Belief’ Tries the Bull Ring
While it would have been virtually unheard of just a few years ago for a horse of Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg})’s caliber to make an appearance at Charles Town, a monster $1.5-million purse for this evening’s GII Charles Town Classic S. lures the co-top-rated horse in the world to West Virginia. If not for an unfortunate trip when controversially cut off at the start by winner Bayern (Offlee Wild) and forced to settle for fourth in the Nov. 1 GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Jerry Hollendorfer pupil would be a perfect 11-for-11. The 2013 champion juvenile annexed the GII Los Alamitos Derby, GI Pacific Classic S. and GI Awesome Again S. last season before the Classic, but failed to make it into the top three in Horse of the Year voting despite finishing off the year with a hard-fought victory in Santa Anita’s GI Malibu S. Dec. 26. Shared Belief asserted his superiority over Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the GII San Antonio Invitational S. Feb. 7, and easily bested Moreno (Ghostzapper) while earning a 111 Beyer Speed Figure in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 7. Installed at 2-5 on the morning line, the dark bay will carry the colors of Jungle Racing, KMN Racing, Hollendorfer, Litt, Solis II and Todaro.
Southern Equine Stable’s aforementioned Moreno, who annexed last season’s GI Whitney Invitational S., enters off a close third as the 6-5 favorite in the GII New Orleans H. Mar. 28. He figures to show his usual early speed, but could face pressure from the likes of Warrioroftheroses (A. P. Indy).
Perhaps the most formidable challenger to the heavy favorite is Skychai Racing and Starlight Racing’s General a Rod (Roman Ruler). A winner of the Gulfstream Park Derby, second in the GII Fountain of Youth S. and third in the GI Florida Derby S. last term for Armando Rodriguez and Mike Maker, the dark bay was acquired privately by his current owners before competing in all three legs of the Triple Crown–his best finish was fourth in the GI Preakness S. General a Rod went to the bench after a seventh-place run in the GI Belmont S. last June, and reemerged to finish fourth in a seven-panel Gulfstream optional claimer Jan. 14. Subsequently transferred to Todd Pletcher, he aired by 6 1/3 lengths in Tampa’s Mar. 7 Challenger S., good for a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure. The form of that affair was flattered when runner-up Old Time Hockey (Smarty Jones) returned to take a stakes race and third finisher Neck ‘n’ Neck (Flower Alley) finished second in the GIII Ben Ali S. at Keeneland a week ago.
Anstu Stables’s lightly raced Street Babe (Street Sense) makes just the fourth start of his career. A four-length debut winner over a mile at the Big A in November, the Michael Dilger trainee was second in a Gulfstream allowance on New Year’s Eve. Dismissed at 21-1 in the GIII Mineshaft H. at the Fair Grounds Feb. 21, he stalked a hot pace and pounced to blow up the tote. For more on Street Babe, click here.
Another runner with solid credentials is Pick Six Racing’s Vyjack (Into Mischief). Last year’s GII Kelso H. winner was fifth in the GI Cigar Mile H. and second in Aqueduct’s Queens County S. at this distance Dec. 13. He was most recently fifth in the Stymie S. in Ozone Park Mar. 22.
Imperative (Bernardini) took down heavily favored Game On Dude (Awesome Again) to score at 26-1 here a season ago, but has finished no better than third–in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita and GI Pacific Classic S.–since that outing. The KM Racing Enterprise representative was sixth in the San Antonio and eighth in the Santa Anita H.