La Cara wins to lead 3 fillies from Ashland into Ky. Oaks

Lexington, Ky.

Owner-breeder Tracy Farmer gave trainer Mark Casse instructions three months ago. Casse gave jockey Dylan Davis instructions 10 minutes before the race. The plan came together when La Cara won the Grade 1, $750,000 Ashland Stakes on Monday at Keeneland.

“I asked Mr. Farmer what he wanted to do with this filly as a 3-year-old, and he said, ‘I’d really like to win the Ashland,’ ” Casse said. “So my job is done.”

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Helping get the job done aboard La Cara was Davis, who broke cleanly and asserted position on the rail of the 1 1/16-mile race. Other horses looked for the lead as well, but La Cara was dominant, cruising through fractions of 23.19 and 47.23 seconds while opening up on the backstretch.

“Down the backside I felt like this was the same horse I rode at Tampa,” Davis said referencing La Cara’s 6 1/4-length score Feb. 8 in the Suncoast Stakes that preceded a dull, runner-up finish as the favorite March 1 in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

La Cara spurted away in the second turn and had plenty left in the short stretch to hold off a late charge from Take Charge Milady, winning by 1 1/4 lengths with a time of 1:45.10 on a track rated as fast. Her early fractions were 23.19, 47.23, 1:12.50 and 1:38.23.

“I knew there was speed in here, but she likes to be close, so I told Dylan that she was sharper today, so get her to break clean, and let her run his race,” Casse said. “I thought my job was done, but now they’re telling me about this race called the (Kentucky) Oaks.”

Yes, indeed, La Cara is Oaks bound after securing 100 points in the last points prep for the Grade 1 run for the lilies, comfortably enough to make the gate limited to 14 starters on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Take Charge Milady, who finished second and added 50 points, also qualified for the Oaks. She encountered some traffic when racing with 4-5 favorite Muhimma in the second turn. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. ducked inside and made a nice rail rally but was never a threat to the winner.

“She ran really good,” Hernandez said. “With a smoother run on the second turn we may have run. I followed (Muhimma), but she didn’t quicken like I thought.”

Trainer Kenny McPeek was pleased and, like Casse, wasted no time committing his charge for the Oaks. Also like La Cara, Take Charge Milady threw in a clunker last out after winning a stakes race two back.

“She looks so much like Take Charge Lady that I’m excited to move forward with her,” McPeek said, comparing Take Charge Milady with his 2002 Oaks winner. Take Charge Milady is by Take Charge Indy whose dam is Take Charge Lady. “I’m very pleased to see her run well, because we really wanted an excuse as to why she ran so poorly last time (in the Honeybee, G3) and never found one.”

Muhimma stayed on to be third, but trainer Brad Cox was non-committal about her participation in the Oaks even though the 25 points she earned in the Ashland were enough to get her into the gate.

“This was not the result we were looking for,” Cox said. “She had a good trip but really had no answer for the top two. We’ll let the dust settle and have some discussions with Shadwell Stable and go from there.”

La Cara, a Street Sense filly out of Bernardini mare Cara Caterina, paid $20.16, $7.16 and $3.44. Take Charge Milady returned $6.44 and $3.46. Muhimma paid $2.30 to show. Supa Speed (9-2) finished fourth and Amarth (32-1) fifth to pick up 15 and 10 Oaks points, not enough to get them into the top 14.

The Ashland was delayed three days by stormy weather that flooded parts of Kentucky late last week.