Wiping tears from his eyes, Woodbine’s leading rider Eurico Rosa da Silva struggled briefly to get the words out following the victory by the remarkable PINK LLOYD in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes, Nov. 23 at Woodbine.
Not only was it likely the last time Eurico will ride the multiple champion as he plans to retire from his jockey career at year’s end but the last-to-first sweeping move by Pink Lloyd was one of the most stunning victories by the Ontario bred and sired 7-year-old.
Taken back to last place after a less-than-sharp start from the gate and having to be steadied out of traffic early in the six furlong dash, Pink Lloyd turned on his chestnut jets and flew past a solid a solid field of sprinters while quite wide on a Woodbine Tapeta surface that has favoured inside runners for much of the past two weeks. With his long, reaching strides, Pink Lloyd got past the rail-hugging Extravagant Kid and got clear to win handily in 1:08.72, good for a 97 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
Rival trainers, bettors and onlookers in various parts of the track were in awe and the gelding received a round of applause as he returned to the winner’s circle.
PINK LLOYD and his Entourage including Frank DiGiulio Jr (left) – TERENCE DULAY PHOTO – horse-races.net
“I want to thank this horse for all the good feelings he gave me,” said an emotional Da Silva. “Yesterday was not easy for me, today was a tough time because I know it was my last time riding him. All I can say is I never had so much great feelings from a horse like I did with him. You see today there was much trouble in front of him. I just drop him back and say ‘Boy we need to go outside’. I went probably six wide on the turn. There’s only one horse that can do it, his name is Pink Lloyd.”
Trainer Robert Tiller, who elected to give his star runner a two month rest after Pink Lloyd was declared a non-starter after popping the gate open in the Bold Venture (G3), was similarly misty-eyed.
“This all boils down to teamwork,” said Tiller, a Hall of Fame trainer. “Robert the exercise rider, Michelle the groom, Eurico, the barn, Tommy my assistant trainer… and to tell you the truth there will never horse like him. My owners have been terrific, they were willing to wait. I felt after his last race he needed a rest and he got it. We had a couple of interruptions in between, they were very hard on my grey hair, made it even greyer.”
That is 22 wins, 19 of them stakes races, from 27 career races, with earnings of $1.3 million for the Old Forester – Gladiator Queen, Great Gladiator gelding who is owned by Entourage Stables, a group headed by Frank DiGiulio Jr., Tiller’s longtime client. The gelding was bought for $30,000 at the CTHS Ontario sale six years ago from breeder John Carey.
Take a look at the win again and the post race interviews:
$225,000 Coronation Futurity
Immediately following the Kennedy Road Stakes was the Coronation Futurity, the premier race for Canadian foaled 2-year-olds and the race that can spawn Queen’s Plate hopefuls was also held on
A small field did not lack in drama as Kentucky shipper HALO AGAIN, bought for a whopping $600,000 from Ontario breeder David Anderson last fall at Keeneland September, drove up the rail to win the 1 1/8 mile race in just his second career start. The son of Speightstown – Halo’s Verse by Unbridled’s Song is owned by Willis Horton Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds. Steve Asmussen trains and Rafael Hernandez rode, one of four wins for him on Saturday.
While the bay colt was only 3 to 1 on the odds board, the result was certainly an upset since the colt had won his only race at Churchill Downs in a 7 furlong sprint and awarded just a 56 Beyer Speed Figure.
Favoritism was centred on Cup & Saucer Stakes winner MUSKOKA GOLD, owned by Conrad Farms and trained by Mark Casse with Bill Werner’s Pleasecallmeback also well supported.
But a very wide and costly trip for Muskoka Gold left that colt scrambling for third place in the stretch run while Pleasecallmeback did not seem to enjoy the Tapet as much as he does turf.
Malibu Moon, owned by Stronach Stables, was a fast closing second for trainer Kevin Attard.
The time of 1:51.82 yielding a 69 Beyer Figure.
Halo Again’s win could put the colt in the mix for Sovereign Award honours for Champion 2-year-old colt. The colt is a half brother to Wonder Where Stakes winner Inflexibility. The dam, Halo’s Verse is in foal to Justify for 2020.
HALO AGAIN hangs on to win the Coronation Futurity over Malibu Mambo and Muskoka Gold – TERENCE DULAY PHOTO – horse-races.net
AMALFI COAST Makes case for Champion Three-Year-Old Filly
Dom Romeo met HRH The Queen in 2010 after Big Red Mike won the Queen’s Plate.
