Honey Lake wins CTT and TOC Handicap

DEL MAR, Calif. – Honey Lake has found her niche, just in time for the final starts of her career.

In Friday’s $85,500 CTT and TOC Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 3/8 miles on turf, Honey Lake ($17.80) closed form just off the pace to win by three-quarters of a length over Dido, the 5-2 favorite.

“It’s the distance she wants,” said winning trainer Vicki Oliver. “She needs the three turns.”

Ridden by leading rider Rafael Bejarano, Honey Lake was always within two lengths of early pacesetter One More through a slow pace of 49.86 seconds for a half-mile and 1:15.60 for six furlongs. Honey Lake closed with a wide rally to take the lead in the final furlong. She finished in 2:05.10.

Dido finished a head in front of 4-1 Star Act, who was followed by Aguafria, Scooter Bird, Salsita, Circling, Hug and a Kiss, and One More.

Honey Lake races for owner and breeder G. Watts Humphrey, Oliver’s father. A 5-year-old mare by Dynaformer, Honey Lake won the first stakes of her career in the CTT and TOC Handicap. She was seventh of nine in the Grade 3 Modesty Handicap at Arlington Park on a “good” turf course July 11. The turf was firm at Del Mar on Friday.

“She didn’t like the soft going at all,” Oliver said of conditions at Arlington Park last month. “I think it was really slippery. I knew she’d like the firm turf.”

Oliver said that Honey Lake will be retired at the end of the year and will be considered for turf stakes for fillies and mares in Kentucky in the coming months – the $300,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon at 1 5/16 miles on Sept. 19 and the $125,000 Dowager Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Keeneland on Oct. 18.

Honey Lake has won 5 of 23 starts and $263,658.