La Kangura looks sharp after layoff

PORTLAND, Ore. - La Kangura will head a field of nine 3-year-old Oregon-bred Quarter Horses in Sunday's The Memorial, a 350-yard race with a purse of $6,000 at Portland Meadows.

La Kangura was an easy winner of the $21,000 Northwest Futurity on Nov. 6. Though she was dismissed at 24-1 in that open stakes, La Kangura assumed the lead at the start and drew out to win by two lengths over Time to Fly Strait in 20.47 seconds for 400 yards. Though she has been away almost three months, La Kangura worked 220 yards in a bullet 11.76 here on Jan. 8 and appears ready for a top try.

Time to Fly Strait will again head the opposition to the probable favorite. Though he was a distant second in the Northwest Futurity, Time to Fly Strait broke from the disadvantageous rail post that day. Time to Fly Strait outfinished La Kangura in the trial for the Northwest Futurity, and will move all the way outside to the post 9 on Sunday.

Hope N Fast finished second to Victorys Hope in the Grade 3 Far West Futurity here in December, while Cpr First Feature won the Oregon-bred Juvenile Stakes on Nov. 13.

In the day's best Thoroughbred race, Colony Lane will shoot for his seventh consecutive score when he faces five $6,250 claimers at six furlongs. In five wins at the current meeting, Colony Lane's smallest winning margin is four lengths.