Medina Spirit (Protonico) was supplemented, at a cost of $1,000, to Sunday's Shared Belief S., a one-mile event for 3-year-olds on the Del Mar main track. The $100,000 contest will be the first start for the colt since finishing third–beaten five lengths–by Rombauer in the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 15. His victory in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby victory remains in limbo pending a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ruling.
“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 GI Pennsylvania Derby, Sept. 25) and see how he likes this track.”
In his most recent work Monday, the dark bay covered five furlongs in :58.60, finishing on par with stablemate Ax Man for the fastest of 68 works at the distance and better than a half-second quicker than the next fastest move.
“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.”
Also scheduled to contest the Shared Belief is Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), who defeated Medina Spirit by four lengths in the Apr. 3 GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Rock Your World, trained by John Sadler, subsequently finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby and sixth–beaten 22 lengths by Essential Quality–in the GI Belmont S. June 5.
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