La Cara took charge from the start and was never seriously challenged in winning the $750,000 Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keenland on Monday, giving Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse a leading contender for the Kentucky Oaks (G2) on May 2.
The 3-year-old Street Sense filly was ridden by Dylan Davis, who won his first stakes race at Keeneland. With the victory, La Cara ($20.16 on a $2 win bet) earned 100 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points and moved to second on the final leaderboard with 151.75 points (Quietside finished first with 168 points).
Second in the Davona Dale (G3) at Gulfstream Park last out in what Casse called a prep for the Ashland, La Cara won over a top-flight field, defeating closing Take Charge Milady by 1¼ lengths, with 4-5 favorite Muhimma third in the field of eight.
The 1 1/16-mile Ashland was scheduled for Friday but postponed to Monday due to severe weather in central Kentucky.
“When she brings her ‘A’ game, she’s tough,” said Casse, who also trains Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Sandman, a top Kentucky Derby (G1) contender. “It sets up perfect [for the Oaks]. She’s now at three starts off the layoff, so she should be perfect. She loves Churchill. I’m good.”
Winning time was 1:45.10.
La Cara won the Pocahontas Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old, ran fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), won the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and finished second to The Queens M G in the Davona Dale at Gulfstream on March 1.
LA CARA takes the Ashland! 🇺🇸
The @markecasse filly rolls home in the postponed @keenelandracing highlight. #KentuckyOaks next? pic.twitter.com/iv4CFB4NvZ
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) April 7, 2025
The well-traveled filly improved to 9-4-2-0 for owner Tracy Farmer and increased her bankroll to $866,083. The plan was to start fast and keep going.
“Mark and I talked about it: to break sharply. We saw a lot of speed in this race, so we wanted to just get the best position possible, and that’s what she did,’’ said Davis. “She established dominance early, and then she just took control all the way through the wire.”
Take Charge Milady, trained by Kenny McPeek, who won the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby last year with Thorpedo Anna and Mystik Dan, earned a spot in the Oaks with her runner-up finish.
Ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr., Take Charge Milady earned 50 Oaks points for a total of 70 – good for eighth on the leaderboard. Muhimma, trained by Brad Cox, picked up 25 points for third for a total of 50 points to finished 12th. The Oaks is limited to 14 starters.
Our US Racing handicapper picked a winning $1 exacta box 2-6 for a $58.53 payout.
Ballerina d’Oro ($3.40), trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Dylan Davis, nosed out Early On for the victory in the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle at Aqueduct, giving the filly 100 Oaks points and moving her into fifth place (116.5 points) on the final leaderboard.
Third in the Davona Dale, Ballerina d’Oro was closer to the pace in the Gazelle in her third dirt race after beginning her career on the turf.
Early On picked up 50 qualifying points to total 75 for seventh on the leaderboard, giving trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., a nice filly to take to the Oaks.
Winning time was 1:50 .67.
Our US Racing handicapper hit the $1 exacta box that returned $6.40.
Tenma ($2.60) will be the best of the West in the Oaks after her 2 ¼-length victory over stablemate Silent Law in the $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks – her fourth graded stakes win -- at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Tenma gives trainer Bob Baffert one of the likely favorites in the Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs. The filly picked up 75 Oaks points to finish sixth on the leaderboard with 108 points.
Winning time was 1:46.15.
“We are trying to get her to the Kentucky Oaks, and she had been progressing, getting better and better,” said Baffert. “There was a lot of speed in the race, and she is becoming more professional as we go. She has come a long way, and she is great to be around. She is a lovely filly. It’s pretty exciting to run one-two in a stake like this.”
Tenma is 6-5-0-1, with previous wins in the Las Virgenes (G3), the Starlet (G2), and the Del Mar Debutante (G1).
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