La Cara leads all the way, takes down Good Cheer in Acorn
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
La Cara took advantage of a sloppy, sealed track at Saratoga on Friday afternoon, and she upset previously undefeated Good Cheer to win the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn Stakes.
The 7-1 third-choice in the betting in the field of six 3-year-old fillies, La Cara led every step of the way in the two-turn, 1 1/8-mile contest for trainer Mark Casse and jockey Dylan Davis.
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La Cara won the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland in April with a front-end effort, but then she did not appreciate the wet-fast and sealed track at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Clearly, the wet track at Saratoga was to her liking as she drew off to win by three lengths with a time of 1:49.20.
“Plan A was to come out running,” Davis said. “That’s what she likes to do best. She came out, executed, she got to the front, and she did what she liked to do up front. She took control, got into a good rhythm, and she was taking me into the second turn nicely, and that was it.”
Good Cheer came to Saratoga with victories in the first seven starts of her career, including the Kentucky Oaks last month when La Cara finished ninth. She was the 1-4 odds-on favorite in the Acorn, but she struggled on the wet track at the Spa, never threatened the leaders and finished fifth.
“She wasn’t traveling,” Good Cheer’s trainer Brad Cox said. “You could tell at the half-mile pole (jockey Luis Sáez) was getting after her a little bit. The winner was obviously well in front. It just wasn’t her day. Graveyard of champions, weather and tracks are a great equalizer. She’s performed on an off track. I’m not going to use that as an excuse. For whatever reason, she just wasn’t up for giving her A effort today.”
La Cara broke on top from post 5 and went right to the front. She opened a comfortable, one-length margin and maintained that lead for the first three-quarters that went in 23.40, 47.08 and 1:10.74.
“She likes it on the lead,” Casse said. “She loves it here. She won her maiden at Saratoga last year. In the paddock Dylan said she could handle this kind of mud and was going to be just fine. I was just watching the splits, and I thought when he got away with a half in 47 seconds, that was pretty good. And then at about the half-mile pole I could see that the others were hustling, and she was still relaxed. I never get too excited until they go under the wire.”
Good Cheer broke fourth and ended up at the back of the field. She raced on the rail in the early stages of the race, moved to the outside but was unable to gain any ground on the leader.
Little changed during the running of the Acorn as 12-1 Look Forward and 9-1 Scottish Lassie chased La Cara in second and third positions. Those three stayed that way as they hit the finish line in the same order.
La Cara earned $275,000 for the victory and upped her career earnings to $1,156,083 as her record moved to 11: 5-2-0.
In the wagering, La Cara paid $17.40, 10.40 and $17.20. The large show payoff happened when that pool attracted bridge jumpers who bet $367,237 of $455,610 on Good Cheer assuming that she would finish in the top three.
Look Forward paid $11.60, $18.00 for place and show and completed a $2 exacta that produced a $191.00 payout. Scottish Lassie paid $15.80 and finished out a $2 trifecta that was worth $741.00.
La Cara was bred by her owner Tracy Farmer. She is by Street Sense out of Cara Caterina, a mare who ran for Farmer.
“We were running against a great filly in Good Cheer,” Farmer said. “This is the first time she ever lost, so this is tough competition here in the Acorn and at Saratoga. You just never know what is going to happen. It is just wonderful to win.”