Last December's Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) winner Improbable returned to the winner's circle for the first time since then on Sunday with a classy victory in the $100,000 Shared Belief S. at Del Mar.

Taking the Arkansas route on this year's Triple Crown Trail, Improbable was second in both the Rebel S. (G2) and Arkansas Derby (G1) before a troubled fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Given a break after the Preakness (G1), Improbable was keen from the start of the one-mile Shared Belief, closely tracking Lieutenant Dan before taking over for good with three furlongs to go.

King Jack made a late run, but could get no closer than 2 3/4-lengths at the wire. 

“It took him a little while to come back and get used to this track," Baffert said of the colt's prep for Sunday's race. "I still thought, even after his last work, that he wasn’t quite ready. But his class carried him. ”  

Improbable now has four wins and two seconds in eight starts and has earned $829,520 for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and Starlight Racing.