In the minutes before the Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes at Woodbine on November 27, trainer Robert Tiller stood alone in the Woodbine grandstand and away from the bustle of fans jockeying for position at the betting windows. The Hall of Fame trainer finally admitted he was nervous. His remarkable student PINK LLOYD was on the track for the last time in his illustrious career and the moment was sinking in. The 9-year-old gelding by Ontario sire Old Forester, with four straight Champion Sprinter titles and a Horse of the Year Award in 2017, was meeting a tough group of sprinters and coming off a hard-fought win in the restricted Ontario Jockey Club Stakes.
Tiller was not certain this remarkable gelding that he trained with precision to so many great wins was going to be able to go out a winner.
And at 7-to-2 odds, the highest odds Pink Lloyd has been since 2017 when he was 4-to-1 and won the Jacques Cartier Stakes, the bettors were not sure either.
But ‘Pinkie’ had his own plans.
Rafael Hernandez settled the seven-time Sovereign Award winner off the pace, set by Clayton who led Richiesinthehouse by a length into the turn.
Hernandez continued to keep close tabs on the pacesetter, as Clayton maintained his one-length advantage over Richiesinthehouse through a half in :44.72, with Pink Lloyd now sitting fourth.
As the field rounded the turn for home, the grandstand came to life as Pink Lloyd began to gain on a game Clayton, while Richiesinthehouse also had designs on top spot courtesy of a spirited run between his two rivals.
Pink Lloyd struck front in deep stretch, his trademark grit and determination on full display, to earn a hard-fought half-length victory. The final time was 1.08.84. He paid $9.40 for the victory.
It was his 26th stakes win and his 29th career win from 38 races in a career that has seen him well managed by Tiller and his ownership group, Entourage Stable managed by Frank DiGiulio Jr, who picked up the leggy and lanky gelding for $30,000 as a yearling eight years ago.
The $98,000 winner’s share of the Kennedy Road purse was the second highest payday of Pink Lloyd’s career, just shy of the $99,000 he earned when he won the Kennedy Road in the fall of 2017. Pink Lloyd, whose retirement from racing after the Kennedy Road was announced by Tiller earlier the week, collected more than $2.4 million in earnings.
John Carey, who has stood stallions, bred horses and sold yearlings in Ontario for several decades, bred Pink Lloyd form his mare Gladiator Queen, a daughter of Great Gladiator.
Not surprisingly, there was an outpouring of emotions from the connections of the future Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee.
“I think it’s amazing,” said Tiller. “You know, he’s a legend. He proved today he was a legend. I didn’t think he’d win today. It looked awful tough to me and the only thing I liked was all the speed in the race because I’ve been saying all along, and not too many people listened, but he loves to run at horses. I was just hoping Rafi would get room. I said at the head of the lane, ‘You know what? Here he comes.’ We’re blessed to win this race and it’s a tremendous way to go out. You know, he’s been Woodbine’s horse, he’s been Canada’s horse, and the next time some horse wins 26 stakes in 29 races at Woodbine, let me know about it.
“I want to say hello to my wife at home, Gail, and my son Robert,” Tiller continued. “I want to thank my barn crew, [assistant trainer] Tommy Lottridge, Michelle [Gibson], that’s rubbed this horse through all the ups and downs of racing. This is just a payoff here. I didn’t think we’d win today, and we won. It’s the greatest thrill of my life. Thank you very much to everybody. Thanks Woodbine because they put on a hell of a show here, looking after this horse in the morning, and I really need to thank them, it’s all worked out. We’re blessed.”
Frank Di Giulio, Jr., a longtime successful owner and part of the Entourage group, was equally effusive in his praise of Pink Lloyd.
“Maybe it [managing the horse’s career] looked hard on the outside, but it was really the right thing to do from our point of view because the races were here. There was no temptation to run him on the grass. There was no temptation to take him out of town because we had the opportunities here and we know he loves it here. He has some quirks, so you don’t know what’s going to happen when you ship, or get into a new stall, and things like that. We just thought it was the right thing to do. Maybe other people would have done it differently, but I don’t think they would have had the success.”
Pink Lloyd will soon head to the lavish LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society’s farm in Hillsburgh, Ontario where he will be able to romp and play and greet friends and fans in his retirement. The gelding will transfer his ambassadorship from the sprinter ranks on the track to his new home, whose board members and small staff have placed retired racehorses for two decades.
Pink Lloyd, however, will live at LongRun permanently and it won’t be long before fans will get to see the champion up close.
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