Keeper Ofthe Stars survives inquiry to win first stakes in Autumn Miss

Tommy Town Thoroughbred's 3-year-old filly Keeper Ofthe Stars survived an inquiry to become a newly-minted stakes winner in the Grade 3, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes (G3) on the Santa Anita turf course on Saturday.

With Abel Cedillo aboard, Keeper Ofthe Stars saved ground along the hedge while racing in mid-pack behind sharp opening fractions of :22.27, :45.01 and 1:08.41 set by Giza Goddess.

When angled out at the top of the stretch, Keeper Ofthe Stars bumped rivals before straightening out and kicking clear to win going away by 1 1 1/2-lengths. Giza Goddess held second while Mucho Unusual checked in third.

After a review if the bumping incident, the steward ruled there would be no change. Keeper Ofthe Stars completed the one-mile trip in 1:32.70 and paid $12.20.

"She’s still green,” explained Cedillo of the bumping incident. “She’s learning (with) every race, but today when she was between horses, she got intimidated. That’s why she came out a little bit. I straightened her up right away and she won pretty easy.”

Trained by Jonathan Wong, Keeper Ofthe Stars finished fourth in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) on Aug. 17 and was exiting a front-running win in an optional-claimer at Golden Gate on Sept. 20.

"I was very scared,” said Wong with regard to the inquiry.  “I saw her come out a little bit past the sixteenth pole, I didn’t think it was much, but everyone finished pretty close for the minors so I was afraid it might have affected them a little bit.

“Me and Abel have had a lot of wins.  He’s my main man, a very good friend and an awesome rider.  I’m really proud of him.”

A daughter of Midnight Lute who fetched $180,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale, Keeper Ofthe Stars has won five of 10 starts with three third-place finishes.