Counting Stars Favored in Year's End Stakes

West Point Thoroughbreds' Counting Stars hopes to up her win count as the 2-year-old filly leads the field of nine in the $150,000 End of Year Stakes at Oaklawn Park Dec. 27. The daughter of Honor A.P. will vie for her third win in four career starts. Trained by Mark Casse, she was most recently a 4-length winner in the Astral Spa Overnight Stakes at the Hot Springs, Ark., track. She is the 2-1 morning-line favorite. In her last start, she ran mid-pack in the 6-furlong test before navigating traffic, splitting rivals, and pulling away. Paving, a daughter of top sire Gun Runner, will try to keep her undefeated start to her career intact. The second choice at 5-2, the Tom Amoss trainee has won both of her starts. Another Gun Runner filly in the race is the Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred Copper Wind. The chestnut trained by Steve Asmussen won on debut at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Scot's Law has won twice from three starts, both triumphs coming at Churchill Downs. Owned by the Maillard R. Seldin Revocable Trust and trained by John Ortiz, Scot's Law was a $50,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The Kenny McPeek-trained Authentic Cat comes in off a big 5 1/2-length maiden win at Oaklawn Park Dec. 12. Rounding out the field are Fizzy Lass, Kaboom, Newtown Pike, and Sticker Shock.