu, Joel Rosario, 4-1; Indianapolis, Gary Stevens, 6-1; Rprettyboyfloyd, Tyler Baze, 30-1 Pimpernel, Martin Garcia, 10-1 Midnight Hawk, Victor Espinoza, 6-1; Tamarando, Julien Leparoux, 12-1; Shared Belief, Mike Smith, 4-5; Diamond Bachelor, Flavien Prat, 20-1 and Frensham, Mario Gutierrez, 30-1. All will carry 118 pounds.

Chitu, Midnight Hawk, Indianapolis and Pimpernel are all trained by Baffert.

Post time for the Malibu will be approximately 6:30 p.m. ET.