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Medina Spirit Vs. Rock Your World Showdown In Sunday’s Shared Belief Stakes

A delicious confrontation between two of the aces from this year's Triple Crown events will unfold at Del Mar Sunday when Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and Kentucky Derby/Belmont Stakes competitor Rock Your World match strides over a mile in the 47th running of the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes.

Six in all have entered the headliner for 3-year-olds, but the two “Triple” guys will draw the most eyes and the most action. Jon White, Del Mar's morning line maker, has made Medina Spirit a slight 7/5 favorite over rival Rock Your World at 8/5.

It is likely that both colts are using the Shared Belief as a “prep” for bigger and better things to come in the near future. But both undoubtedly have designs on this year's Breeders' Cup, which will be held at Del Mar. Sunday's test will be a perfect chance for each to get a feel for the seaside oval where neither has raced before.

Medina's Spirit, a son of the relatively unknown sire Protonico, made history with his Kentucky Derby win on May 1, then was the victim of a controversy centering on him possibly racing that afternoon with a drug not permitted on race day. A ruling on that matter still awaits a Kentucky Racing Commission statement. Subsequently, he ran third in the Preakness Stakes. The smallish Florida-bred races for Zedan Racing Stables and trains out of the barn of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

Rock Your World is by the top stallion Candy Ride and lost all chance in the Kentucky Derby when he broke slowly and never had an opportunity to use his natural speed, finishing far back in the 19-horse lineup. Subsequently he showed speed in the 12-furlong Belmont, but could only finish sixth of eight. The tall, dark Kentucky-bred is trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing or Talia Racing.

Medina Spirit has won three of seven starts with purses of $2,285,200. Of that amount, $1,860,000 was earned in the Kentucky Derby. Rock Your World has won three of five starts, including a tally in the Santa Anita Derby, and $591,600.

Both horses have been training in spirited fashion at Del Mar this summer for their return to racing. Both will have first-class riders in the boot Sunday – Hall of Famer John Velazquez coming in from New York to handle Medina Spirit and international riding star Umberto Rispoli returning to his role with Rock Your World.

Four other 3-year-olds are also in the lineup for the race and a victory by any of them obviously would be a large feather in their caps.

Here's the full field for the Shared Belief from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

Thomsen Racing's Willy the Cobbler (Victor Espinoza, 20-1); Medina Spirit; Rock Your World; Reddam Racing's Team Merchants (Mario Gutierrez, 5-1); ERJ Racing, Brennan or Strauss, et al's The Great One (Flavien Prat, 6-1), and Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1).

The Shared Belief was originally run as the El Cajon Stakes from 1973 to 2015. In 2016 it was rename for the champion horse – a winner of 10 of 12 starts and nearly $3 million in purses, including a score in Del Mar's 2014 TVG Pacific Classic — who had died unexpectedly from complications of colic.

The feature will be Race 9 on a 10-race card with a first post of 2 p.m.

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Medina Spirit Supplemented To Sunday’s Shared Belief Stakes

While his Kentucky Derby victory remains in limbo pending a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ruling, the next start for Medina Spirit was made quite clear this morning.

Medina Spirit was supplemented, at a cost of $1,000, to Sunday's $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes, a one-mile event for 3-year-olds on the Del Mar main track. It will be the first start for the son of Protonico since finishing third, beaten 5 ½-lengths by Rombauer in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 15.

“I've entered him, he's running,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “I figure I'll use this as a prep for the Penn ($1 million Pennsylvania Derby, Sept. 25) and see how he likes this track.”

Days earlier, Baffert had indicated the Shared Belief was being given strong consideration but he was waiting to see another workout before finalizing a decision. Medina Spirit covered five furlongs in :58.60 on Monday, tied with stablemate Ax Man for the fastest of 68 works at the distance and better than a half-second quicker than the next most rapid.

“He worked a little fast but he came out of it good,” Baffert said. “He's going to need the race, coming off a layoff, and he's got to go a mile. But if I can run him here that will set him up to go on to the Pennsylvania Derby.”

