Shared Belief Takes Sacking in Breeders’ Cup Classic

The 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic

By: Claudia Lorena

Early showers rained down over Santa Anita Park the morning of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but with all of the excitement in the air there was no chance it was going to wash out this parade. As the clock ticked closer to the start of the first Breeders’ Cup post the clouds made way and rays of sunlight beamed down from the heavens right onto the track like something straight out of a movie.

Handicappers predicted how the classic would play out, but the way the race would unfold would leave hundreds of thousands in utter disbelief.

It’s never easy going into a race as the favorite. There will be a target on your back. There will be riders trying to spoil your victory. And, there will come a moment when an undefeated champion is humbled by a loss.

The Sacking

There was concern in my mind the moment that Shared Belief drew the #6 post as Bayern would be breaking immediately to his right. Kaleem Shah’s three-year-old colt by Offlee Wild has a tendency to break to the left to get on the rail as quickly as possible and set the pace. However, the scenario I had played in my mind was not nearly as rough as what resulted. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine the colt to break directly into the favorite. In fact, the type of blow Jerry Hollendorfer’s colt received resembled that of a Monday night football sacking – it was brutal.

Following the break, Shared Belief gained a bit of ground before being corralled by horses on both sides and then cut off by Toast of New York (#9). Traffic became an issue and jockey Mike Smith can be seen on the replay pulling back on the reins to avoid clipping heels with the horse in front of him.

“I lost any chance I had the moment we got hit.” Expressed an emotional Mike Smith. “The force from the blow caused trouble for two other horses… Thank heavens my horse is not bigger than he is or we could have potentially taken out the horse to our left. If there wouldn’t have been another horse next to us, I would have gone flying.”

Smith who is based out of Pasadena, California, calls Santa Anita home. He is the winningest jockey in the history of the Breeders’ Cup and is as classy as they come. But the events of the race will remain in the back of his mind for many years to come. “I was as calm as I could have been.” He says of the moment he was put on the phone with the stewards to discuss the inquiry. “But to be honest, I was trying my best to hold back the tears.”

This is the second time one of Bob Baffert’s horses impedes Smith during a race. In the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) Baffert’s Sky Kingdom – piloted by Victor Espinoza – took Shared Belief five wide on the far turn and had him all the way in the seventh path on the stretch. Smith and Shared Belief were able to recover and win, but stewards suspended Espinoza for an entire week in a hearing a few days after the race.

Yet nothing came of Saturday’s sacking, and although the stewards were the ones who put up the inquiry sign, they ruled that their would be no change. “It’s hard for me to wrap my head around it.” Says Smith. “When the refs call a foul they don’t pull Lebron James aside and ask for his take on what happened.” He laughs, but makes a solid point. If the stewards put up the inquiry, they were aware of what occurred. So why ask if you already know the answer? And why does it feel like we’re beating around the bush? “I cannot say what happened was intentional, I’d like to believe it wasn’t, but I don’t know what to think. At this point, all I can say is that it happened and nothing was done about it.”

Aaron Gryder, who rode Calidoscopio to the Breeders’ Cup Marathon victory in 2012 and piloted Well Armed to win the Dubai World Cup in 2009, is well established in the Santa Anita jockey colony. In a phone interview he expressed the importance of a clean break. “The most important part of any race is the first 30 yards. Within that distance a horse must allow his stride to open up, establish a rhythm and position himself.” Like people, horses have their own distinct personality and way of running. While Shared Belief received the hit from Bayern, Moreno served as collateral when the favorite rebounded off of him. “Being a front-runner,” added Gryder, “when Moreno lost his position, he too lost his chance to run his race.”

California racing officials are known to be rather lenient when it comes to starting gate incidents. Getting bumped when leaving the gate seldom results in Disqualification by the stewards.  But this was no ordinary bump. The outcome of the Breeders’ Cup Classic was entirely altered and it cost three of the top horses their race.

Moreno, who has been the pace in nearly all of his recent starts was expected to shoot out and challenge Bayern in this year’s Classic. Instead, many watched the race develop with the colt nowhere near the pace. He was unable to recover and finished last. Also in the line of fire was V.E. Day (#5) who managed to slip back before getting hit too hard. The Jimmy Jerkens-trained colt had been putting in stellar works leading to the Classic, but he was unable to repeat his Travers performance and finished eleventh.

“It says a lot for Shared Belief to have finished fourth after what he was put through. He’s a true champion.” Smith stated over the phone. “People have worked so hard all year to get here, and for something like this to happen…” the upset is evident in his voice, “It’s truly hard to bear.”

Bayern has had an outstanding three-year-old campaign. The colt’s record speaks for itself and those that have had the pleasure of watching him flourish cannot deny that this victory has been long in the making.

The Ripple Affect

So, what is the point of dragging on the events of the Classic? For starters, thoroughbred racing has come under much scrutiny in recent years. Every sport goes through its share of controversy, but thoroughbred racing has been struggling for quite some time. Back in 2006, the national broadcast of the Preakness Stakes would rain havoc on the sport as hundreds of thousands – if not millions – witnessed Barbaro break down. In 2008 hearts would be tainted once again when Eight Belles suffered a fatal leg injury in the Kentucky Derby and was euthanized on the track after her courageous second place finish against the boys. In the years that followed, the public would remain wary and undercover investigations done by animal rights organizations would only make matters worse. The dark-side of the industry had been exposed. The sport of kings was severely tarnished.

2014 brought new hope with the arrival of California Chrome. His story of humble beginnings and his quest for the Triple Crown captivated the nation and made believers of those who had never given racing the time of day. On June 7th, the nation’s brightest triple crown bid also coincidentally fell victim to a starting gate misfortune when the horse to his right broke left and stepped on the back of his right front hoof. California Chrome would run a gallant mile and a half race to dead-heat for fourth, despite his injury. Following the defeat, controversy would erupt concerning the rules of the sport.

The Bottom Line

Five months later, the sport’s rules are under scrutiny once again. Therefore, if anything can be said of the circumstances surrounding this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic it is that the sport of kings NEEDS to clean up its act, or its blatant disregard for its own rules will become its very demise.

Photo: The NY Post

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