California Chrome, Hoppertunity, Shared Belief head field at Santa Anita

By RICHARD ENG LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

9 years ago

Victor Espinoza aboard California Chrome is escorted to the starting before race twelve during the 2014 Breeders Cup Championships at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 1, 2014. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)

Shared Belief works out in the morning to prepare for the 31st Breeders Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park. In the Classic, Shared Belief (9-5) figures to be way overbet due to the popularity of media personality and co-owner Jim Rome. The colt is undefeated in seven starts and the public loves undefeated horses. (Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports)

Martin Garcia aboard Bayern leads Jamie Spencer aboard Toast of New York and Victor Espinoza aboard California Chrome to the finish in race twelve during the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Championships at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 1, 2014. (Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports)

With 12 weeks until May 2, the horse racing focus is usually centered on the Kentucky Derby trail. But this weekend is different.

The Withers and Robert Lewis on Saturday will be key Derby prep races. But our thoughts turn to the handicap division, where the San Antonio at Santa Anita Park features California Chrome, Hoppertunity and Shared Belief.

It is a glamorous field. This will be the first race of the season for Horse of the Year California Chrome. Shared Belief, if he had won the Breeders’ Cup Classic, most likely would have been Horse of the Year. Add in a fast rising star in Hoppertunity, winner of the San Pasqual and Clark Handicap, and you have an exciting group.

I suspect Santa Anita management would have been thrilled had this matchup occurred in the Santa Anita Handicap. Chances are after Saturday these horses might go their separate ways. But let us enjoy the now and worry about the then later.

My choice to win the San Antonio will be Shared Belief. He has been training at Golden Gate over their Tapeta surface. He had a perfect prep win in the Malibu at 7 furlongs.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has said Shared Belief won’t be shipped to Dubai for the World Cup, which tells me the Santa Anita Handicap is the spring goal.

In the Lewis, the race goes through Dortmund and Firing Line. There is little to separate the two, as the finish of the Los Alamitos Futurity showed. Dortmund beat Firing Line by a head with a nose back to Mr. Z in third.

Dortmund will be the better colt long term, and a lot of that has to do with his trainer Bob Baffert.

The Withers has a strong favorite in El Kabeir, who looks like the class of the field at Aqueduct. He would need to run a real clunker to lose.

■ KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURES — Churchill Downs is offering Pool 2 of its Kentucky Derby Future Wager this weekend. Betting ends at 3 p.m. Sunday. Pool 1 ended with the favorite being “all other horses” at 3-5 odds. Dortmund at 9-1 was the individual horse chalk.

Many of the bigger 3-year-olds will start showing Feb. 21, when the point system begins rewarding 50 points to the prep race winners.

A big advantage in Las Vegas is we can shop for price. The race books at Westgate Las Vegas, William Hill and Wynn Las Vegas have robust Derby future books.

■ X-COUNTRY PICK 4 — The X-Country Pick 4 will be offered Saturday linking the Donn, Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, San Marcos and San Antonio. All four races will be shown on Fox Sports 1 in an hour telecast.

I already picked Shared Belief to win the San Antonio. Here are my opinions on the other three legs:

The two stakes at Gulfstream are extremely tricky. With all things being equal, it’s usually the best trip that wins a Grade 1 grass stakes. I’ll throw my dart at Imagining in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap.

I’ll pick Commissioner in the Donn. I always thought he could be an elite animal.

My choice in the wide-open San Marcos is Finnegans Wake. He seems to have come into his own for trainer Peter Miller.

Richard Eng’s horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick.