Shared Belief officially off the Derby Trail

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer confirmed on Thursday that his unbeaten champion

two-year-old male Shared Belief would be skipping the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue

Grass on April 12 at Keeneland and is officially off the Kentucky Derby trail.

Actually, Hollendorfer told The Blood-Horse's Claire Novak that he and

Shared Belief's connections never actually considered the dark bay gelding to be

pointing for the Derby in the first place.

"I never had the horse on the Derby trail anyway; the media had him on the

Derby trail," Hollendorfer declared. "When me and my owners discussed this, way

back when we got the horse, we never were concerned about getting to the Derby

anyway."

Many considered Shared Belief's inclusion in the Run for the Roses a given

following his 5 3/4-length romp in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity on December 14.

That wrapped up his juvenile campaign and was enough to propel him to an

Eclipse Award as champion two-year-old male when taking into consideration his 7

3/4-length tour de force in the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue and seven-length debut

maiden win at Golden Gate Fields.