Medina Spirit joining previously committed Rock Your World in the Shared Belief would set up a rematch of the Santa Anita Derby in which Rock Your World prevailed by 4 ¼ lengths to go three-for-three to that point in his career.

Rock Your World, trained by John Sadler, would subsequently finish 17th, beaten 24 ¼ lengths by Medina Spirit, in the Kentucky Derby and sixth, beaten 22 lengths by Essential Quality in the Belmont Stakes on June 5.

The field for the Shared Belief Stakes from the rail with jockeys in parentheses: Willy The Cobbler (Victor Espinoza); Medina Spirit (John Velazquez); Rock Your World (Umberto Rispoli); Team Merchants (Mario Gutierrez); The Great One (Flavien Prat), and Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux).

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Medina Spirit Appears Likely To Return In Sunday’s Shared Belief Stakes

Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit recorded a bullet five-furlong move in 58 3/5 seconds on Monday at Del Mar, and the Daily Racing Form reports that the colt could make his first start of the summer in this Sunday's $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes.

The 3-year-old son of Protonico has not raced since finishing third in the G1 Preakness Stakes. Regular rider John Velazquez is expected to be up for trainer Bob Baffert. Others nominated for the Shared Belief include: Rock Your World, Stiletto Boy, The Great One, Classier, Defunded, Bobby Bo, Double Tough Tiger, Hudson Ridge, Isolate, It's My House, Laurel River, Mr. Impossible, Team Merchants, and Willy the Cobbler.

Baffert told Del Mar publicity on Saturday that the G1 Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 25 is the primary fall target for Medina Spirit, but that he was considering a local prep race depending on the outcome of Monday's workout.

Medina Spirit's Kentucky Derby win is in jeopardy due to a positive post-race test result for betamethasone, a therapeutic medication that is not allowed on race day. Baffert and his attorney have claimed the positive is a result of a topical cream used to treat a case of dermatitis on the colt's hindquarters. Though the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has not yet held a hearing, required to disqualify Medina Spirit, but Baffert and his attorney have already filed suit against the commission asking a judge to grant further testing of the post-race samples.

Additional stories about Baffert's Kentucky Derby positive and ensuing legal battles can be found here.

Sadler Reveling In Third Pacific Classic Win

TVG Pacific Classic upset winner Tripoli ($15.00) was asleep in his stall at mid-morning. Trainer John Sadler was inclined to leave the 1 ¼-length winner over Tizamagician undisturbed, calling it a “good sign,” while reflecting on what was a third TVG Pacific Classic victory for Sadler and Hronis racing in the last four years.

“I'm in the latter part of my career and when you can win these big races, I feel very blessed,” Sadler said. “I'm not that old, I'm 65, but I've been around a long time and I don't feel like I'm in the middle part of my career, whether there's two, five or 10 years left to go.”

As a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 6, Tripoli is now assured a spot in the champion-making race Sadler and Hronis won in 2018 with Accelerate.

Campaign planning for Tripoli going forward will be put on hold at least temporarily.

“We'll see how Rock Your World runs next Sunday ($100,000 Shared Belief Stakes), they might be candidates for the same race,” Sadler said. “(Tripoli) could run once (before the Classic) or… whatever.”

For the stable of Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, the momentum of victories by Forbidden Kingdom (4^th race, $10.60) and Subconscious (5^th, $13.60) didn't carry over to the stakes. Tizamagician led for the first mile of the 1 ¼-mile Classic before yielding to Tripoli and his Royal Ship, the second wagering choice at just under 3-1, was a no-factor seventh.

“A pretty good day, you're never going to complain if you win two races on the day,” said Gary Mandella, deputizing for his father. “We had a really good second in the Classic with Tizamagician, but Royal Ship is a bit of a mystery. We don't know what went on with him except maybe the year has been a little bit tiring on him. We'll listen to him and figure him out. He'll tell us what to do.”

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