La Cara

La Cara won her maiden race in her fourth career start as a 2-year-old, breaking through in a seven-furlong race at Saratoga on Aug. 11, 2024, and going wire-to-wire to win by eight lengths atop an eight-horse field.

The Street Sense filly next went to the Grade 3 $300,000 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs going one mile on Sept. 14 and emerged victorious atop a 14-horse field. The Pocahontas was the first race in the 2025 Road to the Longines Kentucky Oaks series and the win earned her 10 points. In her final start as a juvenile, she finished fifth in the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.

After a break of just over three months, La Cara returned for her 3-year-old debut in the Suncoast Stakes Feb. 8, 2025,  at Tampa Bay Downs. She benefited from a skillful ride from new jockey Dylan Davis, who pushed her to set the early pace, and she had plenty of stamina in reserve to draw clear of the field and win the one mile and 40-yard race by 6 ¼ lengths.

La Cara’s second 2025 start came in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes March 1 at Gulfstream Park. With Davis back aboard, she sat just off of the pace in the one-mile, one-turn race and stayed prominent throughout to finish second behind The Queens M G. She then moved back up to compete at the Grade 1 level for the first time at age 3 and also tried two turns again in the 1 1/16-mile Central Bank Ashland Stakes April 7 at Keeneland. Davis guided La Cara to a good start and let her set the pace again, and just as she did in the Suncoast, La Cara kept that position to the finish, holding off a late challenge from Take Charge Milady to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths and clinch a spot in the Kentucky Oaks starting gate.

In the Kentucky Oaks, La Cara was bumped at the start, set a pressured pace, and early stretch to finish ninth of 13 behind undefeated Good Cheer. But in her next start, racing 1 1/8 miles again in the DK Horse Acorn Stakes June 6 at Saratoga, La Cara had an easier early trip on the lead and relished the sloppy, sealed track, winning by three lengths while odds-on favorite Good Cheer never fired and finished fifth.

La Cara is trained by Mark Casse. The filly has a stellar extended pedigree, as she is out of the Bernardini mare Cara Caterina, a full sister to Grade 1 winners To Honor and Serve and Angela Renee.