06/09/26 Barn Notes
Compiled by Robert Yates
The first Friday in June at Saratoga resembled the first Friday in February at Oaklawn. It was all about dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.
Casse, one of the biggest stories of the 2025-2026 Oaklawn meeting, captured two 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 races Friday at Saratoga with horses that wintered in Hot Springs. Casse won the $500,000 Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with Counting Stars ($11.44) and, roughly 80 minutes later, the $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes for older fillies and mares with champion and even-money favorite Nitrogen ($4).
Casse won four races Feb. 6 at Oaklawn, including the $1 million G3-Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds with Silent Tactic and the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with Search Party.
Counting Stars won a meet-high three stakes races this season at Oaklawn, including the $1 million G2-Fantasy March 27. Reunited with five-time Eclipse Award winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Counting Stars won the Acorn by 3 ¾ lengths over previously unbeaten Always a Runner. The final time over a fast track was 1:48.85. Counting Stars was exiting third-place finish behind Always a Runner in the $1.5 million G1-Kentucky Oaks May 1 at Churchill Downs.
In addition to the Fantasy, Counting Stars won two stakes races in December at Oaklawn ($135,000 Astral Spa Overnight and $150,000 Year’s End) and finished second behind Explora in the $750,000 G3-Honeybee Stakes March 1.
The Martha Washington was Oaklawn’s first of three Kentucky Oaks qualifying races, a series that continued with the Honeybee and Fantasy. The Fantasy was the country’s richest Kentucky Oaks prep race this year.
Counting Stars, a daughter of Honor A. P., raised her career earnings to $1,385,606 following her fifth victory from nine starts. The Acorn was her fourth career stakes victory.
Counting Stars is the seventh horse to win the Fantasy and the prestigious Acorn, following Davona Dale (1979), Bold ‘n Determined (1980), Heavenly Cause (1981), Cat’s Cradle (1995), Round Pond (2005) and Thorpedo Anna (2024).
Nitrogen won the Ogden Phipps by 12 ¾ front-running lengths under regular rider Jose Ortiz. The final time of 1:46.93 over a fast track was just off the track record (1:46.64), which was set by Lawyer Ron in the 2007 G1-Whitney Stakes. Lawyer Ron won Oaklawn’s Southwest Stakes, G3-Rebel Stakes and G1-Arkansas Derby in 2006 and its G2-Oaklawn Handicap in 2007 when he was named North America’s champion older horse.
Nitrogen, North America’s champion 3-year-old filly of 2025, raced in Oaklawn’s three biggest two-turn races for older fillies and mares this season. She won the $250,000 G3-Bayakoa Stakes Feb. 7, ran third in the $400,000 G2-Azeri Stakes March 7 and was second in the $1.25 million G1-Apple Blossom Handicap April 11. All three races were 1 1/16 miles.
Nitrogen, by Medaglia d’Oro, won for the eighth time in 16 starts to lift her career earnings to $2,730,854. Medaglia d’Oro broke his maiden in 2002 at Oaklawn and won the 2023 G2-Oaklawn Handicap. The Ogden Phipps was Nitrogen’s eighth career stakes victory. The Ogden Phipps was a “Win and You’re In” for the $2 million G1-Breeders’ Cup Distaff Oct. 31 at Keeneland. Nitrogen ran second in last year’s Distaff.
Casse was Oaklawn’s third-leading trainer this season with 23 victories from 82 starts. He ranked second in purse earnings ($4,232,154) and first in stakes victories (10). Casse won the first eight stakes races he competed in during the 2025-2026 Oaklawn meeting that ended May 2.
The First Lady
Oaklawn stakes winner Explora scored a front-running 1 ¼-length victory in the seven-furlong Leslie’s Lady Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Sunday at Churchill Downs.
Explora ($4.06) won Oaklawn’s $750,000 G3-Honeybee Stakes March 1 before finishing fourth in the $1.5 million G1-Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
Explora was ridden to her Leslie’s Lady victory by Florent Geroux. The winning time over a fast track was 1:21.16. Hall of Famer Bob Baffert trains millionaire Explora.
Finish Lines
Millionaire Oaklawn-raced Tawny Port ($6.90) won the G2-Belmont Gold Cup Stakes for older horses at 2 miles on the turf Thursday at Saratoga. … Arkansas Derby winner Renegade finished third in the Belmont Stakes Saturday at Saratoga. … Oaklawn stakes winner Obliteration finished third in the G1-Woody Stephens Stakes Saturday at Saratoga. … Oaklawn-raced Journalism finished third in the G1-Metropolitan Handicap Saturday at Saratoga. … Oaklawn debut winner Taptastic finished third in the G3-Matt Winn Stakes Sunday at Churchill Downs. … Oaklawn riding champion David Cabrera recorded his 2,000th career North American victory aboard favored Tiz Grace ($4.80) in Friday’s third race at Lone Star Park, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Cabrera has 224 career victories at Oaklawn, including 62 in 2021-2022 when he shared the riding title and 18 this season. A native of Mexico, Cabrera rode his first career North American winner May 2, 2013, at Lone Star Park.
