by Tim Nichols

Stardom Bound made the entire Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) field look as if they were running in slow motion as she won impressively on Monday with a powerful closing rush.

Trained by Chris Paasch, the Tapit filly earned her first career win by completing seven furlongs in 1:22.50 on the synthetic Polytrack surface in a commanding 4¼-length win.

“I’m very satisfied,” Paasch said. “When [jockey Mike Smith] asked her to run today, he said he couldn’t believe how explosive she was.”

Stardom Bound, who twice finished second in two career starts, unleashed her winning bid after dropping more than 11 lengths off the pace in 11th position at the three-eighths pole.

Stardom Bound swept five wide into the stretch and surged past the field. Pacesetter Palacio de Amor gamely tried to maintain her lead from the rail but was no match for Stardom Bound as she accelerated to victory.

“She was picking those horses up in the stretch without even trying,” Smith said. “She was on her wrong lead but it didn’t matter.”

Palacio de Amor threatened to pull a major upset at 47.80-to-1 odds as she led by 1½ lengths through a quarter in :22.59 and a half-mile in :45.07.

In the stretch, Will O Way and Sorrento Stakes (G3) winner Evita Argentina rallied from off the pace to challenge Palacio de Amor, who had enough stamina left to hold on for second. Will O Way finished third, a neck behind Palacio de Amor, while Evita Argentina finished fourth.

Stardom Bound finished second to Evita Argentina in her previous start in the Sorrento Stakes on August 6 at Del Mar.

Owned by Charles Cono and bred in Kentucky by Fletcher Gray, Carolyn Gray, and John Youngblood, Stardom Bound is out of Grade 2-placed stakes winner My White Corvette, by Tarr Road.

Paasch said the Oak Leaf Stakes (G1) at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park on September 27 could be the next start for Stardom Bound.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Tim Nichols is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY assistant editor