Shared Belief Heavy Choice in Awesome Again

Undefeated Shared Belief looms a heavy favorite as he heads a field of eight in the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I) at 1 1/8 miles Sept. 27 at Santa Anita Park. 



The marquee event on Breeders' Cup Challenge Day at Santa Anita, the Awesome Again is the final steppingstone to the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Santa Anita Nov. 1. It's one of five grade I Breeders' Cup "Win & You're In" prep stakes to be run at the Arcadia, Calif., track Saturday.



Trained and owned in part by Jerry Hollendorfer, Shared Belief comes off a sensational 2 3/4-length win under Mike Smith in the Pacific Classic (gr. I) Aug. 24. It was the Candy Ride   son's his first try against older horses and his third start this year. The 3-year-old gelding went to the sidelines with a foot ailment following a 5 3/4-length romp in the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) Dec. 14.



While rehabbing under the watchful eye of Hollendorfer's wife, Janet, at Golden Gate Fields, last year's Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male was forced to miss this year's Triple Crown. He came off the bench May 26 to easily annex a six-furlong allowance at Golden Gate by 4 1/4 lengths under Russell Baze at odds of 1-5.



Ridden for the first time by Smith two starts back in the 1 1/8-mile Los Alamitos Derby (gr. II) July 5, Shared Belief rated kindly and powered to a convincing 4 1/4-length score over prominent 3-year-old Candy Boy. Currently America's top rated 3-year-old, Shared Belief worked a half mile at Golden Gate Sept. 23 in :47 3/5 and was vanned to Santa Anita early Wednesday.



Shared Belief is owned by a partnership that includes Jim and Janet Rome's Jungle Racing, Jason Litt, Alex Solis II, George Todaro, and KMN Racing (Kevin and Kim Nish). He was purchased by Hollendorfer privately from owners/breeders Pam and Marty Wygod after he debuted at Golden Gate last Oct. 19, taking a six-furlong maiden special weight by seven lengths.



Shared Belief is a perfect 6-for-6 and earnings of $1,372,200. He'll break from post 4 in the Awesome Again and will carry 121 pounds.



Trainer George Papaprodromou's Imperative, who gained national acclaim four starts back by defeating Game On Dude at odds of 26-1 in the Charles Town Classic (gr. II) April 19, closed much ground but never threatened Shared Belief when running third, beaten five lengths, in the Pacific Classic. Owned by KM Racing Enterprise, the 4-year-old Bernardini   gelding will hope to be flying late in the Awesome Again. With a win and a second at the distance, he rates a big chance to hit the board on Saturday.



Imperative, claimed for $50,000 nine starts back on Dec. 21, has an overall record of 3-4-3 in 18 starts, with earnings of $1,314,870. He'll break from the outside post with Kent Desormeaux aboard.



Trainer Bob Baffert, who recently retired Game On Dude will be represented by a pair of runners: the speedy Fed Biz and Sky Kingdom, a long fused son of Empire Maker who has two stakes wins to his credit, including the 2013 Tokyo City Cup (gr. III) at Santa Anita.



Owned by Kaleem Shah and Fed Biz, LLC, Fed Biz comes off a second-place finish to Goldencents   as the 3-2 favorite in the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 24. That followed a rousing 5 1/4-length score in the San Diego Handicap (gr. II) July 26. A 5-year-old horse by Giant's Causeway  , he would appear to be better suited at shorter distances, but will try to stretch his considerable speed in the Awesome Again. 



Fed Biz has six wins, two seconds and three thirds from 17 starts and has earnings of $710,496.



Owned by Westrock Stables, Sky Kingdom's most recent win came three starts back in the  1 1/16-mile American Flag Stakes at Los Alamitos and his best races have come when he's in a stalking position. His overall mark stands at 16-5-2-2 and he has earnings of $399,872.



Trainer Sean McCarthy's Majestic Harbor seems to have found his best form at age 6. A son of Rockport Harbor, he won the Tokyo City Cup four starts back March 29, and registered the biggest win of his career in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (gr. I) by 6 1/4 lengths June 28.



He ran a non-threatening sixth, beaten 9 1/2 lengths, by Shared Belief in the Pacific Classic, however.



Second in the San Diego Handicap, Goldolphin Racing's Footbridge has good tactical speed and could likely attend the early pace Saturday. Trained by Eoin Harty, Footbridge has yet to win a stakes, but did win a 1 1/4-mile allowance race April 10.