La Cara and Dylan Davis score in the Ashland (Courtney Snow/Past The Wire)
Test Score A+ in G3 Transylvania
Colloquial Triumphs in Lafayette
Keeneland Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tracy Farmer’s homebred La Cara left the starting gate fastest of all and never was headed as she posted a 1¼-length victory in the 88th running of the $750,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) for 3-year-old fillies Monday afternoon.
The victory secured a spot in the starting gate for the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) to be run May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Prior to the Central Bank Ashland, Amerman Racing Stables’ Test Score won the $600,000 Transylvania (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select and Starlight Racing and Harrell Ventures’ Colloquial took the $400,000 Lafayette (L).
Ridden by Dylan Davis, who notched his first Keeneland stakes victory, and trained by Mark Casse, La Cara picked up 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks that is limited to the top 14 point earners that pass the entry box. The Central Bank Ashland was the final qualifying race for the Oaks.
La Cara has 151.75 Oaks points, good for second.
Also earning an Oaks berth were runner-up Take Charge Milady, who picked up 50 points to increase her total to 70 and good for eighth, and favored Muhimma, who finished third to add 25 points for a total of 50, good for 12th.
La Cara rocketed out of the starting gate in front when likely leader Look Forward left the gate a step slow and led the field of eight through fractions of :23.19, :47.23 and 1:12.50. On the far turn, Muhimma mounted a brief challenge only to have La Cara bound away again.
Take Charge Milady, who received a ground-saving trip from Brian Hernandez Jr., rallied to get second, 3¼ lengths in front of Muhimma. La Cara covered the mile and a sixteenth over a fast track in 1:45.10.
La Cara is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Street Sense out of the Bernardini mare Cara Caterina. Now a three-time stakes winner, La Cara boosted her earnings to $866,083 with Monday’s $447,563 check.
La Cara returned $20.16, $7.16 and $3.44. Take Charge Milady returned $6.44 and $3.46 with Muhimma returning $2.30 to show under Flavien Prat.
It was another 3¼ lengths back to Supa Speed with Amarth, Look Forward, Admit and Running Away following in order.
Test Score A+ in G3 Transylvania
Amerman Racing Stables’ Test Score swept to the front at the sixteenth pole en route to a 1¼-length victory over Scipio in the 37th running of the $600,000 Transylvania (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select.
Trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Manny Franco, Test Score completed the mile and a sixteenth over a turf course rated as good in 1:43.84. Motion also won this race in 2022 with Sy Dog.
Mi Bago set an uncontested pace with fractions of :23.01, :47.25 and 1:12.44 as Franco kept Test Score in the clear and well off the rail. Mi Bago maintained his advantage to midstretch when the pack closed in with Test Score moving fastest of all while five wide.
Test Score is a Kentucky-bred son of Lookin At Lucky out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Joy of Learning. With a record of 6-2-2-1, Test Score has earned $477,725 including Monday’s $339,450 check.
Test Score returned $21.48, $10.32, $6.74. Scipio, ridden by Flavien Prat, returned $8.20 and $5.74 and finished 1¼ lengths in front of Maui Strong, who paid $10.06 to show under Vincent Cheminaud.
It was another three-quarters of a length back to favored Reagan’s Wit with Chasing Liberty, Hammerhead, Versus, Clock Tower, Tom’s Magic, Mi Bago, Golden Afternoon and Barricade following in order.
Colloquial Triumphs in Lafayette
Starlight Racing and Harrell Ventures’ Colloquial shook off a stretch challenge from Smoken Wicked and drew off for a 2¼-length victory in the 77th running of the $400,000 Lafayette (L) for 3-year-olds.
Trained by George Weaver and ridden by Manny Franco, Colloquial completed the 7 furlongs on a fast track in 1:23.92.
Colloquial and Smoken Wicked hooked up out of the starting gate and blitzed through fractions of :22.62 and :44.96 with Colloquial holding a narrow advantage. Smoken Wicked drew on even terms at the top of the stretch but never could go by as Colloquial drew off for his second win in three starts.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Colloquial is a Kentucky-bred son of Vekoma out of the Bernardini mare Terminology. The victory in Colloquial’s stakes debut was worth $248,000 and increased his earnings to $310,000.
Colloquial returned $2.70, $2.10 and $2.10. Smoken Wicked, ridden by Brian Hernadez Jr., returned $3.72 and $2.84 and finished 2¼ lengths in front of Touchy, who paid $3 to show under Joel Rosario.
Rolando and Itsmybirthday completed the order of finish.
Tuesday is Toyota Blue Grass Day with an 11-race program that begins at 1 p.m. ET and features five graded stakes headlined by the 101st running of the $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1).
The last major prep for the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve, the 1⅛-mile Toyota Blue Grass is the afternoon’s 10th race with a 5:52 p.m. post time.
