The field for the $1 million, 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) March 7 is full, but beyond headliner Shared Belief, the race lacks the potential star power that appeared to be possible when nominations came out.

With an ownership group of Jim Rome’s Jungle Racing, Jason Litt, Alex Solis II, George Todaro, KMN Racing, and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, the 4-year-old byCandy Ride   will carry the highweight of 125 pounds with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, but will only face one other fellow grade I winner in the field.

Moreno, the winner of last year’s Whitney Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, carries that distinction and will be second choice at 6-1 (Shared Belief is favored at 3-5 on the morning line), breaking from post 6 with Santiago Gonzalez aboard. 

The Ghostzapper   gelding’s odds, along with the rest of the 13-horse field’s, speak to an apparent mismatch, along with the fact that Moreno finished about 33 lengths behind Shared Belief in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) last year at Santa Anita Park, albeit with a troubled trip.

“I’m not looking to beat Shared Belief as much as I’m looking for a good performance off a layoff,” said Eric Guillot, the trainer of Moreno, who hasn’t raced since the Nov. 1 Classic and will carry 121 pounds. “The whole deal is to get a good race. That’s the focus more than anything else.”

Moreno figures to be the pacesetter, along with Peter Walder-trainedSr. Quisqueyano, who is coming off his fifth non-graded stakes victory in the Florida Sunshine Millions Classic Stakes Jan. 17; Diamond Bachelor, a second-place finisher in the San Marcos Stakes (gr. IIT) Feb. 7; and much-criticized longshot Crimson Giant, who is 1-for-66 in his career, but flashed speed in a nose second going a mile his last time out.

BALAN: Crimson Giant Chasing Unlikely Big ‘Cap Glory

“He’s a one-trick pony,” Guillot said of the front-running Moreno. “He’s not going to try to reinvent the wheel. That 1-of-66 horse that doesn’t belong there showed some tactical speed, but everybody knows—the public knows, the jockeys know—(Moreno) is going to be out front. 

A contested pace would set up perfectly for Shared Belief, who sat off the pace to gamely beat California Chrome and others in the 1 1/8-mile San Antonio Invitational Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 7. The Kentucky-bred did the same in his first trip over 1 1/4 miles, when he bested Toast of New York and fellow Big ‘Cap entry Imperative in the Pacific Classic (gr. I) over Del Mar‘s synthetic track Aug. 14.

Owned by KM Racing and trained by George Papaprodromou, Imperative last crossed the wire first in the Charles Town Classic Stakes (gr. II) last April 19, but has since finished no better than third in seven graded stakes tries.The 5-year-old gelding by Bernardini   has finished behind Shared Belief in the Pacific Classic, Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I), Breeders’ Cup Classic, and the San Antonio. He’ll carry 117 pounds with Kent Desormeaux in the irons.

“Shared Belief is the horse to beat,” Papaprodromou said. “He’s the best horse in the country. But you run the race and you never know. Even if you have a second or third, you can have a good race.”

A contested pace should also bode well for the hard-closing Kentucky-bred who drew post 10.

“A little speed out there will be good for us, especially with Moreno up with them,” Papaprodromou added. “With a little more distance and the weight off, my horse will appreciate it. A little here, a little there, and you never know.”

Ontario-bred Dynamic Sky is the only other graded stakes winner in the field and will break from post 4 with rider Corey Nakatani. Coming off eight straight turf attempts, including a victory in the Red Smith Handicap (gr. IIIT) Nov. 15 at Aquecuct Racetrack, the son of Sky Mesa  , owned by John Oxley and trained by Mark Casse, will be making his first dirt start since a fourth-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) in March of 2013.

More ambitious entries Bronzo, Catch a Flight, Cool Samurai, Hard Aces, Patrioticandproud, and You Know I Know complete the field.