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Ode to the Little Horse that could.








2015 San Antonio Handicap
Photo Courtesy of Pintrest.com 
He was a small little gelding not much to him he was pitch black and had the heart of a lion. He was the ultimate racehorse, and his name was Shared Belief. It broke my heart into a million pieces when I found out about his passing due to colic. I have decided to go back and look at all the great moments Shared Belief has provided the sport.


I first heard of Shared Belief when he was a two year old I watched his debut win on the 19th of Oct. 2013 on TVG and all I could say was wow, and where would this brilliant animal be making his first stakes start. I didn't have to wait to long as the plucky little black gelding came back on the 10th of Nov. 2013 in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes where he absolutely demolished his competition from there the sky was the limit.  



 
2013 Hollywood Prevue Stakes 


The next step for Shared Belief was the grade one Cashcall Futurity his first start in grade one company. In this race he would beat Del Mar Futurity winner Tamarando,  Front Runner Stakes winner Bond Holder, multiple stakes placed Electric Eddie, and future graded stakes winners Kobe's Back, and Candy Boy. No one could expect him to cruise home like he did winning by 5 and 3/4 lengths this gelding was for real. I could not contain my excitement as he snagged the 2013 Eclipse Award for Champion 2 year old male I could not wait to see him in the Kentucky Derby. It was not to be as the gelding suffered a nagging foot problem that would post pone his return till May 26th 2014 in an allowance race which he took down without a problem. 

 
2013 Cashcall Futurity 


2014 Shared Belief's return 


He would not return to the races till July after the allowance score. Where he would be making his dirt debut in the Los Alamitos Derby. He would show that dirt was a non issue as he took down the $300,000 winners share of the purse like it was nothing. What came next was an unbelievable display of just how great this little warrior of a horse was he would be taking on older horses for the first time and trying the mile and a quarter distance for the first time in the Pacific Classic. What he displayed that day made me realize just how special this gelding really was. 


 
2014 Los Alamitos Derby 
2014 Pacific Classic 


His next start though solidified his large heart as he took down the grade one Awesome Again. This time he had to really fight for the win, and that day he showed that he had the heart of a lion. He may have been small, but this gelding was as mighty as Hercules. 

2014 Awesome Again Stakes  

He suffered his first career defeat in the Breeders Cup Classic, but it was to no fault of his own as he was mugged at the start by Bayern. A lesser horse would've quit, but the plucky little gelding did not give up and rushed home to finish an even fourth. His big 2014 was not over though as he took down the grade one Malibu Stakes. I could not wait for what 2015 had in store for Shared Belief and I most of all could not wait for him to meet up with Bayern, and California Chrome again. Though he would never run against Bayern again he did meet up with California Chrome again in his next start. 



 
2014 Malibu Stakes 

The race provided everything the world could've hoped for, a clean trip for Shared Belief and the ideal trip for California Chrome. With the circumstances equal the two horses set down for battle turning for home, and Shared Belief showed that he was indeed the best horse in America as he throughly spanked California Chrome, and claimed his crown as the leading older male heading into the rest of 2015. He would race twice more in 2015 one being a brilliant and dominating victory in the Santa Anita Handicap. The next would be the last time he ever faced the starter in the Charles Town Classic. He would suffer a season ending injury, and his connections remained hopeful for a 2016 return which was not to be. 

 
2015 San Antonio 


 
2015 Santa Anita Handicap 



He was as fierce as a Rottweiler, as mighty as Hercules, as courageous as a Lion, and though he may have been little he could out run the best of them. He ran a hole in the wind when he was at his best, and what hurts the most is we wont ever know just how great this little gelding was. Instead we are left looking back at his 10 victories that will forever be etched in the annals of the sport as some of the greatest displays of heart and courage that any racehorse has ever shown. Shared Belief was a monster in a little black package and the sport will miss him. Rest easy Shared Belief we will never forget you.  



2015 Santa Anita Handicap
photo courtesy of DRF.com

2013 Cashcall Futurity
photo courtesy of horseracingnation.com


2014 Los Alamitos Derby
photo courtesy of Paulickreport.com





2014 Pacific Classic
Photo Courtesy of USAtoday.com







2014 Awesome Again Stakes
Photo Courtesy of horseracingnation.com


















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