Casse's Counting Stars, Search Party Go 1-2 in Fantasy

West Point Thoroughbreds, a co-owner in reigning champion 2-year-old filly Super Corredora, won't be represented in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) this year with that John Sadler-trained filly, who is sidelined after a couple of disappointing outings this year. But the racing partnership is still Kentucky Oaks-bound, qualifying a starter in the prestigious May 1 race at Churchill Downs after a victory March 27 from another one of its fillies, the Mark Casse-trained Counting Stars, in the $1 million Fantasy Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park, the second-richest prep on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks behind only the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Defaulting in the favorite's role after the fever-related scratch of the Bob Baffert-trained Explora, who had beaten her in the Honeybee Stakes (G3) March 1, Counting Stars lived up to the public's backing. She pressed a slow pace set by Empath through initial fractions of :24.07 and :48.69 in the 1 1/16-mile race, took command with 6 furlongs in 1:13.68, and opened up on the field. She crossed the wire 5 1/2 lengths in front of runner-up Search Party while confidently handled by jockey Francisco Arrieta. Counting Stars was timed in 1:44.47 for the distance, returning $3.80 to win. Casse trains the top two finishers, as well as Empath, who weakened to finish last in the field of five. The Kenny McPeek-trained Taken by the Wind and the Brad Cox-trained Sticker Shock were a distant third and fourth, respectively. Counting Stars, a daughter of Honor A. P., improved to 4-1-0 in seven starts, and her earnings soared to $972,606 with Friday's win. Besides her stakes efforts in the Fantasy and Honeybee, she took the Astral Spa Overnight Stakes and Year's End Stakes in December at Oaklawn The Fantasy was to distribute qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis to its top five finishers. But earned points in "Championship Series" races in the series decrease by 25% when only five horses compete. Churchill Downs officials use qualifying points as a preference system when the Oaks draws more than 14 horses. Counting Stars and Search Party appear safely in the Oaks field, now with a total of 100 points and 67.5 points, respectively, counting points from earlier starts in the series. Besides being pleased with Counting Stars, Casse was encouraged by how late-running Search Party performed after encountering second-turn traffic caused by a quickly tiring Empath "Well, she got, she, she got a little held up for a minute, or it would have been a little closer," Casse told FOX Sports. "But both of them are good fillies, and we're excited. We love the Oaks, so we're going to keep our fingers crossed." Bred by Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud in Kentucky out of the Paynter mare Paynterbynumbers, Counting Stars was a $150,000 buy last April by agent L.E.B. for her owner from the Wildheart Thoroughbreds consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sale Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. She is one of two stakes winners this year for Honor A. P., who stands for $7,500 at Lane's End in Kentucky. Two races earlier on the card, Haulin Ice outran Foie Gras and Evanescence to win the $250,000 Matron Stakes, notching a second consecutive victory in the 6-furlong race. She sped the distance in 1:09.94. Arrieta was aboard favored Haulin Ice ($3.20) for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and owners C2 Racing Stable, WSS Racing, and Agave Racing Stable. The graded stakes-winning Arkansas-bred Coal Front mare now has 12 wins from 21 starts. She is 8-for-10 at Oaklawn.