Shared Belief (USA)
February 15, 2011 – Decenber 3, 2015
Candy Ride (ARG) x Common Hope (USA), by Storm Cat (USA)
Family 19
February 15, 2011 – Decenber 3, 2015
Candy Ride (ARG) x Common Hope (USA), by Storm Cat (USA)
Family 19
If horse races were beauty pageants, few people would have given Shared Belief much chance. While he was athletic enough, there was nothing particularly eye-catching about him. Plenty of horses were bigger and more impressive-looking, and he lacked any flashy markings that might set him apart. It was in the flight of a race that his exceptional qualities came through: brilliant speed, push-button acceleration, the stamina to stay the American classic distance of 10 furlongs and the heart of a champion. Unfortunately, he was as ill-fated as he was talented. A foot injury derailed a possible Triple Crown campaign in 2014; he missed most of the 2015 racing season after fracturing a hip in the Charles Town Classic (USA-G2); and after his return to training in the fall, he appeared to be progressing well when he was stricken by a fatal attack of colic.
Race record
12 starts, 10 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds, US$2,932,200
2013:
2014:
2015:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 125 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 2013, one pound below 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (USA-G1) winner New Year's Day. Eclipse Award voters saw matters otherwise, awarding Shared Belief 115 first-place votes to 99 for New Year's Day.
Rated at 123 pounds on the final Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2014, 7 pounds below overall leader Just a Way and 2 pounds below the top-rated American runner, Bayern.
The Racing Post's Sam Walker awarded Shared Belief a year-end rating of 128 pounds for 2015, 10 pounds below highweighted American Pharoah but tied for third overall and second-ranked on dirt.
Rated at 126 pounds on the final Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2015, eight pounds below overall leader American Pharoah but tops among older males worldwide and tied for third overall.
As an individual
A dark bay or brown gelding with offset knees, Shared Belief was on the small side and narrow in front but was well-balanced and athletic with strong hindquarters. He tended to paddle with his left foreleg but otherwise had a smooth and efficient stride. His racetrack demeanor was professional and he could be placed in a race as his jockey pleased.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Shared Belief was bred by Pam and Martin Wygod. He was trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who purchased Shared Belief privately after the gelding's maiden victory and co-owned Shared Belief with Jungle Racing LLC (Jim and Janet Rome), Jason Litt, Alex Solis II, George Todaro and KMN Racing (Kevin and Kim Nish). Shared Belief died of complications of colic in December 2015 and was buried in the infield at Del Mar near the graves of Native Diver and of Star Fiddle, who won the inaugural Del Mar Futurity.
Pedigree notes
Shared Belief is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to 2011 Iowa Oaks (USA-G3) winner Little Miss Holly (by Maria's Mon). His dam, Common Hope, was exported to Turkey in 2011. She is a winning full sister to Tribal Rule, a leading regional sire in California. She is also a half sister to 1995 Santa Monica Handicap (USA-G1) winner Key Phrase (by Flying Paster), dam of listed stakes winner Yankee Gentleman (by Storm Cat), second dam of Grade 2 winner Half Ours and Grade 3 winner Khancord Kid, and third dam of 2017 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (USA-G1) winner Bar of Gold.
The second dam of Shared Belief, Sown (by Grenfall) is a winning half sister to stakes winner Bad Seed (by Stevward), dam of stakes winner and important California sire Pirate's Bounty (by Hoist the Flag). Sown was produced from 1957 English champion 2-year-old filly Rich and Rare II and is a half sister to Dottys Dream (by Francis S.), dam of 1973 American champion steeplechaser Athenian Idol (by Alcibiades II), and to Return to Paradise (by Francis S.), second dam of 1999 Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Gandria.
Books and media
FanDuel Racing’s video tribute to Shared Belief can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipueuxIdXHA.
