Multiple stakes champion and 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd makes his seasonal debut in Saturday’s star-stacked Grade 3, $125,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Robert Tiller and owned by Entourage Stable, Pink Lloyd, a 16-time winner from 21 starts, looks to record his third straight score in the six-furlong Jacques Cartier, a race that’s attracted 12 horses.
Regular rider Eurico Rosa da Silva, who won six races in six starts on April 28 at the Toronto oval, will once again pilot the seven-year-old gelded son of Old Forester.
“He’s a trier,” said the jockey who had a record 237 Woodbine wins in 2018, besting the previous mark of 221 set by Mickey Walls in 1991. “He’s just a beautiful horse and he’s doing very well right now.”
Last season, the Ontario-bred chestnut and Brazilian-born da Silva teamed to win four races (Rafael Hernandez was aboard for another victory, the Jacques Cartier) from eight starts, including a triumph in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes on July 29 at Woodbine.
Recently, the duo hauled in some more hardware, this time at the 2018 Sovereign Awards. Pink Lloyd was named Champion Male Sprinter and da Silva was crowned Outstanding Jockey for the sixth time.
Bred by John Carey, Pink Lloyd’s 2017 campaign will long be remembered. His season was highlighted by eight wins (all stakes) in as many starts, along with Horse of the Year, Champion Male Sprinter and Champion Older Male Sovereign honours.
“What makes him so great? His stride is so long and he does it all so very easily,” offered da Silva. “When I was on him the first time, I thought to myself, ‘This is a nice horse.’ After a little while of connecting with him, maybe the third time, I knew it was something different. You just knew he was special.”
It’s one of many reasons why Pink Lloyd has developed a legion of loyal fans.
“I think it’s because he such an elegant horse. You look at him… he’s very elegant, even in the way he walks. Fans like a horse that fights and that’s what he does every time.”
As for what he shares in common with Pink Lloyd, da Silva, a lifetime winner of 2,111 races, offered up a couple of thoughts.
“Well, we’re both very competitive and we both like to win.”
Last year in the Jacques Cartier, Pink Lloyd set the track record for six furlongs on the Tapeta, stopping the teletimer at 1:08.05.
The Jacques Cartier is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 10-race card. First post time is 1 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.
FIELD FOR THE $125,000 JACQUES CARTIER
POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER
1 – Curlin’s Honor – Gary Boulanger – Mark Casse
2 – Eskiminzin – Jerome Lermyte – Carlos Grant
3 – Call Me Wally – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Paul Buttigieg
4 – Yorkton – Jesse Campbell – Stuart Simon
5 – Wyatt’s Town – Jeffrey Alderson – Norm McKnight
6 – Pink Lloyd – Eurico Rosa da Silva – Robert Tiller
7 – Glacier – Kizushi Kimura – Norm McKnight
8 – Conquest Panthera – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
9 – Circle of Friends – Alan Garcia – Robert Tiller
10 – Decorated Soldier – Rafael Hernandez – Norm McKnight
11 – Extravagant Kid – Luis Contreras – Brendan Walsh
12 – Ikerrin Road – Davy Moran – Vito Armata
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