Head bob puts Rated Fiesty in front

Rated Fiesty got the bob to win the $50,000 American Beauty by a head over 3-2 favorite Palanka City at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. With the win, she gave her trainer, Steve Asmussen, his fifth win in the six-furlong race for fillies and mares. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third to Maren's Meadow.

Rated Fiesty ($6.80) sat just off Palanka City from the outset in the American Beauty, and the two raced together through fractions of 22.74 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.61 for a half-mile. The pair continued in tandem to the wire, with Rated Fiesty just getting the edge at the finish line. The winner covered the distance on a fast track in 1:10.40.

Justin Shepherd rode Rated Fiesty, who has now won 4 of 7 starts and $250,811. She races for Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and JMJ Racing, and won before an Oaklawn crowd of 19,149. Rated Fiesty is a 4-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate.

Asmussen's other winners in the American Beauty were More Moonlight in 2006, Souris in 2005, Eternal Cup in 2004, and My Brent's Diamond in 2001.