Counting Stars delivered a rebound on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with a strong runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes on Sunday at Oaklawn Park. The dark bay filly finished second by three-quarters of a length to Explora while earning a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure and picking up 25 qualifying points for the big race on the first Friday in May.

This was a bounce-back performance after Counting Stars turned in a puzzling off-the-board finish as the heavy favorite in Oaklawn’s Martha Washington Stakes. Prior to that race, she had captured two stakes in convincing fashion.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse sensed from her morning work leading up to the Honeybee that she deserved another chance.

“She definitely ran her race today. She’s back and I’m happy for that,” said jockey Francisco Arrieta. “She ran a huge race today. We were expecting that in the race before and she didn’t run well. She finished up running and galloped out strong. She did a great job today. We got beat by a good horse.”

The filly will proceed to the $1-million Fantasy Stakes (G2) on March 27 at Oaklawn, looking to seal up a spot in the Kentucky Oaks.

Counting Stars was secured by West Point Thoroughbreds and bloodstock agent David Ingordo for $150,000 at OBS last spring, and the team will be back on the hunt in Ocala next week for the OBS March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.