Next Shares

It took Next Shares 19 starts to finally break through for his first stakes victory, winning the Old Friends Stakes at Kentucky Downs by 1 3/4 lengths on Sept. 6, 2018. He followed with a 23-1 upset victory in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland to earn a guaranteed starting spot in the Breeders' Cup Mile on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. He closed his 2018 season with an unplaced finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Prior to the back-to-back stakes wins, Next Shares had been knocking on the door in stakes competition since the start of his career. He ran second in the Grade 2 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga in 2015 in his second career start.

Earlier in 2018, Next Shares had come close to a stakes breakthrough during a three-start stretch in which he finished second in the Joe Hernandez Stakes, third in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes, and second in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes, all at Santa Anita Park. Two starts later, he finished third in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes in May at Keeneland.

In his first start of 2019, Next Shares regained his winning form, rallying powerfully to nip Cleopatra's Strike in the closing strides of the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes on Jan. 5 at Santa Anita Park. Competing almost exclusively against top competition, Next Shares was unplaced in his next six starts, five of which came against Grade 1 competition, before he returned to the winner's circle with a victory in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap Nov. 30 at Del Mar.

Next Shares began his 2020 season in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, finishing a disappointing 12th, before returning to his home state of California to finish third in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes and then second in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile.