Rock Your World points to Shared Belief; Medina Spirit not nominated

Triple Crown veteran Rock Your World will make his next start in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar after being among 14 sophomores nominated for the one-mile event on Aug. 29. 

Trainer John Sadler confirmed to Horse Racing Nation that Rock Your World would contest the Shared Belief in his first start since a sixth-place effort in the June 5 Belmont Stakes. The son of Candy Ride had been targeting a return to turf in the $250,000 Del Mar Derby (G2) on Sept. 4. 

Sadler had also nominated Rock Your World to Saturday's $1 million Pacific Classic (G1), but did not enter. 

Trainer Bob Baffert nominated five 3-year-olds to the Shared Belief. Medina Spirit is not among the quintet. The Kentucky Derby winner, unraced since finishing third in the Preakness, has been working steadily at Del Mar. However, Baffert has yet to reveal where the Protonico colt could resurface.

One option would be to await the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx on Sept. 25, a race Baffert has won three times in the last six running ending with McKinzie in 2018. Last year, the Pennsylvania Derby was canceled as a result of COVID. 

Baffert's nominees for the Shared Belief are Bobby Bo, Classier, Defunded, Hudson Ridge and Laurel River. 

The Shared Belief also attracted one nominee from out of state: Isolate for trainer Kathy Ritvo. The Mark Valeski colt closed out last season with a third in the Nashua Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct and returned from a nearly eight-month layoff to be third again in a Gulfstream Park allowance on June 30 in his sophomore bow. 

To view the full list of nominees for the Shared Belief, click here. For free past performances from Equibase, click here.