by Jeff Apel

Grade 1 winner Stardom Bound rallied from last in a field of 11, overtook three foes in the stretch to gain command, and drew clear in the closing strides to win the $250,000 Oak Leaf Stakes (G1) by 3 1/2 lengths on Saturday at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park.

The win earned two-year-old Stardom Bound an automatic starting spot in the $2-million Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on October 24 at Santa Anita as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” Series.

Stardom Bound's status for the Oak Leaf was in question on Friday after the Tapit filly was kicked in the right rear leg by a stable pony, but trainer Chris Paasch elected to keep her in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Charles Cono's Stardom Bound trailed in the Oak Leaf through a quarter-mile in :23.32 and half-mile in :46.37. Positioned away from the inside rail by jockey Mike Smith, Stardom Bound unleashed an explosive five-wide rally on the turn and moved up to fourth in early stretch, more than 1 1/2 lengths behind Palacio de Amor.

Quickly gaining command near midstretch, Stardom Bound won in 1:42.44 on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface.

Palacio de Amor finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of third-place finisher Oro Blanco.

Stardom Bound made her first three career starts at Del Mar. The gray or roan filly earned her first stakes victory by outrunning Palacio de Amor in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) on September 1, her previous start.

Stardom Bound has posted two wins and two runner-up finishes in four career starts and earned $340,600. Bred in Kentucky by Fletcher and Carolyn Gray and John Youngblood, Stardom Bound is out of My White Corvette, by Tarr Road.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Jeff Apel is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor