Horse Profile: Shareholder

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Scouting Report

(Editor's note: Originally published in the 2024 BRISnet Breeders' Cup International Report)

By the same sire as Turf Sprint favorite Cogburn, Not This Time, Shareholder was on an accelerated course to make Royal Ascot just about a month after selling at Arqana May for roughly $495,000. The Kentucky-bred must be an unusual talent, not only to have made that goal, but to capture the “Win and You’re In” Norfolk (G2). 

Trained by Karl Burke, whose Dramatised placed second in the 2022 Juvenile Turf Sprint, Shareholder is one of two entrants for emerging power Wathnan Racing. His colleague Aesterius, from the Archie Watson yard, also has strong claims, and jockey James Doyle was reportedly waiting until the last minute to make his choice. He chose Aesterius. 

Shareholder is out of an Invincible Spirit mare who is half-sister to Gale Force Ten, the runner-up in the 2012 Norfolk. Gale Force Ten went on to place second in the 2013 Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) and win the 2013 Jersey (G3) back at Royal Ascot.

With an extremely narrow timetable to get a start ahead of Royal Ascot, Shareholder was thrown into a June 8 conditions race at Beverley. The 6-4 favorite made loads of rookie mistakes – missing the break, pulling hard, and tossing his head resentfully when Doyle tried to drop him behind horses – but he got organized to rally on the outside. Just when he appeared on the verge of asserting, Shareholder idled, and Doyle had to employ all of his wiles to lift him across the wire by a short head. 

Shareholder learned a lot, and put it into practice, a mere 12 days later in the Norfolk. Although he still wasn’t the fastest out of the gate, he deployed his stride so quickly that he secured a good stalking position. The 12-1 shot traveled supremely well among the far side group and kicked away before the near side, including favored Whistlejacket and Arizona Blaze, could catch up. 

In his rematch with Whistlejacket in the Prix Morny (G1), however, Shareholder folded tamely to last. It wasn’t the step up to about six furlongs, since he was beaten before the increased distance even came into play. Wathnan’s Richard Brown thought the ground was not ideal, considering that he’d won both starts on good-to-firm, and Burke later told attheraces.com that the colt was “a little bit sore” afterward.

Briefly entertaining Keeneland’s Indian Summer S. as a tune-up, Burke decided to go straight to Del Mar. Shareholder did have a Southwell workout (the same venue that Classic contender City of Troy used) to practice turning left-handed, and Doyle was pleased with how he handled everything.

As the Norfolk winner who was last seen disappointing in the Morny, Shareholder has a profile reminiscent of last year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint runner-up Valiant Force. But Shareholder arguably has shown more raw ability than Valiant Force, who was a 150-1 overlay at Royal Ascot.