West Point’s thoroughbred Counting Stars aims to secure her third stakes victory this season in the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies, scheduled for Friday at Oaklawn. The race is set to be the sixth of twelve on the card, with an estimated post time of 1:59 PM CST, following an 11:30 AM start to the day’s events.
The Martha Washington Stakes serves as Oaklawn’s first of three Kentucky Oaks qualifying races, offering a total of 42 points distributed among the top five finishers (20-10-6-4-2), contributing to qualification for the premier national award for 3-year-old fillies. Originally slated for January 31, the race was rescheduled along with the Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 programs due to a winter storm that resulted in a nine-day track closure.
Among the eight entrants into Martha Washington are Counting Stars and Search Party, who are both trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse. Counting Stars, the race’s second favorite at 5-2 odds, has already won three out of four starts this season, with a 2-2 record at Oaklawn, including victories in the $135,000 Astral Spa Stakes (six furlongs) on December 14 and the $150,000 Year’s End Stakes (one mile) on December 27—both wins marked by a combined margin of 10 lengths.
Trainer Casse praised Counting Stars’ performance, noting the filly’s impressive adaptability to races around two turns despite getting a bit excited mid-race. Meanwhile, stablemate Search Party, owned by producer Tracy Farmer, claimed a six-length win over Rockin’ Robin last December at 1 1/16 miles, and comes into her stakes debut with three wins and one loss. Casse expressed optimism about Search Party’s potential, highlighting her decisive victory and confidence in Rockin’ Robin as well.
The favorite for the race, Hit Parade, trained by Brad Cox, is a homebred of Gary and Mary West and has won his last three starts, including the Untapable Stakes at the Fairgrounds. Grace Is Free, another contender for the Martha Washington, will be making her own two-turn debut under trainer Robert N. Klein. Grace Is Free previously won the $150,000 Mockingbird Stakes at Oaklawn on January 4, marking her first stakes win at the venue. She is owned by former trainer Larry Jones, a three-time Kentucky Oaks winner, who also recorded a historic victory in the 2008 Martha Washington Division Two with Eight Bells by a record 13 ½ lengths.
This article was first published by Paulick Report on February 4, 2026.
—
Fan Take: The Martha Washington Stakes is a pivotal early test for promising 3-year-old fillies and a key stepping stone toward the Kentucky Oaks, making it essential for fans tracking future stars of the sport. Watching rising talents like Counting Stars and Search Party battle it out offers exciting insight into the next generation of elite thoroughbreds shaping the future of horse racing.
