Counting Stars Wins Coaching Club American Oaks, Sets Sights on Alabama Stakes

Counting Stars, a three‑year‑old filly owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, won the $500,000 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga on July 25. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., she broke well, set fractions of 23.86, 47.60 and 1:11.55, and finished the 1 ¹⁄₈‑mile race in 1:48.98, beating Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner by 4 ¼ lengths. The victory was her second Grade 1 win of the year, her 199th stakes victory for the stable, and brought her earnings to $1.66 million. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse praised the filly’s development and confirmed that her next target is the $600,000 Alabama Stakes on August 22, while noting that a run in the Travers Stakes for colts remains a possibility. The win further cements Counting Stars’ position as a leading contender for the Eclipse Award for three‑year‑old fillies and a potential Horse of the Year candidate.