Pink Lloyd Chases Third Straight Kenora Stakes Score

Canada's 2017 Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd will take center stage Aug. 28 at Woodbine, where Canadian Premier Yearling Sale graduates will be featured as the Toronto track runs six yearling sales stakes worth $750,000.

Sponsored by the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp. (OLG), the Canadian Millions Sales Stakes annually features past Canadian-bred sale graduates on the eve of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's yearling sale, which will be held Aug. 29 at noon in the Woodbine Sales Pavilion.

Owned by Entourage Stable and trained by Hall of Famer Robert Tiller, the 7-year-old Pink Lloyd will look to win his third straight edition of the $100,000 Kenora Stakes Presented by HBPA of Ontario. The son of Old Forester  heads into the six-furlong main track event a perfect four-for-four on the season, including a pair of graded victories in the Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3) and the Vigil Stakes (G3). The millionaire gelding, bred by John Carey, has a record of 20-1-1 from 25 starts.

"He's just such a great horse," said regular rider Eurico Rosa Da Silva. "People love him, too. I can feel the energy when we come on the racetrack. He walks so relaxed to the track, but when he steps on it, he transforms himself. You can feel his confidence."

Kingsport, owned by Goldmart Farms and Royal Laser Racing, can join the Canadian millionaire ranks with a win in the $100,000 Elgin Stakes Presented by CTHS over 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Trained by Sid Attard and bred by Richard Moylan, the 7-year-old son of Milwaukee Brew  is no stranger to the Elgin. In 2016, Kingsport finished third to recently retired multiple stakes champ Melmich. Two years later, the dark bay took all the spoils. He heads into Wednesday night's added-money tilt off a win in the June 15 Steady Growth Stakes at Woodbine. Sporting a record of 12-7-3 from 32 starts, Kingsport will meet five rivals in this year's Elgin.

"We could tell he was going to be a very good horse right away," said Attard. "He's a very special one for us. He goes out there and gives you his best every race."   

Goldmine Cat and Rockcrest will line up beside one another, in posts five and post six, in the $175,000 Simcoe Stakes Presented by Samuel, Son and Co. for 2-year-old colts and geldings going 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track.

Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse, Goldmine Cat, a bay son of Goldencents , built off a second-place finish in his career bow May 10 at Woodbine to reach the winner's circle in his next start. Under Gary Boulanger, the colt bred by Bernard and Karen McCormack triumphed by 2 1/2-lengths at five panels on the Woodbine main track June 2.

Trained by Nigel Burke for owner Paul Mouttet, Rockcrest was rock-solid in his debut, a 5 1/2-furlong race July 28 at Woodbine. Dismissed at 14-1 on the tote board, the Old Forester gelding crossed the wire 1 1/2-lengths ahead of his nearest rival. Pinky Dude and Lakeside Park are also winners in the field of eight.  

The field of 10 two-year-old fillies for the $175,000 Muskoka Stakes Presented by CTHS features first-time winner Bambarra Bay, owned by Stacey Van Camp and trained by Mike Mattine. A bay daughter of Sligo Bay , Bambarra Bay notched a 1 1/2-length triumph in her career bow, a 5 1/2-furlong race July 27 at Woodbine. The wide-open 6 1/2-furlong main track affair also includes Tara Dawn, a daughter of graded stakes winner Bear's Kid. Trained by Abraham Katryan, the Tara Horse Farm-bred has a trio of seconds and a third from five starts, including a head loss in a 5 1/2-furlong main track race June 29.

Trainer Sylvain Pion could have a prominent one-two punch in the $100,00 Halton Stakes Presented by Tipperary Equestrian, set for 1 1/2-miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. English Illusion, who took last year's running of the Halton, makes his return to the races after a sixth-place finish in the Valedictory Stakes (G3) in December. The 6-year-old son of English Channel  was third in the 2018 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T), and boasts a record of 4-3-6 in 30 starts for 4U Thoroughbred Racing Stable. His stablemate, King and His Court (cross-entered in the Elgin), has a 5-4-8 record from 30 starts for Beat The Feet Racing Stable. A 5-year-old son of Court Vision , the dark bay gelding counts the 2016 editions of the Display Stakes and Coronation Futurity among his biggest victories. Five other rivals are set to go, including Cooler Mike (also cross-entered in the Elgin), third in both the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes last year. 

Eight head to the gate in the $100,000 Algoma Stakes Presented by CTHS, where Piano Bar Racing's Red Cabernet, a 5-year-old daughter of Signature Red , seeks a second consecutive victory following her impressive score in the Aug. 14 Eternal Search Stakes at Woodbine. The field in the 1 1/16-mile main track event includes last year's Algoma runner-up Bear Paw, a 4-year-old daughter of Bear's Kid who has 10 top-three finishes from 14 career starts.   

First race post time for Wednesday evening's eight-race card is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.