Fun facts
Last updated: September 2, 2024
Race record
12 starts, 10 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds, US$2,932,200
2013:
- Won CashCall Futurity Stakes (USA-G1, 8.5FA, Betfair Hollywood Park)
- Won Hollywood Prevue Stakes (USA-G3, 7FA, Betfair Hollywood Park)
2014:
- Won TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (USA-G1, 10FA, Del Mar)
- Won Awesome Again Stakes (USA-G1, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Malibu Stakes (USA-G1, 7FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Los Alamitos Derby (USA-G2, 9FD, Los Alamitos)
2015:
- Won Santa Anita Handicap (USA-G1, 10FD, Santa Anita)
- Won San Antonio Stakes (USA-G2, 9FD, Santa Anita)
Honors
- Eclipse Award, American champion 2-year-old male (2013)
- Eclipse Award finalist, American champion 3-year-old male (2014)
- Del Mar Horse of the Meeting (summer meet) (2014)
Assessments
Rated at 125 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 2013, one pound below 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (USA-G1) winner New Year's Day. Eclipse Award voters saw matters otherwise, awarding Shared Belief 115 first-place votes to 99 for New Year's Day.
Rated at 123 pounds on the final Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2014, 7 pounds below overall leader Just a Way and 2 pounds below the top-rated American runner, Bayern.
The Racing Post's Sam Walker awarded Shared Belief a year-end rating of 128 pounds for 2015, 10 pounds below highweighted American Pharoah but tied for third overall and second-ranked on dirt.
Rated at 126 pounds on the final Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2015, eight pounds below overall leader American Pharoah but tops among older males worldwide and tied for third overall.
As an individual
A dark bay or brown gelding with offset knees, Shared Belief was on the small side and narrow in front but was well-balanced and athletic with strong hindquarters. He tended to paddle with his left foreleg but otherwise had a smooth and efficient stride. His racetrack demeanor was professional and he could be placed in a race as his jockey pleased.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Shared Belief was bred by Pam and Martin Wygod. He was trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who purchased Shared Belief privately after the gelding's maiden victory and co-owned Shared Belief with Jungle Racing LLC (Jim and Janet Rome), Jason Litt, Alex Solis II, George Todaro and KMN Racing (Kevin and Kim Nish). Shared Belief died of complications of colic in December 2015 and was buried in the infield at Del Mar near the graves of Native Diver and of Star Fiddle, who won the inaugural Del Mar Futurity.
Pedigree notes
Shared Belief is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to 2011 Iowa Oaks (USA-G3) winner Little Miss Holly (by Maria's Mon). His dam, Common Hope, was exported to Turkey in 2011. She is a winning full sister to Tribal Rule, a leading regional sire in California. She is also a half sister to 1995 Santa Monica Handicap (USA-G1) winner Key Phrase (by Flying Paster), dam of listed stakes winner Yankee Gentleman (by Storm Cat), second dam of Grade 2 winner Half Ours and Grade 3 winner Khancord Kid, and third dam of 2017 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (USA-G1) winner Bar of Gold.
The second dam of Shared Belief, Sown (by Grenfall) is a winning half sister to stakes winner Bad Seed (by Stevward), dam of stakes winner and important California sire Pirate's Bounty (by Hoist the Flag). Sown was produced from 1957 English champion 2-year-old filly Rich and Rare II and is a half sister to Dottys Dream (by Francis S.), dam of 1973 American champion steeplechaser Athenian Idol (by Alcibiades II), and to Return to Paradise (by Francis S.), second dam of 1999 Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Gandria.
Books and media
FanDuel Racing’s video tribute to Shared Belief can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipueuxIdXHA.
Fun facts
- Shared Belief was the first American juvenile male to win the divisional Eclipse Award after skipping the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (USA-G1) since Declan's Moon in 2004. Coincidentally, Declan's Moon was also a gelding and also sealed his claim to the title with an impressive win in the Hollywood Futurity (USA-G1; later renamed the CashCall Futurity).
- Shared Belief was the first American champion or co-champion 2-year-old male not to be highweighted or co-highweighted on the Experimental Free Handicap since 1963. (In 1963, Hurry to Market was officially co-champion with Raise a Native but was weighted at 125 pounds to Raise a Native's 126 on the Experimental.)
- Shared Belief's Beyer speed figure of 106 for the 2013 CashCall Futurity was the highest for an American juvenile since 2010. The gelding also earned the highest Beyer speed figure for any American 3-year-old of 2014 with his performance in the TVG Pacific Classic, which Beyer rated at 115.
- Del Mar Race Track renamed its listed El Cajon Stakes as the Shared Belief Stakes in 2016. As of 2024, the race is carded at a mile on the main track for 3-year-olds.
Last updated: September 2, 2024