Jim Rome's Shared Belief Outduels Fed Biz In Awesome Again Stakes

 ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) -- Shared Belief rallied to win the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes by a neck at Santa Anita on Saturday and improve to 7-0.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who got tossed when his mount fell on the turf a race earlier, returned to help the 3-year-old gelding hold off Fed Biz under a left-handed whip nearing the finish line.

Shared Belief ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.58 and paid $2.40, $2.20 and $2.10 as the 1-5 favorite in one of five Grade 1 races on the card.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Fed Biz returned $3.60 and $3.20. Footbridge was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $5.20 to show.

It was Shared Belief's fourth win of the year, putting him in contention for champion 3-year-old male honors and a shot at Horse of the Year if he could win the Breeders' Cup Classic on the same track Nov. 1. He won all three of his starts last year, when he was champion 2-year-old male. A hoof problem in January kept Shared Belief off the Triple Crown trail for co-owner and sports talk host Jim Rome. Among his other owners is Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

In other Grade 1 races on the card:

--Emollient won the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes by a half-length under Rosie Napravnik to earn an automatic berth in the BC Filly & Mare Turf.

The 4-year-old filly ran 1 1/4 miles on the turf in 2:02.42 and paid $8.40, $5.60 and $3.60.

Parranda returned $7 and $4.20, while Rusty Slipper and Irish Mission finished in a dead-heat for third, 1 1/4 lengths back. Rusty Slipper paid $6 to show, while Irish Mission paid $2.60.

Smith, aboard Moulin de Mougin, got tossed when his mount slipped and fell on the far outside in the stretch turn. They had come from last and were picking off horses when the 4-year-old filly went down on her own, sending Smith flying.

--American Pharoah led all the way to win the $300,000 FrontRunner Stakes for 2-year-olds by 3 1/4 lengths for Baffert, who won the race for the seventh time.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, American Pharoah ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.95 and paid $3, $2.40 and $2.20 as the 1-2 favorite. A son of Pioneerof the Nile, he was trying two turns for the first time.

"The horse just has that extra `something,"' Baffert said. "What a performance. You're always hoping for that but you never know."

American Pharoah earned an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile field with his second win in three career starts.

Calculator returned $6.60 and $4, while Texas Red was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third and paid $4.20 to show. Lord Nelson, also trained by Baffert, was fourth.

--Beholder rallied to win the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes by three-quarters of a length under Smith, who was the regular rider of the superstar mare for whom the race is named.

The 4-year-old filly ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.19 and paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10 as the 2-5 favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. Beholder returned for the first time since June 7 after getting a cut on her left hind pastern in a race on that day's Belmont Stakes undercard. She injured the same area at the recent Del Mar meet and needed five stitches, costing her a week of training.

Tiz Midnight returned $3.80 and $2.40, while Iotapa was another 3 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $2.10 to show. The field was reduced to five after Tiz the Key was scratched.

With the victory, Beholder earned an automatic berth in the BC Distaff.