La Cara carries speed to Acorn glory; Good Cheer sustains first loss in fifth

Tracy Farmer’s homebred La Cara sped to the front at the break and led all the way in Saturday’s $500,000 Acorn (G1), recording a 7-1 upset over the sloppy track at Saratoga. Dylan Davis guided the Mark Casse-trained daughter of Street Sense to a three-length decision.

Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Good Cheer, the odds-on favorite among six three-year-old fillies, never appeared comfortable over the wet footing and failed to make an impact from off the pace, sustaining her first career loss, finishing fifth.

"We were running against a great filly in Good Cheer; this is the first time she ever lost, so this is tough competition here in the Acorn and at Saratoga,” Farmer said. “You just never know what is going to happen. It is just wonderful to win." 

Winner of the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland two starts previously, La Cara set the pace before weakening to ninth in the Kentucky Oaks over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs and beat only one rival when opening her racing career over an off track. The bay miss erased any doubts about wet footing in the 1 1/8-mile Acorn, leading by about a length through opening splits in :23.40, :47.08, and 1:10.74.

La Cara was given her cue leaving the far turn, widening her advantage while straightening into the stretch, and she was never seriously threatened the rest of the way, stopping the teletimer in 1:49.20.

“She likes it on the lead, she loves it here,” Casse said. “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. The (Kentucky) Oaks was disappointing, but we never lost faith in her.”

Davis explained the difference in track surfaces.

“That Churchill (Downs) track for the Kentucky Oaks was a different kind of wet track; it was very soupy, suction-kind-of-type,” Davis said. “Today, I knew with being at Saratoga prior years that when it rains, it is still a little bit tight, so I thought that was in her favor and exactly what I saw when I came out onto the track. It was tight and that is what she did (showed speed), once she got to the backside, she took control.

“I know there were tough competitors behind us, but she showed her 'Game A' effort out there and she ran hard through the wire." 

Now a four-time stakes winner, La Cara has now earned more than $1.15 million from an 11-5-2-0 record.

Look Forward tracked the winner from the start and held second by a neck over Scottish Lassie, who rallied wide into the stretch but lacked the necessary kick to overhaul the top two. It was nearly five more lengths back to Bless the Broken in fourth, and Quickick weakened to last.

Brad Cox was asked about Good Cheer’s performance.

“She wasn’t traveling,” the trainer said. “You could tell at the half-mile pole (Luis Saez) 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 is the only foal to race out of the Bernardini mare Cara Caterina, a full-sister to Grade 1 winners To Honor and Serve and Angela Renee.