Keeneland announced Monday that Tracy Farmer’s homebred La Cara captured the rescheduled GI Central Bank Ashland Stakes, bookending her Road to the Kentucky Oaks campaign with signature victories. The Street Sense filly secured 100 qualifying points in the wire-to-wire triumph, bringing her total to 151.75 points — second only to Quietside on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.
The Ashland, postponed from its traditional Friday slot due to heavy Kentucky rainfall, awarded Oaks points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.
Despite the weather challenges, Keeneland’s main track was listed as fast when eight fillies headed to post, with ‘TDN Rising Star’ Muhimma installed as the 4-5 favorite following her GII Demoiselle Stakes win and third-place finish in the GIII Honeybee Stakes.
La Cara broke sharply and immediately established command, setting fractions of :23.19 and :47.23 while Muhimma settled midpack. The frontrunner extended her advantage around the turn and maintained her momentum down the stretch.
Take Charge Milady rallied late along the rail to secure second place, finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner while relegating Muhimma to third.
“She established dominance early,” said jockey Dylan Davis. “And then she just took control all the way through the wire. She was looking around a little bit [as we turned for home], so I just had to stay with her and keep her to task to the wire. She ran very well.”
La Cara returned $20.16 for the win, completing the 1 1/16-mile contest in 1:45.10.
Trainer Mark Casse indicated the victory validated his preparation strategy. “When she brings her A game, she’s tough,” he said. “Dylan said when he was coming down the backside, he thought, ‘Oh, I have the filly I had in Tampa that day’. He said he could tell the difference. We knew the Davona Dale was just a prep.”
The Ashland winner began her career last May at Churchill Downs before breaking her maiden by eight lengths at Saratoga in August. She captured the GIII Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill last September before finishing fifth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
La Cara opened her sophomore campaign with a dominant 6 1/4-length victory in Tampa’s Suncoast Stakes before finishing second in the one-mile GII Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream on March 1.
Casse noted that La Cara has shown particular affinity for Churchill Downs — a promising sign heading into the Kentucky Oaks. The trainer will be well-represented in Louisville, as he also conditions GI Arkansas Derby winner Sandman.
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Pedigree Notes
La Cara’s sire Street Sense demonstrated remarkable success at Churchill Downs, capturing both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Now 21, the Darley stallion has produced 43 graded winners and 102 black-type winners overall.
La Cara represents one of Street Sense’s five graded winners out of Bernardini mares, joining MGISW Maxfield and GISW Speaker’s Corner, both now standing alongside their sire at Darley. The late Bernardini has sired the dams of 113 stakes winners.
The winner’s dam, Cara Caterina, was a $500,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Farmer in 2018. Her only other foal is a yearling full-brother to La Cara. Cara Caterina is a full-sister to MGISW To Honor and Serve and to GISW Angela Renee, who finished second in the 2015 Ashland.
Monday’s victory marked La Cara’s first Grade I win, improving her career record to 4-2-0 from 9 starts with earnings of $866,083.
