Counting Stars targets the Alabama crown as Mark Casse dreams of repeating history

One year after capturing Saratoga's storied G1 for the first time with Nitrogen, the Canadian conditioner will seek to defend his crown with the division leader, a dual G1 winner at the meeting

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).— There are races that, even for those accustomed to winning on the biggest stages, carry a different meaning. For Mark Casse, the Alabama Stakes (G1) was one of them. For years it remained among the major missing pieces in his legendary career, until Nitrogen (Medaglia D'Oro) ended the drought 12 months ago.

Now, almost as an unexpected gift, the dual Canadian and United States Hall of Fame inductee will have the opportunity this Saturday to win Saratoga's traditional contest for 3-year-old fillies for a second consecutive season. Once again, he arrives with the horse to beat: Counting Stars, the division's current benchmark.

"It's something I never would have dreamed of," Mark Casse admitted regarding the possibility of repeating over the 2,000 meters. "It's special, and hopefully we can win it again with another special filly."

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, the daughter of Honor A.P. earned her status as generation leader with two dominant performances during the current Spa meeting. First, she scored by 3 3/4 lengths in the Acorn Stakes (G1) on June 5, before turning in an even more emphatic display in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), where she defeated Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine Always a Runner (Gun Runner) by 4 1/4 lengths.

"She's doing great and has plenty of energy. She couldn't be doing any better. She's a big filly, probably stands around 16.3 hands, and with racing she's grown bigger and stronger. I think that's the key. A lot of horses hit a plateau early and stop improving; she, on the other hand, keeps getting better and better. I'm not sure she isn't in her absolute peak right now. She surprises me every day," Mark Casse explained.

Counting Stars, who breaks from post 6 under Irad Ortiz Jr., gradually found her stride this season. After kicking off the year off the board in the Martha Washington Stakes, she finished a close second by three-quarters of a length to Explora (Blame)—subsequent winner of the Test Stakes (G1)—in the Honeybee Stakes (G3), before romping by 5 1/2 lengths in the Fantasy Stakes (G2).

In the Kentucky Oaks, she ran third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Always a Runner, an effort that ultimately served as the launching pad for her explosion at Saratoga.

In the Acorn, Irad Ortiz Jr. positioned her third, and Counting Stars responded with a lethal turn of foot to draw away from Always a Runner. Then, following scratch reductions in front-running speed for the Coaching Club American Oaks, she completely flipped the script: taking the lead, absorbing the bid from the Oaks winner entering the lane, and kicking clear with ease to stop the clock at 1:48.98 for 1,800 meters.

Mark Casse finds several parallels between Counting Stars and Nitrogen, though he feels the current favorite arrives at the Alabama with even stronger credentials.

"At this point last year, Nitrogen had only won once on dirt and hadn't thrown a triple-digit Beyer yet. Counting Starsalready has. I think the main similarity between the two is that they are horses who just keep on improving," he noted.

Purchased for $150,000 at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale, Counting Stars became the first G1 winner produced by Honor A.P. with her Acorn victory. She is out of the Paynter mare Paynterbynumbers.

Mark Casse will not rely solely on the favorite, as he will also saddle Measure, owned by Gary Barber, Bridlewood Farm, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. The daughter of Essential Quality finished third in the Coaching Club American Oaks, 6 3/4 lengths behind her stablemate and 2 1/2 lengths behind Always a Runner.

"I was very pleased with that run. She's doing very well and is another one who seems to be getting better and better," the conditioner commented.

Measure, who will be ridden by Flavien Prat, makes just her seventh career start, and Mark Casse believes the 2,000-meter trip will suit her ideally: "We liked her a lot early on, and it took her a little time to establish herself. She's also a big filly, though not quite as robust as Counting Stars. She's going to really appreciate the mile and a quarter."

The main threat to Mark Casse's back-to-back bid appears to be My Gun's Loaded, saddled by Chad Brown and ridden by Manny Franco. The daughter of Gun Runner remains undefeated in two starts over Saratoga's main track, both facing older fillies and mares, and comes off a 94 Beyer Speed Figure victory over 1,600 meters.

Chad Brown acknowledges that stepping straight up to 2,000 meters presents an unknown, though he maintains complete confidence in her talent.

"It's a big jump in distance, which isn't ideal, but she has two very good runs over this track, which I really like. She was a great addition to the barn and impressed me from day one," stated the multi-time Eclipse Award winner.

The six-horse field is completed by Nycon (Nyquist), trained by Whit Beckman; A. P.'s Girl (Honor A.P.), prepared by Peter Eurton; and Ati Girl (Nyquist), trained by Bill Mott, who is the only entrant with prior experience over the Alabama distance, having finished second against older females in a Churchill Downs maiden in April.

Always a Runner, the familiar rival of Counting Stars, bypasses the race after Chad Brown elected to hold her back for the Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing on September 19.

The stage is set for Counting Stars. A year ago, Nitrogen allowed Mark Casse to check the Alabama off his list of major pending achievements. Twelve months later, another exceptional filly offers him what once seemed even more improbable: turning that coveted triumph into a habit.