A maiden in May, Terra Racing’s homebred filly AMALFI COAST is on the shortlist for a Sovereign Award thanks to a third straight stakes win Sunday Nov. 24.
The daughter of Tapizar – Include Katherine by Include stormed to a big win in the Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes over older mares at 7 furlongs on the Tapeta following turf stakes wins in the Carotene and Ontario Damsel Stakes. She sped the Bessarabian distance in 1:22.03 under Eurico da Silva and she has blossomed nicely for trainer Kevin Attard.
Amalfi Coast has a fascinating pedigree:
She’s a FOURTH GENERATION homebred for Dom and Frank Romeo’s Terra Racing, one of few breeding and racing operations that began nearly 50 years ago. Romeo raced the 1985 Briartic filly AVENS, bred by E.P. Taylor and she won some $50,000.
3rd dam -Avens was retired by Romeo and bred, she had 14 named foals and 10 winners:
Gus Who — 2006 22 8 3 1 $176,024 1
Jazzy Johnnie — 2003 23 6 7 0 $59,866
Stormin Avey- 2002 1 0 0 0 $112
Char’s Still Here 2001 28 5 5 4 $73,030 – dam of top 2019 Canadian Older Mare SMART FIX -$229,000
Bully’s – 2000 0 0 0 0 $0
Southern Dream- 1999 15 4 1 0 $55,733
Flashy Bold Lady -1998 0 0 0 0 $0
Missy in Action – 1997 30 1 5 4 $98,102
Katherine of Ascot- 1996 28 7 1 5 $307,501 2 Won Classy n Smart S. Dam of $300,00 earner Little Red Chris
Classy Marina– 1995 19 0 2 5 $10,891
Steady Anna — 1994 34 4 5 2 $42,713 – Dam of many winners
Little Marco — 1992 68 7 10 6 $132,914
Cala Dom — 1991 68 12 16 13 $76,520
Marina Bella —- 1990 64 14 17 3 $162,640 – Dam of Many winners, granddam of 2019 winner Martin River
2nd dam – Katherine of Ascot (Ascot Knight) 1996
in addition to Little Red Chris, she is the dam of winner Include Katherine – 2004
1st dam Include Katherine:
Afleet Katherine— 2017 0 0 0 0 $0 0
Amalfi Coast——– 2016 8 4 2 1 $277,616 3
–Ontario Damsel S.
–Carotene S.
–Bessarabian S.[G2]
Auntie Katherine– 2015 18 3 5 1 $70,014 1
-Molson Cup S.
Bella Fabiana —2013 39 5 5 7 $149,910 0
Texas Missy— 2012 28 4 2 4 $57,444 0
Chris’ Brew —2011 29 5 1 6 $233,391 2
Fighting Chris— 2010 41 3 9 9 $189,890 0
Why Katherine —2009 24 4 6 3 $281,829 6 stakes placing – first foal is a winner, It’s Lit
Several of these offspring of Include Katherine are still racing including the mares Auntie Katherine and Bella Fabiana.
Include Katherine was sold for $5,000 this past January at Keeneland to Bill McDowell.
Of course Terra Farms also bred and raced Queen’s Plate winner BIG RED MIKE, and the top sprinter, stallion BOLD ‘N FLASHY.
SCOREBOARD
Eurico Da Silva is going out like a lion, piling on wins with just 12 racing days left in the season. The battle for second place was getting close last week but it appears as if Rafael Hernandez will take that spot after a big weekend and an upcoming three-day suspension for young rider Kazushi Kimura, who rode mos of this year as an apprentice.
Eurico Da Silva 170
Rafael Hernandez 148
Kazushi Kimura 141
The TRAINER’S RACE is all of a sudden heating up after many months when it appears as if Mark Casse’s Woodbine team had things wrapped up. Now, Norm McKnight is within three victories and note that McKnight won the title last year.
88 Mark Casse
85 Norm McKnight
58 Martin Drexler
HORSES BY WINS – Pink Lloyd’s Kennedy Road victory makes him 6 for 6 this year (one race he was declared a non-starter) and he is the lone 6-time winner at Woodbine.
The Norm McKnight trained fillies SKY VISION and FOXXY BELLE have 5 wins and are tied for second.
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