Tracy Farmer’s Kentucky homebred La Cara led every step of the way to take down top prize in the $500,000 Acorn Stakes (G1) during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on Friday, June 6. Trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Dylan Davis, the daughter of Street Sense avenged a ninth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), winning the Acorn by three lengths over a sloppy (sealed) main track.

“We were running against a great filly in Good Cheer,” said Farmer. “This is the first time she (Good Cheer) 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.

“I bred her, I’ve seen her and been with her every of her life,” Farmer added. “You dream about this. I’ve won the Whitney twice here, so I’ve won several [big races]; Hidden Lake, I’ve won several Grade 1 races here, but this is the best. And today is the best.”

Davis and La Cara teamed to win the Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland in April. That victory was also accomplished in front-running fashion. Although La Cara grew a bit weary late in the lane in the Acorn, she had enough in reserve to score clear in a final time of 1:49.20.

La Cara Takes to Saratoga

“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 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.”

La Cara is produced from the Bernardini mare Cara Caterina, a full sister to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire To Honor and Serve and Grade 1 winner Angela Renee. With the $275,000 winner’s share of the Acorn purse, La Cara has now banked in excess of $1.15 million. Her record now stands at 11-5-2-0.

Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Good Cheer entered the Acorn with a perfect 7-for-7 record for dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, including a trio of Grade 2 scores ahead of her Kentucky Oaks coup. She wound up fifth.