La Cara lands third Oaks prep win in Ashland

All went according to connections' plan for La Cara in the $742,782 Ashland (G1) at Keeneland on Monday. Trainer Mark Casse and jockey Dylan Davis agreed before the race that La Cara would be sent from the start, and when La Cara broke sharply and speedy rival Look Forward broke slow, it was game over in favor of La Cara.

The Tracy Farmer homebred eventually led all the way in the 1 1/16-mile feature which had been postponed from Friday due to inclement weather. La Cara scored by 1 1/4 lengths over Take Charge Milady, with odds-on favorite Muhimma 3 1/4 lengths behind in third. Supa Speed, Amarth, Look Forward, Admit, and Running Away completed the order of finish.

La Cara covered one lap of Keeneland's fast main track in 1:45.10 and returned $20.16.

This was the third Road to the Kentucky Oaks series prep win for La Cara, who also captured the series-opening Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs last September, as well as the Feb. 8 Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs.

La Cara returned on short rest to contest the March 1 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park over a one-turn mile, but finished a distant second.

"When she brings her A game, she's tough," Casse said. "We knew the Davona Dale was just a prep. We brought her back a little quick (for that race) so I could have more time for this race, and it worked out."

La Cara earned 100 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points, increasing her total to 151.75. Take Charge Milady earned 50 and now has a total of 70, while Muhimma doubled her total from 25 to 50. However, trainer Brad Cox was disappointed in Muhimma's flat third-place effort.

"This wasn't the result we were looking for. (The Oaks) is a big question mark. We will talk it over with (owner Shadwell Stable), let the dust settle and go from there," Cox said.

Also scoring points were Supa Speed (15, 27.5 total) and Amarth (10, 35 total), though both would appear longshots to make the Oaks field of 14.

La Cara is by Street Sense and out of Cara Caterina, a Bernardini full sister to Grade 1 winner To Honor and Serve and Angela Renee.

The $597,500 Transylvania (G3) was the first grass race held in Kentucky this year after days of persistent rain washed other scheduled races off the surface on Sunday and Monday. It was captured by 9-1 chance Test Score, who bested 11 other three-year-olds over a course rated good.

Test Score's winning margin was 1 1/4 lengths over Scipio, with longshot Maui Strong edging the favorite Reagan's Wit for third by three parts of a length. The time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.84. Test Score, who had placed in two of three prior stakes attempts, is a Lookin at Lucky colt trained by Graham Motion for Amerman Racing.

Colloquial continued his assent up the three-year-old sprinting ranks with a victory in the $380,000 Lafayette S. Turning back a prolonged challenge from Smoken Wicked in upper stretch, Colloquial kicked on to score by 2 1/4 lengths under Manny Franco. The George Weaver-trained son of Vekoma covered seven furlongs in 1:23.92 and paid $2.70.