Sharing Takes Step Toward Breeders’ Cup in $200,000 Selima

LAUREL, MD – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stables’ Sharing grabbed all the attention in Saturday’s $200,000 Selima Stakes at Laurel Park with a dominating performance that may very well have earned the daughter of Speightstown a start on this year’s Breeders’ Cup program Nov. 1.

Trained by Graham Motion, Sharing established herself as a strong candidate for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Santa Anita with a 2 1/2-length decision in the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 2-year-old fillies run over the All Along Turf Course.

“We’re hoping to get to the Breeders’ Cup. That’s why we came here. Hopefully, this race is a good steppingstone because it’s a $200,000 race. Hopefully, this will get us into the Breeders’ Cup,” Motion said.

Sharing is a daughter of Shared Account, whom Motion saddled for a victory in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

“She was one of my favorite mares. Any time you win big races like that, it’s pretty special to you,” Motion said. “She had a very kind personality, and this filly is very similar.”

Jockey Manuel Franco placed Sharing in a prime stalking position behind pacesetter Sunset Promise, who showed the way to her six rivals while setting fractions of 23.51 and 48.56 seconds for the first 1/2-mile. Sharing was sent three-wide on the turn entering the stretch and the Maryland-bred filly continued on to register a comfortable decision.

“(Franco) said she got to looking around a little when she got the lead, but she did it the way I hoped she’d do it,” Motion said. “I would have been disappointed if she hadn’t probably because she seems like she’s that caliber.”

Sharing ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:42.61. Sunset Promise held second under Alex Cintron, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Love Beach and jockey Trevor McCarthy.