Leading older horse Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) will face as many as 12 rivals in today's $1-million GI Santa Anita H. as he bids for a third-straight victory. The 2013 champion juvenile was en emphatic winner of the GII Los Alamitos Derby last July, and added the GI Pacific Classic S. over this distance of Polytrack at Del Mar in August. He overcame some race riding to nab the local GI Awesome Again S. Sept. 27, but settled for a controversial fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic S. after being cut off at the start by winner Bayern (Offlee Wild) Nov. 1. The Jerry Hollendorfer pupil made a late Eclipse bid with a neck success over subsequent GII Palos Verdes S. hero and GII San Carlos S. entrant Conquest Two Step (Two Step Salsa) in the Dec. 26 GI Malibu S., but was left off the Horse of the Year ballot won by California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit). Favored over that formidable rival in the GII San Antonio Invitational S. here Feb. 7, the dark bay proved best with a comprehensive 1 1/2-length victory.
Chief among Shared Belief's challengers here is Southern Equine Stable's Moreno (Ghostzapper), who makes his 5-year-old debut. The 2013 GII Dwyer S. winner went on a subsequent eight-race winless streak (including a nose second in the GI Travers S.), but returned to winning ways over Itsmyluckyday (Lawyer Ron) in Saratoga's GI Whitney S. in August. That foe turned the tables on Moreno in the GI Woodward S. later that month. Moreno crossed the wire fourth in Belmont's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 27, but was disqualified to last for cutting off Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) and forcing that runner to clip heels and lose his rider. A victim of the chain reaction caused by Bayern in the Classic, Moreno was never able to get close to his usual spot on the engine and faded to a distant last. Without an abundance of speed signed on here considering the field size, Moreno could work out a better trip than he has in recent outings if he's ready to fire fresh.
One of the race's more intriguing challengers is Don Alberto Stable's Bronzo (Chi) (Fusaichi Pegasus). A Group 1 winner at 1 3/8 miles in his native Chile, the bay earned a spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile after taking Club Hipico's G2 Copa de Oro Breeders' Cup in June. Trained up to his Stateside debut over a distance that was likely short of his best, the homebred ran on late for fourth. Transferred from Jorge Inda to Neil Drysdale to continue his U.S. campaign, Bronzo turned it on late again to be sixth in the Jan. 10 GII San Pasqual S. Hung wide throughout in the San Antonio, he really got going in the lane to be a non-threatening fourth before galloping out emphatically past the big two. Bronzo will certainly need to step forward to contend with the likes of Shared Belief, but there's a good chance he will with more ground to work with.
Another runner with South American origins is Haras Santa Maria de Araras's Catch a Flight (Arg) (Giant's Causeway). Group 1-placed at 12 furlongs in Brazil, the bay was third in a one-mile optional claimer here Jan. 19 in his first start for Richard Mandella. He stepped forward and got the victory going an additional furlong Feb. 13, and is another who should appreciate 10 panels.
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