Caren targets Lady Angela

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine Oaks prospect Caren had been nominated to Saturday’s $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes over six furlongs but will point toward the $125,000 Lady Angela Stakes instead, trainer Michael De Paulo said.

The Lady Angela, for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies, will be run over seven furlongs on the Tapeta on May 1.

“We’d like to run her a little farther than six furlongs,” De Paulo said.

After a successful 2-year-old campaign that saw her win five of her six starts, including four stakes victories, Caren made her 3-year-old debut in the Any Limit Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 19. She wound up sixth under Luis Saez and did not appear to handle the surface, De Paulo said.

“I don’t know what happened in that race,” De Paulo said. “It’s something I’m just going to draw a line through. I guess she didn’t like the dirt. It looked like she was spinning her wheels. She’s used to coming out of the gate and the jock taking a little hold of her. Luis was encouraging her and throwing the lines at her, and she was going backwards. The more he encouraged her, the farther back she got.”

De Paulo said Caren has come out of the Any Limit with no issues and is training forwardly back at Woodbine. She most recently breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 on the Tapeta here April 9.

“She’s come back and breezed well twice,” De Paulo said. “I’m still in shock over that race. I don’t know if she just got confused or if she didn’t handle the surface, but it certainly wasn’t the Caren that I know.”