Cover Song scores upset in Miss Autumn Stakes at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Cover Song won the $100,000 Miss Autumn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by a nose Saturday at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Cover Song ran a mile on turf in 1:33.73 and paid $63.40, $20.80 and $9.40 at 30-1 odds.

Danilovna returned $4.20 and $2.80 as the 3-2 favorite, while Ireland-bred Barleysugar was another half-length back in third and paid $4.20 to show.

Mid-pack at the rail with a quarter mile to run, Cover Song angled out turning for home as she had pacesetters Belvoir Bay, Great Page and Lady Valeur to her inside. Three-sixteenths of a mile from the wire, Danilovna was rolling to Cover Song's outside, and there was contact between the two of them, who ended up finishing first and second.

''Turning for home, I was trying to pick a spot,'' said Desormeaux, who earned his third win on the card. ''I thought I had a line chosen and the horse on the outside (Danilovna) started pushing on us, so I thought `Ok, if you're going to initiate contact, I'm going to hold my ground.''

After an inquiry, the stewards ruled that Danilovna had initiated the contact and they let the original order of finish stand.

The Grade 3 victory, worth $60,000, increased Cover Song's career earnings to $117,695, with two wins in eight starts. It was the filly's first stakes win for trainer Carla Gaines.