La Cara looks for the Ashland-Oaks double

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – The last time a horse captured both the Ashland Stakes and the Kentucky Oaks was back in 2021, when Malathaat completed the rare double under the guidance of trainer Todd Pletcher. Since then, no Ashland Stakes winner has even competed in the Oaks—until now.

This year, La Cara steps up with a chance to rewrite that narrative.

After an impressive front-running victory in the Ashland Stakes earlier this April, La Cara earned her spot under the bright lights of Churchill Downs. She enters Friday’s Kentucky Oaks with 6-1 morning line odds.

She’ll be ridden by jockey Dylan Davis, who has yet to win the Kentucky Oaks or Derby. Davis came close in 2024, finishing third aboard Regulatory Risk.

Trainer Mark E. Casse believes La Cara is peaking at the perfect time. “She’s even better now than she was going into the Ashland,” Casse said.

La Cara will break from post position seven. If she brings the same tenacity she showcased at Keeneland, the filly just might add her name to an elite list of fillies who’ve conquered both the Ashland and the Oaks. There are 35 in total.