Counting Stars Can Make Saratoga History in the Alabama Stakes
The Counting Stars Alabama Stakes bid is about more than adding another Grade 1 trophy. After decisive wins in the Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, Counting Stars now faces 1¼ miles, a different rival set and a late jockey change in a race that can turn a brilliant summer into a historically distinct one.
Her situation fits Saratoga’s broader three-year-old theme: one major performance matters, but a sustained campaign matters more, a question that also shaped the recent Jim Dandy preparation test. Counting Stars has established herself at the top of her division. The Alabama asks whether that superiority survives another change in conditions.
Counting Stars Alabama Stakes Test Goes Beyond History
Counting Stars enters Saturday’s $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama with two Saratoga victories already secured. She won the Acorn on June 5 by 3¾ lengths, then returned July 25 to take the Coaching Club American Oaks by 4¼ lengths after racing on the lead.
A third Grade 1 victory at Saratoga this year would make her the first filly to win three Grade 1 stakes at the track in a single year, a distinction made possible in part because the Acorn was staged at Saratoga during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The Alabama field and race details confirm the central test: six fillies and 10 furlongs.
The historical statistic is compelling, but the more complete test is whether Counting Stars can keep solving new problems. Saratoga has already asked her to stalk, finish and control a race from the front. The Alabama adds distance while removing the rival who defined her previous two Grade 1 wins.
Two Saratoga Wins Proved Different Skills
The Acorn was a rebound after Counting Stars finished third behind Always a Runner in the Kentucky Oaks. At Saratoga, she settled behind the pace, moved outside and accelerated past the Oaks winner. That showed she could produce a decisive finish without needing the race to unfold entirely on her terms.
The Coaching Club American Oaks required another approach. Counting Stars went to the lead, absorbed a stretch challenge from Always a Runner and then drew away. Her 1:48.98 final time for 1⅛ miles produced a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
Those performances matter together. A horse dependent on one setup remains vulnerable when a race changes shape. Counting Stars has shown enough tactical range to make pace control a strength rather than a requirement.
Ten Furlongs Changes the Question
The Alabama stretches Counting Stars from 1⅛ miles to 1¼ miles, and that final furlong is the clearest unresolved part of her profile. Mark Casse has expressed confidence that the distance will suit her, but confidence is not proof.
Counting Stars has finished strongly in both Saratoga Grade 1 victories. Still, the distance question cannot be answered by winning margins alone. Ten furlongs can expose a horse that spends too much energy early or reaches the limit of her stamina late.
Efficiency becomes as important as brilliance. Counting Stars needs to preserve enough energy to finish the Alabama with the same authority she has shown at nine furlongs.
Alabama Field Brings New Pressure
Always a Runner, whom Counting Stars defeated in both Saratoga meetings, is being pointed toward the Cotillion instead. That changes the race from another rematch into a test against challengers with less accomplished but less familiar profiles.
| Horse | Post | Trainer | Main Alabama Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nycon | 1 | Whit Beckman | Can she rebound from a troubled CCA Oaks? |
| Ati Girl | 2 | Bill Mott | Can maiden improvement translate to Grade 1 company? |
| Measure | 3 | Mark Casse | Will added distance narrow the gap? |
| My Gun’s Loaded | 4 | Chad Brown | Can she stretch from a one-turn mile to 1¼ miles? |
| A. P.’s Girl | 5 | Peter Eurton | Is her stakes form strong enough for this class jump? |
| Counting Stars | 6 | Mark Casse | Can she sustain dominance at 10 furlongs? |
My Gun’s Loaded is the most intriguing new variable. She is unbeaten in two starts this year at Saratoga and has improved sharply for Chad Brown, but the Alabama will be her first two-turn race and a major distance extension.
Measure presents a different problem. She finished third behind Counting Stars in the Coaching Club American Oaks and now gets the longer trip Casse believes will suit her. Neither has Counting Stars’ résumé, but both can force her to answer something new.
A Late Rider Change Adds Uncertainty
Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Counting Stars in both Saratoga Grade 1 victories, but his left foot injury will keep him off the Alabama mount. Jose Ortiz is expected to take over after Irad remained unable to return this week, a change reflected in the latest rider status.
The late rider change matters because timing could decide the final furlong. Jose Ortiz also knows Counting Stars from the opposite side of the rivalry, having ridden Always a Runner against her.
The adjustment is not automatically a disadvantage. The key is whether horse and rider establish the right rhythm quickly, especially if Counting Stars again races near the lead.
The Alabama Can Define the Summer
A victory would strengthen Counting Stars’ position atop the three-year-old filly division and give Casse a second consecutive Alabama after Nitrogen won the race in 2025 before earning champion three-year-old filly honors.
The quality of the performance will matter as much as the result. If Counting Stars settles, handles the added distance and finishes with purpose, she will have answered the most important remaining question in her Saratoga campaign. If she weakens late, the Alabama will expose where her dominance has limits.
That is the championship leverage attached to Saturday. The Counting Stars Alabama Stakes story is not simply about another Grade 1. It is about proving adaptability, stamina and the ability to deliver after rivals have had time to adjust. Saratoga history is available, but the stronger statement would be a performance that makes the history feel earned.
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2026 Alabama Stakes?
The Grade 1 Alabama Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Saratoga Race Course. The 1¼-mile dirt race is restricted to three-year-old fillies and carries a $600,000 purse.
What history can Counting Stars make in the Alabama Stakes?
A victory would make Counting Stars the first filly to win three Grade 1 stakes at Saratoga in the same year after victories in the Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks.
Why is Jose Ortiz riding Counting Stars?
Regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. remains sidelined with a left foot injury sustained at Saratoga. Jose Ortiz takes over the Alabama mount after Irad was unable to make his planned return.
How far is the Alabama Stakes?
The Alabama Stakes is run at 1¼ miles on dirt. That makes stamina a central test for Counting Stars, who won her previous Saratoga Grade 1 start at 1⅛ miles.
Who are Counting Stars’ main Alabama Stakes rivals?
The field includes My Gun’s Loaded, Measure, Nycon, Ati Girl and A. P.’s Girl. My Gun’s Loaded and Measure stand out as important tests because both bring different pace and distance questions.