West Point Thoroughbreds’ Counting Stars (Honor A.P.- Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter) put herself squarely atop the 3-year-old filly division when she soundly defeating Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Always a Runner for the second time this year in the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course July 25, leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates.
(Coglianese/Susie Raisher photo)
Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Counting Stars was an authoritative winner of the Acorn last out over course and distance on June 5 with a 3 3/4-length score over Always a Runner, and was just as dominant on Saturday as she drove home a 4 1/4-length winner. Counting Stars was third in the Kentucky Oaks ahead of their first rematch in the Acorn.
“She’s a special horse. She is,” Casse told NYRA publicity. “It was great for racing to see the two of them go at it. We said all along this week that this was round three, the rubber match. So, that’s what happened. Luckily, we ended up on the right side of it.”
Counting Stars was purchased by her owners at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $150,000 from the Wildheart Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 flat.
The Saratoga card on Saturday also saw Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Built (Hard Spun – Sea Garden, by Curlin) earn his first graded win with a victory in the Grade 2, $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt.
Trained by Wayne Catalano, the 4-year-old son of Hard Spun powered away to a 2 1/2-length score. He was purchased by his owner for $260,000 out of the Harris Training Center consignment at the 2024 OBS April Sale after breezing in :9 4/5.
At Monmouth Park July 25, Averill Racing, Mathis Stable and Tristan de Meric’s My Miss Mo (Uncle Mo – In a Dream, by Quality Road) followed up her May 15 score in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan with a gate-to-wire victory in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks, winning comfortably by 1 1/2 lengths.
Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., My Miss Mo was purchased by Averill Racing and Mathis Stable for $320,000 from the de Meric Sales consignment at the 2025 OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 1/5.
On July 24 at Saratoga, Klaravich Stables’ Fully Subscribed (Tiz the Law-Sweetbaby, by Candy Ride (ARG)) overtook dual Grade 1-winner and fellow OBS graduate Scottish Lassie in the final jumps to capture the Grade 2, $250,000 Shuvee Stakes.
Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Tiz the Law earned her third graded win following past successes in the Grade 2 Mother Goose and Grade 3 Comely last winter at Aqueduct Racetrack. Fully Subscribed was purchased at the 2024 OBS April Sale by her owner for $300,000 from the Caliente Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 flat.
At Del Mar July 25, BAG Racing Stables and WSS Racing’s Baltic Fire (Flameaway-Fisc, by Lemon Drop Kid) held on gamely late to capture the $100,000 Osunitas Stakes by a neck. The victory in the 1-mile turf test was the first black-type stakes win for the 5-year-old mare, who is trained by Jeff Mullins.
Baltic Fire was purchased by Paul Galli at the 2023 OBS April Sale for $70,000 from the Mason Springs Partnership consignment after breezing in :10 2/5.
At Colonial Downs July 25, the inaugural $100,000 Yorktown Stakes came down to a photo finish as Mark Grier’s Inveigled (Enticed—Kitty Quality, by Quality Road) outdueled odds-on favorite Barbadian Runner to score by a nose and earn his first stakes victory.
Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Inveigled was purchased by Ben Gowans, agent at the 2023 OBS June Sale for $52,000 from the Hoppel’s Horse & Cattle Co. consignment after breezing in :10 flat.