Shared Belief succumbs to colic

Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013, died Thursday, December 3 from colic. The 4-year-old gelding had recently resumed training for Jerry Hollendorfer, galloping a day earlier at his Golden Gate Fields base, after being sidelined last spring by a fractured pelvis.

Owned by Jim Rome’s Jungle Racing, KMN Racing, Hollendorfer, Jason Litt, Alex Solis II and George Todaro, Shared Belief earned $2,932,200 from a 12-10-0-0 record.

"Thoroughbred racing is a sport filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Some of the most thrilling and surreal moments of our entire lives have occurred in this sport. Unfortunately, today we have suffered our most devastating. We have lost Shared Belief,” Rome said in a Facebook post.

“He seemed to display signs of Colic this morning so our vets rushed in to treat him. They immediately sent him to UC Davis (University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine) so he could get the best medical attention available, as quickly as possible. Emergency Colic surgery was performed, but doctors were unable to save him. We are still awaiting results of an autopsy.

"We are all absolutely devastated. Shared Belief was a once in a lifetime horse. A champion, fighter and unbelievable talent who impacted and changed all of our lives. The little horse that feared no one and could do anything. He absolutely loved his job and to compete and run.”

By Candy Ride and out of the Storm Cat mare Common Hope, Shared Belief was bred in Kentucky by Pam and Martin Wygod. Small in stature but blessed with a tremendous motor, the dark bay gelding compiled a total of nine stakes wins, including prestigious victories in the 2013 CashCall Futurity, 2014 Pacific Classic and 2015 Santa Anita Handicap.

"As heartbreaking as this is, we all consider ourselves so fortunate to have been a part of this amazing animal’s life,” Rome added. He was a super horse from day one. He would end up winning 10 of 12 starts, including five grade 1 races and an Eclipse Award. The Big Horse was a champion in every sense of the word. There will never be another like Shared Belief. Our hearts are broken. RIP."

Shared Belief’s 2015 Santa Anita Handicap:

Shared Belief’s 2014 Pacific Classic: