Always a Runner, Counting Stars get rubber match in CCA Oaks
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – If Always a Runner and Counting Stars perform up to their trainer’s expectations, then Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks should be a fun race and one or the other figures to leave Saratoga Saturday night atop the 3-year-old filly division.
If, however, neither Always a Runner nor Counting Stars comes with their best, then there is potential for a number of lesser accomplished names to become the division’s next Grade 1 winner and toss the race for divisional honors into chaos heading into late summer.
Always a Runner made it 3 for 3 in her career when she rolled home a 1 1/4-length winner of the Kentucky Oaks on May 1 at Churchill Downs. Chad Brown, trainer of Always a Runner, thought more was to come when he brought her to the Acorn here on June 5, but she could fare no better than second to Counting Stars, who had finished third in the Kentucky Oaks.
“I’m hoping and I’m thinking she might have been feeling that Kentucky Oaks a little bit in the late stages of her last race,” Brown said. “I see a horse that’s bounced back and is doing a little bit better now, a little more settled in Saratoga now too. That was another issue, I thought she was a little busy that week of the race, if I have to pick apart anything as to why she was just a touch off her top. A good filly beat her, so she’s going to have to step up, but she’s giving me the feels like she did when she won the Oaks.”
Always a Runner, a daughter of Gun Runner owned by Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm, will break from post 6 under Jose Ortiz.
Counting Stars, who won the Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn in March, found running room a bit too late when finishing third in the Kentucky Oaks. She rebounded with a clearer, albeit wider, trip in the Acorn when she powered home down the center of the track to beat Always a Runner by 3 3/4 lengths.
Mark Casse, trainer of Counting Stars, believes there is more to come from Counting Stars and he sounds confident it will be seen Saturday.
“I think she’s better than ever,” Casse said. “I expect her to run an even bigger one. I shouldn’t [say this] because we all know how things change, but I feel really confident in her.”
Both Brown and Casse run another horse in the CCA Oaks, which is the local stepping-stone to the Grade 1 Alabama on Aug. 22. It was the Brown-trained Directive who beat the Casse-trained Measure by one length in a first-level allowance on June 4. Directive, who has won 2 of 3 starts, still displayed some immaturity in that race. There does seem to be more coming from this daughter of Gun Runner out of the turf stakes-producing mare Antonoe.
“She’s running good numbers. She looks like she’s handling added distance well, mile and an eighth is no problem, mile and a quarter is no problem,” Brown said. “She’s still a work in progress, she still has some greenness. She’s better with a target. She still had it in her to be curious or lose a little interest when she doesn’t have a target.”
Measure, by Essential Quality, has just a maiden win last fall at Churchill to her credit. She also looked a little green when finishing second in that June 4 allowance.
Zany is a wildcard if she runs. Zany is cross-entered in Saturday’s Monmouth Oaks and as of late Thursday morning owner Mike Repole said he and trainer Todd Pletcher had yet to decide where she will run. Zany has John Velazquez named in the CCA Oaks, no rider is named at Monmouth.
Zany, who won her first three starts and was second in the Grade 1 Ashland, was a 5-1 lukewarm favorite in the Kentucky Oaks. She had a ground-saving trip and was basically traveling in tandem with Always a Runner, but she didn’t offer the same type of kick as that one down the lane and she finished sixth.
Trainer Todd Pletcher skipped the Acorn with Zany, has been training her in blinkers for the last few weeks, and has decided to use them on her in her next start.
La Rascasse, a daughter of Authentic, has gone 2 for 2 in her career including a 2 1/4-length victory in the Monomoy Girl Stakes on June 13.
Nycon was entered in a Friday allowance going one mile, but trainer Whit Beckman said Thursday that he prefers to run her 1 1/8 miles. She is coming off a layoff since a fourth to Always a Runner in the Gazelle but Beckman believes this race has the potential to move her forward to the Alabama.
Dandona won the Grade 3 Florida Oaks on turf at Tampa in March. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said he has always wanted to run her on dirt and feels the CCA Oaks is the right to spot to do it in.
Miss Fulton Gal comes in off a victory in the off-the-turf Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park on June 27.
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