Lady Lara Shines in Honey Fox Victory
Lady Lara (IRE) had more than the luck of the Irish on her side when notching a gutsy win in the $300,000 Honey Fox (G2) Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
The 4-year-old daughter of Excellent Art (GB) transferred to the Bill Mott stable last fall from Europe, and, in running down the multiple stakes-winning Sandiva (IRE) by a neck, has more than replicated the success she had in the United Kingdom, where she won the Dubai Duty Free Cup last September. The bay filly rallied from sixth, four lengths off pacesetter Istanford, who would fade to last after setting fractions of 23.59 seconds for the first quarter and 47.31 seconds for the half, to pick off runners one by one in the stretch of the 1-mile contest.
Jockey Junior Alvarado flew to Hallandale specifically to ride the filly after piloting her to victory in her North American debut in Belmont Park’s Pebbles Stakes in October. Following that start, Lady Lara finished second in the Mrs. Reverse Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 15 with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard.
“The first time I rode her at Belmont, I could definitely tell that she had a lot of class and she could compete with good fillies in the United States,” Alvarado said. “Today, she was the main reason for me to come here. We had a good trip and I saved all the ground that I could. As soon as we got to the 5/16ths pole, I asked her, and she was there for me.”
Kenny McCarthy, assistant to Bill Mott, was on hand to saddle Lady Lara while Mott was in Dubai to saddle Lea to a third-place finish in the Dubai World Cup.
"She was a little bit more [forward today],” he said. “I don't know if that was being fresh coming off the layoff or whatever, but she certainly had herself a little closer than maybe that we thought she would be. Equally I think she was in a good spot. I was impressed. Even Junior (Alvarado) said he was sitting there just waiting for the gaps to open. He said that he knew that once they did, she would kick in. That's her M.O., it seems, to come fast at the end. Her first race for us she ran huge. In her race in November at Churchill there was soft ground that she might not have loved, but still ran a great race. She's had the winter down here at Payson Park, came in today, and looked really good."
Lady Lara’s win returned $11.60, while Sandiva paid $3.60 to place. The favored Coffee Clique finished 1 ¼ length back and paid $2.40 to show. The order of finish was rounded out by Baffle Me, Kitty Wine, Marbre Rose (IRE), Lori’s Store, Party Now, and Istanford. The winning time was 1:34.03.