Medina Spirit supplemented to Shared Belief, faces 5 rivals

Medina Spirit, unraced since a third-place finish in the May 15 Preakness Stakes, and fellow Triple Crown veteran Rock Your World lead a field of six sophomores entered in Sunday's $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar.

Medina Spirit comes into the one-mile Shared Belief as the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner after taking the May 1 Run for the Roses by a half-length at 12-1 for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. But following the race, Medina Spirit tested positive for the regulated medication betamethasone, which is banned on race day in Kentucky.

Penalties for a betamethasone positive in the commonwealth calls for the horse to be disqualified. But the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has not rendered a decision on the matter.

Click here for Del Mar entries and results

Baffert told Del Mar publicity this week that Medina Spirit would use the Shared Belief as a bridge to the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx on Sept. 25. The Protonico colt drew post No. 2 in the Shared Belief. Regular rider John Velazquez will come in from New York to ride.

“He’s running,” Baffert told Del Mar publicity on Thursday. “I figure I’ll use this as a prep for the Penn and see how he likes this track.”

Del Mar also hosts the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6. Medina Spirit enters the Shared Belief with five works at Del Mar since late July, including a bullet five-furlong drill in 58.6 seconds on Monday.

“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.”

Rock Your World will be making his first start since a sixth-place finish in the June 5 Belmont Stakes for trainer John Sadler. Previously, the son of Candy Ride won the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in front-running fashion, besting runner-up Medina Spirit by 4 1/2 lengths, and was 17th in the Kentucky Derby.

Rock Your World will break from post 3 under Umberto Rispoli, who was aboard for his Santa Anita Derby.