Lady Lara Makes the Grade in the Honey Fox

Lady Lara, third as a maiden in the G2 May Hill S. at Doncaster in September 2013 for trainer Timothy Jarvis, graduated in her final juvenile appearance at Newbury a week later. Well-beaten in 13th behind Miss France (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) in last year’s G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas, the Sangster Family runner hit the board in listed events at York in May and at Haydock in August before finishing third, one spot behind next-out GI Woodbine Mile hero Trade Storm (GB) (Trade Fair {GB}) in the Aug. 23 

G3 Strensall S. back at York. Victorious in the Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury Sept. 19, the bay came with a furious late rally for a half-length victory in the Oct. 13 Pebbles S. in her U.S. debut at Belmont Park and rallied from next to last to round out the exacta behind the in-form Sparkling Review (Lemon Drop Kid) in the GII Mrs. Revere S. at Churchill when last spotted Nov. 15. 

Away without incident in this seasonal return, Lady Lara was taken back towards the back of the field by Junior Alvarado, as Istanford (Istan) was allowed a fairly soft lead in advance of Party Now (Tiznow). Tightly in sixth position as the pace slackened a bit in the middle stages, the Bill Mott trainee bided her time behind horses just as market leaders Coffee Clique and Sandiva were revving up with their runs nearing the stretch. It was advantage Sandiva, as she beat Coffee Clique to a spot and bid three deep into the stretch, but sent through between horses at the eighth pole, Lady Lara unleashed a superior late turn of foot for an initial graded-stakes badge. 

“The first time I rode her at Belmont, I could definitely tell that she had a lot of class and she could compete with good fillies in the United States,” Alvarado explained. “[Saturday], she was the main reason for me to come here. We had a good trip and I saved all the ground that I could. As soon as we got to the 5/16ths pole, I asked her, and she was there for me.”

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HONEY FOX S.-GII, $300,000, GPX, 3-28, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:34, fm. 
1–@LADY LARA (IRE), 119, f, 4, by Excellent Art (GB) 
     1st Dam: Shanty (GB), by Selkirk 
     2nd Dam: Pippas Song (GB), by Reference Point (GB) 
     3rd Dam: Dancing Rocks (GB), by Green Dancer 
(145,000gns RNA HRA ‘13 TATHIT). O-Swettenham Stud; B-Shanty Syndicate (IRE); T-William I Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $178,560. Lifetime Record: SW & MGSP-Eng, 16-4-3-3, $458,504. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sandiva (Ire), 123, f, 4, Footstepsinthesand (GB)–Miss Corinne (GB), by Mark of Esteem (Ire). (18,000 
GBP yrl ’12 DONAUG). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Denis McDonnell (IRE); T-Todd A Pletcher. $57,600. 
3–Coffee Clique, 117, m, 5, Medaglia d’Oro–Miss Chapin, by Royal Academy. O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-Mrs Jerry Amerman (KY); T-Brian A Lynch. $28,800. 
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 4.80, 2.50, 2.10. 
Also Ran: Baffle Me, Kitty Wine, Marbre Rose (Ire), Lori’s Store, Party Now, Istanford. 
Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.