stardom lives up to billing

Stardom Bound was a superb winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita.

She came with an Arazi-like run around the final turn to gobble up the opposition and surge clear for an impressive victory.

Mike Smith settled her second last and miles off the pace in the early stages and seemed content to let the race unfold in front of him.

And when he finally asked the 13-8 favourite to make her move it was easy to see why.

She cruised round the entire field to take up the running early in the straight and kept on well to run out a comfortable winner.

Dream Empress at 9-1 took second spot with Sky Diva (4-1) in third.

Smith said: "She came too soon but I thought she was capable of it, and she went for it."

Winning trainer Chris Paasch said: "It must be devastating to any other horse when they see her go by like that.

"She's the two-year-old champion filly of the world."

The Coolmore-owned Pursuit Of Glory, trained by County Tipperary handler David Wachman, endured a rough race and finished 11th of the 13 runners.

He said: "I didn't really get the chance to speak to Johnny (Murtagh) but from what I saw, she was beaten a long way out."