Belief' vs. Baffert in Malibu

Last year's champion juvenile Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) faces a field of nine as he looks to put the GI Breeders' Cup Classic debacle behind him in Friday's GI Malibu S. The Jerry Hollendorfer pupil closed out his 2013 campaign with a smashing 5 3/4-length romp in the GI CashCall Futurity S. just over 12 months ago, but was not heard from again until an easy allowance score sprinting at Golden Gate in late May. He had no trouble trying conventional dirt for the first time when he took the inaugural GII Los Alamitos Derby by daylight July 5, and earned a gaudy 115 Beyer Speed Figure when besting fellow sophomore Toast of New York (Thewayyouare) in Del Mar's GI Pacific Classic S. Aug. 24. The dark bay appeared a fairly solid favorite for Horse of the Year honors at that point, and had a target on his back in this venue's GI Awesome Again S. Sept. 27. Floated wide throughout that affair, Shared Belief called on all his heart to overcome an extra 66 ft. (approx. 7 3/4 lengths, according to Trakus data) to defeat Fed Biz (Giant's Causeway) by a neck and remain unbeaten. Sent off the 5-2 favorite for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic here Nov. 1, Shared Belief took a hard bump from eventual winner Bayern (Offlee Wild) at the start, had a less-than-stellar trip thereafter and had to settle for fourth in a result that was controversially allowed to stand by the stewards. The 4-5 morning line favorite was brought back up to Hollendorfer's Golden Gate base to regroup in the interim, and appears to be working well for this first attempt at seven furlongs since a 7 3/4-length drubbing in last November's GIII Hollywood Prevue S. Hollendorfer also sends out Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams homebred Tamarando (Bertrando), winner of the GI Del Mar Futurity last September going this distance. The Cal-bred was third behind Shared Belief in the CashCall, and added the GIII El Camino Real Derby in February before a four-race winless drought. He was most recently last of seven in Del Mar's GIII Native Diver S. Nov. 29. Bob Baffert, the trainer of both Bayern and Fed Biz, seeks his third Malibu in only four years–the Hall of Fame trainer finally broke through in this prestigious event in 2011 with The Factor (War Front). While the presence of Bayern certainly would've been exciting, Baffert saddles four other formidable challengers. Tanma Corp's Chitu (Henny Hughes) defeated stablemate Midnight Hawk (Midnight Lute) in the GIII Sunland Derby in March, prompting a try at the GI Kentucky Derby May 3. The chestnut could only manage ninth after pressing the pace that day behind California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), but returned to defeat accomplished older horses over this track and trip in the Oct. 31 Damascus S. The aforementioned Midnight Hawk justified “TDN Rising Star” status with a score in the GIII Sham S. here in January before hitting the board in four subsequent graded stakes on the Triple Crown trail. The grey was 11th in the Damascus, and third last time in a Del Mar optional claimer Nov. 30. The Coolmore contingent's lightly raced Indianapolis(Medaglia d'Oro) kicked his career off with a maiden win at Betfair Hollywood Park last November, and added a clear-cut success in January's San Pedro S. here. He also returned from a long absence to beat Diamond Bachelor (War Front) by a half length in a Sept. 26 optional claimer, but was 10th when thrown to the wolves in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 1. Baffert's final representative, Juddmonte Farm's Pimpernel (Elusive Quality–Xtra Heat), held off another stablemate in Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) to take an optional claimer here Oct. 29. Hoppertunity stretched out to annex the GI Clark H. in his subsequent start.