Leading thoroughbred Shared Belief, trained and co-owned by Jerry Hollendorfer, is the one to beat in Saturday night's $1.5 million Charles Town Classic at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.
The 4-year-old gelding has been made the prohibitive 2-5 morning line favorite versus eight rivals for the 1 1/8-mile stakes to be run over Charles Town's six-furlong track.
Shared Belief will again be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith with the pair leaving from post 4 in the nine-horse field. The 2013 champion 2-year-old will be making his first start outside of California on Saturday.
"We're flying directly out of Oakland and going to Newark (New Jersey) and vanning down to Charles Town," Hollendorfer said after Shared Belief's Tuesday workout.
Shared Belief is coming off a dominant victory in last month's Santa Anita Handicap as the 3-10 favorite over fellow Classic entrant Moreno. The champion registered a 4 1/4-length win in the Big 'Cap for his 10th win in 11 career starts.
"Shared Belief makes us look good, and he did it easy," Hollendorfer said following the Big 'Cap victory. "I'm just so grateful to have a horse like this. You never expect it (to have a horse considered the best in the country), so I'm very pleased to have this horse and hope that we can keep him racing well like he has been."
Shared Belief won his season debut on Feb. 7 in the San Antonio over California Chrome at Santa Anita. He carries a bankroll into Saturday of $2,932,200.
Moreno is the 7-2 second choice in the program and will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez from post 6. The 5-year-old gelding is trained by Eric Guillot for Southern Equine Stable.
Moreno, who will be making his 25th career start, has three wins, eight seconds and three thirds for $2,034,940. The gelding was third in the New Orleans Handicap on March 28, three weeks after his runner-up result in the Big 'Cap behind Shared Belief.
Here is the field for the Classic in post position order: Looking Cool, Walter De La Cruz, 30-1; Vyjack, Jose Montano, 12-1; Street Babe, Joel Rosario, 15-1; Shared Belief, Mike Smith, 2-5; Page McKenney, Horacio Karamanos, 20-1; Moreno, Cornelio Velasquez, 7-2; General a Rod, John Velazquez, 12-1; Warrioroftheroses, Travis Dunkelberger, 50-1 and Imperative, Alonso Quinonez, 15-1.
Post time for the Charles Town Classic will be approximately 6:05 p.m. ET.
[SportsNetwork.com]
