Minkredible moves up into stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Minkredible has run two strong races at the Woodbine meet, and is seemingly ready to tackle Ontario-sired stakes opponents Saturday in the $125,000 Lady Angela, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Minkredible, trained by Mike DePaulo for Overheath Stable, graduated second time out with ease in a six-furlong dash last August. She went to the sidelines after finishing far back Oct. 1 in the restricted Victorian Queen Stakes.

"She was always very forward in her training," said DePaulo. "She was very fast last year. In her first race, she ran a quarter in 21 and change, which stunned us. She has a lot of desire. She wants to run."

Minkredible resurfaced April 17 in a five-furlong allowance for Ontario-sired stock, jumping out to a clear lead and never looking back. She won by three lengths over heavily favored Edamame, and was awarded a solid 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

Last time, in a six-furlong Ontario-sired allowance, Minkredible got away slowly and then lacked room on the backstretch under Emile Ramsammy. She closed well after getting into the clear, but her bid fell three-quarters of a length shy of victorious Short Shorts.

"Ramsammy told me that he gave her a terrible ride, but it wasn't his fault," DePaulo said. "It was just the way things happened. She got in behind horses, but still came running. It might have been a learning experience."

Trainer Steve Owens is using the Lady Angela as Koonunga Hill's prep for the June 7 Woodbine Oaks.

Koonunga Hill captured the seven-furlong Ice Water Stakes on turf last summer before ending up third in the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes. She faded to fifth after pressing a slow pace in her season debut in the Star Shoot Stakes.

Owens said Koonunga Hill had an excuse in the six-furlong Star Shoot.

"We scoped her after the race, and she had a slight infection," Owens explained. "We weren't aware of it going into the race. We cleaned it up, and got her back on a working schedule.

"We didn't really want her [on the lead], but she was sharp and feeling good," Owens added. "She gets a little lazy when she's not chasing horses."

Sans Sousi finished third in the Star Shoot after running second in the La Voyageuse Stakes on opening day.

Trainer Ian Black entered Devil's Blast and Lunar Linda, who was second in the South Ocean Stakes in November.