The Alabama Stakes 2026 results are in, with My Gun’s Loaded delivering a big win in a dramatic finish.
Counting Stars was seen as a far-and-away favorite going into Saturday’s race, but My Gun’s Loaded had a strong finish to hold off the favorite as well as Measure and take home the win.
Measure finished second, with Counting Stars third and A.P.’s Girl in fourth.
The full results and payouts for the Alabama Stakes 2026 can be found here and will be updated once the race results are official.
The Alabama Stakes is seen as the defining race for 3-year-old fillies, one of the cornerstone Grade 1 races of the late-summer slate. The race took place at Saratoga Race Course with a total purse of $600,000.
Counting Stars Came Into Day as Big Favorite
Going into the Alabama Stakes, Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse was looking for a back-to-back win in the Grade 1 race at Saratoga. He is seeking to defend the title with Counting Stars.
“It’s something I would have never even dreamed of,” Casse said, via Horse Racing Nation. “It’s special, and hopefully we can win it again with another special filly.”
Counting Stars had a pair of Grade 1 wins this summer, taking down the Acorn on June 5 and Coaching Club American Oaks on July 25. Casse said he was confident going into the Alabama Stakes on Aug. 22.
“She’s doing great and she has got a lot of energy, but she couldn’t be doing any better,” Casse said. “She’s a big filly, probably 16.3 (hands), and she’s just gotten bigger and stronger with racing. I think that’s the key here. A lot of horses plateau early and don’t improve, and she’s just gotten better and better. I’m not so sure she’s not at her best right now. She amazes me each and every day.”
My Gun’s Loaded Also at Top of Alabama Stakes 2026 Field
Counting Stars came into the day on Saturday as a 1-to-2 favorite, though My Gun’s Loaded was also seen as a strong contender at 3-to-1 odds.
“My Gun’s Loaded was transferred to trainer Chad Brown for the 2026 season and won her first two starts for him, both on this main track at Saratoga,” wrote Mike Curry of America’s Best Racing. “The chestnut filly won a seven-furlong maiden special weight race by 4 ¼ lengths June 6 in her season debut and followed with a one-mile allowance win July 24, drawing clear to win by three lengths under Manny Franco.”
Curry added that My Gun’s Loaded would face a challenge in the longer Alabama Stakes, however.
“My Gun’s Loaded earned a career-best 91 Equibase Speed Figure for her most recent victory, but she faces a tough assignment competing in a Grade 1 race in her stakes debut for two-time Alabama Stakes-winning trainer Chad Brown. How she handles the additional quarter-mile is a key factor, but she could excel with the added ground as a daughter of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner and appears to be a strong candidate for a top-three finish.”
Alabama Stakes 2026 Results & Payouts After My Gun’s Loaded Upset Win