Counting Stars adds turn, gains victory with Year's End
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE?q=100)
Counting Stars relished the added turn she picked up in the $150,000 Year’s End on Saturday at Oaklawn Park, as she won by six lengths over Newtown Pike.
It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Scot’s Law.
The Year’s End was a mile race for fillies on a card dedicated to 2-year-olds. It ended at the sixteenth pole.
Counting Stars was part of a parade of winners from the barn of trainer Mark Casse, who also picked up two maiden special weight wins with Search Party ($5.60) and French Friction ($8.40).
Counting Stars ($4.40) was favored in the Year’s End off a win in the Astral Spa overnight stakes at Oaklawn. She raced four wide around the first turn Saturday, as Fizzy Lass took the field through an opening quarter in 23.58 seconds and a half-mile in 47.95.. Counting Stars moved up, took command through six furlongs in 1:13.03, and went on to cover the distance in 1:38.68.
“She finished strong,” winning jockey Francisco Arrieta said in an interview conducted by Oaklawn.
Counting Stars is a daughter of Honor A.P. who races for West Point Thoroughbreds. She is now 3 for 4 for earnings of $230,606.
Other notable winners on the card included She’s So Coal ($3.60), a full sister to Haulin Ice who won a maiden special weight for Arkansas-bred fillies at a mile by 12 lengths. Haulin Ice is the all-time leading earner among Arkansas-breds.
Racing resumes Sunday with a pick six carryover of $10,051.35.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.