Coaching Club American Oaks (Grade 1)
SARATOGA’s Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks can often play a part in establishing the leading three-year-old filly and its roll of honour includes in recent years outstanding fillies like Thorpedo Anna, Nest, Monomoy Girl, Abel Tasman and Songbird.
The Mark Casse-trained Counting Stars had only been third in the Kentucky Oaks, but had beaten Always A Runner by two and a quarter lengths in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes here at the beginning of June. She went off favourite with Irad Ortiz against his brother Jose on Always A Runner and took the lead early.
The two fillies turned for home together and Always A Runner took command briefly on her inside as the two bumped together.
But Counting Stars dug in to repel her rival and win by a widening four and a quarter lengths.
Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, the daughter of Honor A.P was bred by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud in Kentucky. Ortiz rode six winners on the 12-race Saratoga card.
“She just gets better and better. I’m proud of her as well. She’s grown up and she just does everything. She reminds me a lot of Nitrogen. She does things normal horses don’t do,” Casse said.
Next up is the $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama Stakes on August 22nd at the Spa, where Counting Stars will have to stretch out to a mile and a quarter for the race, but a third consecutive Grade 1 victory would likely put her in a near unbeatable position to take the three-year-old filly Eclipse Award honours. And Casse believes the filly can get even better, saying later on Blood-Horse: “She can get better, I had a few people come to me yesterday and say she looks like she’s bigger and stronger than she was (in the Acorn). I would agree.”
The other graded race on the card, the Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes, was won by the favourite Built, ridden by Irad Ortiz for trainer Wayne Catalano. The son of Hard Spun had two and a half lengths to spare over Hymn at the end of the six furlongs, gaining his first graded success.
Bing Crosby Stakes, Del Mar (Grade 1)
THE Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes was marred by a fatal injury to the Bob Baffert-trained Cornucopian.
Cornucopian was beginning to make a move toward the leaders coming to the final bend, when jockey Juan Hernandez eased him up around the quarter pole.
California equine medical director Dr Jeff Blea reported that the four-year-old colt had injured his right-front fetlock. He was loaded into an ambulance and taken back to his barn, but overnight it was assessed that the injury was too severe.
Tom Ryan of co-owners SF Racing announced on X: “Heavy hearts today. Yesterday, our brilliant colt Cornucopian sustained a catastrophic injury. We worked very closely with our veterinary team and, after hearing every expert opinion available, the kindest and clearest decision was to let him go with dignity.”
The race was won by Doug O’Neill’s Listenupshance, a son of Shancelot owned by Great Friends Stables and Run Fast Racing, some of whom only invested $100 to be part of the ownership group.
Listenupshance and jockey Emisael Jaramillo had been on the pace and edged to the front turning for home. Although leader Mad House battled on and Maximum Bourbon came with a run, Listenupshance, had just enough to keep his nose in front.
Gold Phoenix
Also on the card, Gold Phoenix, the oldest in the field at eight years, came from last on the back stretch to run down the pacesetting runner-up Cabo Spirit and hold last year’s winner and favourite Formidable Man to come out on top in a photo-finish in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes. The Irish-bred son of Belardo recorded a record sixth stakes victory at Del Mar, which includes the last four runnings of the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap.
Trainer Phil D’Amato said: “At the top of the lane, I thought maybe we’ll run third and get a piece of it. Then he and Formidable Man hooked up, and I could just see it in his eye. He wasn’t going to let that horse pass him.”
Gold Phoenix began his career in February of 2021 winning at Dundalk for Kieran Cotter under a 7lb-claimer called Sam Ewing! His career earnings are now $2,587,087.
THE 2025 Preakness and Haskell Stakes winner Journalism has been retired from racing after sustaining an injury in the starting stalls before last Saturday week’s Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, which he came through to win.
The son of Curlin overcame breaking five to six lengths behind the field, before finishing strongly to end a career defined by consistency.
Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism retired with seven wins from 14 starts and earnings exceeding $4.7 million. He finished in the first three on 13 occasions and was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Journalism will stand at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.