The Shared Belief Stakes (formerly the El Cajon Stakes) is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

run annually during the last week of August or the first week of September at

Del Mar Racetrack The Del Mar Fairgrounds is a event venue in Del Mar, California. The annual San Diego County Fair is held here, which was called the Del Mar Fair from 1984 to 2001. In 1936, the Del Mar Racetrack was built by the Thoroughbred Club with foundin ...

Del Mar, California Del Mar (; Spanish for "Of the Sea") is a beach town in San Diego County, California, located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1885 as a seaside resort, the city incorporated in 1959. The Del Mar Horse Races are hosted on the De ...

. Open to three-year-old horses, the non-graded stakes is contested at a distance of one mile (8

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...

s) on the dirt. The purse is currently $100,000. The race is named for champion

Shared Belief Shared Belief (February 15, 2011 – December 3, 2015) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he was undefeated in three races, including the Hollywood Prevue Stakes and Los Alamitos Futurity, and was named the American Champ ...

, whose major wins included the 2014

Pacific Classic The Pacific Classic Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one quarter miles on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The even ...

at Del Mar. It was previously named for the city of

El Cajon, California El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the va ...

. Inaugurated in 1973, the race was run as a restricted overnight stakes until 2004. The distance was set at one and one eight miles in 1973 and 1974, then reduced to a mile and a sixteenth from 1975 through 1996 after which it was set at its current distance of one mile. From 2008 to 2015, the race was run on Polytrack synthetic dirt surface – all other renewals have been on a natural dirt surface. The race was not run in 1994 and 2001.

Past winners

* 2021 -

Medina Spirit Medina Spirit (April 5, 2018 – December 6, 2021) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified. He came second in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic and third in the 2021 Preakness ...

* 2020 - Thousand Words * 2019 - Improbable * 2018 - Tatters To Riches * 2017 - Battle of Midway * 2016 - Accelerate * 2015 -

Gimme Da Lute Gimme Da Lute (March 13, 2012 – November 6, 2015) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and graded stakes winner. Career Gimme Da Lute won his first race in his second start at age three. After that he won the Echo Eddie Stakes then foll ...

* 2014 - Red Outlaw * 2013 - Holy Lute * 2012 - Fed Biz * 2011 - Celestic Night * 2010 - Haimish Way * 2009 - Grazen * 2008 - Slews Tiznow * 2007 - Rush with Thunder * 2006 - Cindago * 2005 - Follow the Rainbow * 2004 - Perfect Moon * 2003 - Excess Summer * 2002 - Joey Franco * 2001 - RACE NOT RUN * 2000 - Spicy Stuff * 1999 - National Saint * 1998 - Opine * 1997 - Best Star * 1996 - Ready to Order * 1995 - Turbulent Dancer * 1994 - RACE NOT RUN * 1993 - Pleasant Tango * 1992 - Slerp * 1991 - Letthebighossroll (California Champion sprinter) * 1990 - Asia * 1989 - Bruho * 1988 - Old Exclusive * 1987 - Sebrof * 1986 -

Tasso TASSO (Two Arm Spectrometer SOlenoid) was a particle detector at the PETRA particle accelerator at the German national laboratory DESY. The TASSO collaboration is best known for having discovered the gluon, the mediator of the strong interaction an ...

(1985

American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...

) * 1985 - Nostalgias Star * 1984 - Bunker * 1983 - Mamaison * 1982 - Craelius * 1981 - Island Whirl * 1980 - Mighty Return * 1979 - Shamgo * 1978 - Go West Young Man (Multiple Grade I winner) * 1977 - Kulak * 1976 - Wood Green * 1975 - Crumbs * 1974 - Within Hail * 1973 - Quick Bluff

References

{{reflist
Nomination form for the Shared Belief, with entry requirements
Del Mar Racetrack Horse races in California Restricted stakes races in the United States Flat horse races for three-year-olds Recurring sporting events established in 1973 1973 establishments in California