Undefeated Letmecounttheways leads Saturday stakes double for Yaupon
October 26, 2025
Top-ranked Freshman sire Yaupon scored a pair of stakes winners on Saturday afternoon, with Letmecounttheways getting her first black type win in the $200,000 Maid of the Mist S. at Aqueduct, while Crown the Buckeye made it two added money wins in a row with his victory in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Juvenile S. at Mahoning Valley.
Yaupon now has five stakes winners from his first crop; no other North American freshman sire has more than two.
Letmecounttheways, who won her Sept. 27 debut by 5 ½-lengths, bettered that margin on Saturday with a six-length score in the one-mile contest for 2-year-old fillies. Going comfortably the entire one-mile trip, Letmecounttheways had a two-length lead at the midpoint and widened to win very impressively.
Owned by Paradise Farms Corp., JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher and Zilla Racing Stables, Letmecounttheways was bred by Jerry Bilinski.
“We’ve been blessed to have Mike Maker and his team bring the horses to where they are today,” added Peter Proscia of Paradise Farms. “Kudos to them—they’re doing a great job. We’re happy about the Yaupons that we have and the New York-bred program- we’re very pleased and blessed.”
Letmecounttheways has earned $154,000.
Crown the Buckeye, also trained by Mike Maker and owned by Paradise Farms Corp., Staudacher, David and Hooties Racing LLC, pulled away late to win the 1 1/16-mile contest, his first around two turns, by 4 ¼-lengths. The win comes on the heels of a 12 ¼-length blowout win in the Cleveland Kindergarten S. on Aug. 14.
Crown the Buckeye is now 2-1-0 in three starts and has earned $135,000. The bay 2-year-old was bred by Pick View LLC, Paul W. Schaffer & William D. Pickerrell.