In-foal Lady Lara blooms in De La Rose

Ben Sangster’s Lady Lara has been mixing it up exclusively in graded company for nearly two years, most recently finishing fourth in the June 11 Just a Game (G1). Bred and reportedly scanned in foal to Uncle Mo, the Irish-bred five-year-old was given one last chance to go out on a high note. Saturday’s $100,000 De La Rose S. at Saratoga shaped up as perhaps the best spot, offering a class drop at a grassy mile, and Lady Lara responded under an inspired Jose Lezcano ride.

Drafting in a ground-saving third early as Mayla set slow fractions of :25.37, :49.96 and 1:13.51 on the firm inner turf, Lady Lara never had to move from her plum spot on the hedge. Mayla drifted outside turning for home, and Lady Lara shot through to a one-length decision. The 3-1 chance zipped her final quarter in a little over :22.37 and finished in 1:35.88.

The result was most welcome for her Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who'd missed narrowly with Suffused in the Waya (G3) and Full Mast in the Lure earlier on the card.

Stormy Victoria rallied for second, with the wide-trip Zindaya a better-than-appears third. The 2-1 favorite, Roca Rojo, was fourth, and Mayla faded to last of nine.

Lady Lara was a Group-caliber performer in England earlier in her career, placing in the 2013 May Hill (G2) as a juvenile and the 2014 Strensall (G3) versus older males. Also during her three-year-old campaign, she placed in the Michael Seely Memorial and the Dick Hern Fillies’ Stakes, and ended her stint in the Jarvis yard with a victory over older males in the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury. She next landed the Pebbles in her American debut for Mott, stepped up to graded company to finish second in the Mrs. Revere (G2), and has remained in the upper echelon ever since.

Victorious in last year’s Honey Fox (G2) and My Charmer (G3), Lady Lara placed in the Noble Damsel (G3) and Athenia (G3), and she had the honor of being best of the rest behind Tepin in the February 13 Endeavour (G3) at Tampa. She bankrolled $781,204 from her 26-6-5-4 line.

Photo courtesy NYRA/Coglianese Photography