Counting Stars

Mark Casse has mapped out next-race plans for a trio of his 3-year-old fillies. Counting Stars (Honor A. P.) and Search Party (Gun Runner), second and fourth in the GIII Honeybee S. Mar. 1, are headed to the $1-million GII Fantasy S. Mar. 27 at Oaklawn. Unbeaten Dixie Belle S. winner French Friction (City of Light), meanwhile, will stretch to two turns for the first time in the $750,000 GI Ashland S. Apr. 3 at Keeneland. Both races are 1 1/16 miles. "That was definitely one of the bright spots...

The biggest move made in this week's poll was the jump made by Explora (Blame) after her game win in the GIII Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn. She jumped from seventh to third. The latest list also includes She Be Smooth (Lexitonian), who lands at No. 4 after her impressive win in the GII Davona Dale Stakes. It will be a quiet weekend for the 3-year-old filly division, but they will run the rescheduled GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita. All eyes will be on last year's 2-year-old filly...

Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's two projected starters for the GII Rebel Stakes for 3-year-olds had their final workouts for the Mar. 1 race on a chilly Friday morning at Oaklawn, the track said in a press release on Friday. With Kylee Jordan up, Strategic Risk (Noble Bird) breezed five furlongs in 1:00 just after the track opened for training. Following a surface renovation break roughly two hours later, Silent Tactic (Tacitus) covered a half-mile in :47.40 under two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres. The track was fast....

Having just broken her maiden over course and distance in her fifth try last out Dec. 27, Search Party stepped right up Friday to win the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park, earning herself 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Clearly comfortable on the Oaklawn surface as she debuted a winner on it in that late December route, the 4-1 shot had shown versatility in prior starts at both Churchill Downs and Ellis Park, only missing the board once when sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at first asking...

Counting Stars (Honor A. P.) opened her account at first asking with a four-length success at Churchill Sept. 25, but could not repeat the dose at short odds when a distant fifth in the Oct. 24 Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland. The bay bounced back in no uncertain terms with a four-length tally in the Astral Spa Stakes here just 13 days back, but was a warm item to handle the quick turnaround and added real estate. Ridden for a bit of speed from her wide draw, Counting Stars was trapped...