My Gun's Loaded passed heavy favorite Counting Stars in the stretch and then held off a late bid by Measure nearing the wire to win the Grade 1 $600,000 Alabama Stakes presented by Keeneland Sales Aug. 22 at Saratoga Race Course.

For two races in a row, trainer Chad Brown watched as his Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner lost Grade 1 events at Saratoga Race Course to Counting Stars. In the Alabama, however, Brown found the answer to defeating Counting Stars further down on his depth chart with My Gun's Loaded, an exciting stakes-level rookie who was exhibiting every sign of being a top-level runner. The 3-year-old daughter of Gun Runner had broken her maiden going seven furlongs June 6 at Saratoga and then won a first-level allowance race going at mile at Saratoga on July 24.

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The jump from a mile to 1 1/4 miles was bold, but one Brown had pulled off before when winning the Alabama with Randomized in 2023. The decision was no shot in the dark, either, as My Gun's Loaded had been working alongside Always a Runner in the mornings, and perhaps even working a little better the longer they went.

Counting Stars broke toward the front as jockey Jose Ortiz kept her a few paths off the rail on the clubhouse turn before eventually settling into the leading role off the fence entering the backstretch for trainer Mark Casse. Seeing this unfold before him, jockey Manny Franco aboard My Gun's Loaded opted to follow Counting Stars as she set tepid fractions of :24.55, :49.44, and 1:14.06.

Franco kept dead aim on the leading favorite.

"At the 5/16th pole, I put my filly outside of (Counting Stars) and my filly just jump on the bridle. I didn't want to move that early because someone can come from behind, but at the same time I was confident because she jumped in the bridle and I had a lot of filly underneath."

As Franco approached Counting Stars passing the quarter pole, his fear of someone launching from behind was coming true as Counting Stars' Casse-trained stablemate Measure was unleashing her closing kick up the fence.

Counting Stars entered the stretch holding the lead, but My Gun's Loaded soon headed her as Measure's rally began to reach the top two in mid stretch. The trio duked it out until Counting Stars finally wavered in the late stages and My Gun's Loaded grasped victory from Measure by a neck. Completing 1 1/4 miles in 2:04.87, My Gun's Loaded paid $8.74 to win as the second choice.

Brown had nothing but praise for Counting Stars after the race.

"I could see (Franco) had plenty of horse moving up," Brown said. "Counting Stars is a great horse. I had the benefit of a fresh horse today. Take nothing away from (Counting Stars) the way she fought, she's danced every dance from the Oaks on through, and I needed a fresh horse to beat her. Goes to show you how good she is."

Manny Franco celebrates at the finish. (Skip Dickstein)

Casse expressed pride in Counting Stars despite the defeat.

"(Counting Stars) ran hard. She's been dancing for a long time. I'm proud of her," Casse said. "When they run hard, I don't get disappointed. Would I like to have won? Of course, but it takes a lot to get me disappointed. So, I'm proud of her, she ran hard, we were third best today."

For Franco aboard the winner, the Alabama victory is a highlight of what has been a sensational Saratoga meet so far. Perhaps not receiving enough credit at times for his recent dominance in New York, Franco has been holding his own at the Saratoga meet and sits a clear second behind Jose Ortiz in the standings with 50 wins.

"It's unbelievable. Every year is different, but this year it's been amazing for me," Franco said."

Counting Stars' defeat now reopens the door for year-end Eclipse Award honors in the 3-year-old filly division. Not sure Always a Runner is at her best at Saratoga, Brown elected to skip the Alabama and point for the $1 million Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes Sept. 19 at Parx Racing for a change of scenery. Should she win that and come back to defeat Counting Stars in the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff Oct. 31 at Keeneland, she could very well take the Eclipse.

My Gun's Loaded has now also entered the conversation. Her next start will likely come against older horses in either the $250,000 Grade 2 Beldame Stakes Sept. 25 at Belmont Park, or the $650,000 Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes Oct. 4 at Keeneland. A victory in either spot plus a good showing in the Distaff could elevate her into the leading role.