Shared Belief (2011-2015)
From the first time Shared Belief ran, he was magnificent, and with each performance since that lifetime debut at Golden Gate Fields, the son of Candy Ride only furthered his reputation as one of the finest runners in the nation. That’s what makes today’s shocking and sudden news so hard to accept. It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to the champion. Taken from the world far too soon to be completely comprehended, today we lost the 2013 Juvenile Champion to a sudden case of Colic.
Rumors of his passing moved quickly through social media late this afternoon, and in a statement released soon after on the Jungle Racing Facebook page, the crushing news was confirmed.
“Thoroughbred racing is a sport filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Some of the most thrilling and surreal moments of our entire lives have occurred in this sport. Unfortunately, today we have suffered our most devastating. We have lost Shared Belief. He seemed to display signs of Colic this morning so our vets rushed in to treat him. They immediately sent him to UC Davis so he could get the best medical attention available, as quickly as possible. Emergency Colic surgery was performed, but doctors were unable to save him. We are still awaiting results of an autopsy. We are all absolutely devastated. Shared Belief was a once in a lifetime horse. A champion, fighter and unbelievable talent who impacted and changed all of our lives. The little horse that feared no one and could do anything. He absolutely loved his job and to compete and run. As heartbreaking as this is, we all consider ourselves so fortunate to have been a part of this amazing animal’s life. He was a super horse from day one. He would end up winning 10 of 12 starts, including 5 G1’s and an Eclipse Award. The Big Horse was a champion in every sense of the word. There will never be another like Shared Belief. Our hearts are broken. RIP, Champ.”
Owned by a partnership headed by sports personality Jim Rome and his Jungle Racing, and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Shared Belief was near perfect on the track. The winner of 10-of-12 lifetime and better than $2.9 million in earnings, he easily could have been undefeated if not for a horrid trip in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, and an injury suffered in this year’s Charles Town Classic. The hip injury healed, the Kentucky-bred dark bay was back on track, and getting ready to return to the races in 2016. It was a comeback that everyone was looking forward to, but instead the fickle hand of fate only offered tragedy.
While so many of our top horses are retired early to begin a breeding career, that was not to be the path for the gelded champion. He would continue to race as long as he was healthy and at the top of his game. A sensational horse at two, three, and four, it was easy to dream about what was ahead for him on the racetrack in coming years. In a recent article, I surmised that he was the one horse, of a deep older male division, that would be identified as the consensus best. In fact, the same could easily be said for each of his three seasons on the track.
Today, we lost one of our best. Whether you favorited horses like American Pharoah or California Chrome, no one can deny what a huge loss this is to the racing world. I will always remember Shared Belief for who he was in good times, such as this year’s Big Cap. He was truly a special one. Gone too soon, but never to be forgotten. Rest in peace.