Pink Lloyd Goes for Record Fourth Jacques Cartier Win

Canada's champion and 2017 Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd is set to make his 8-year-old debut in the CA$125,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3) June 25 at Woodbine. The son of Old Forester  has won the six-furlong sprint three years in a row.

Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Robert Tiller and owned by Entourage Stable, Pink Lloyd has won 22 of 28 starts, with 20 victories coming in stakes.

No horse has won four editions of the race. The Ontario-bred shares the mark with Essence Hit Man, who won the added-money race from 2011-13.

"That would be astronomical," Tiller said. "There's really no word for it. There are no words for this horse, whether he wins or loses. I know he's going to run a big one. I've got him as ready as I can get him. He's a legend. If that were to happen, it would be absolutely wonderful." 

Pink Lloyd is known for being a fleet-of-foot sprinter and fan favorite, but there will be one notable difference when he takes to the Tapeta on Saturday. His regular rider, champion jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva, called it a career at the end of 2019 with 2,286 wins.

The seven-time Sovereign Award-winning rider will tune in to watch the Jacques Cartier.

"I will watch the race, and I will say to Pink Lloyd, 'Just give your best, be safe, and I love you.' That's what will be in my mind when he loads into the gate," da Silva said. 

Rafael Hernandez will take over the reins of a horse who went undefeated in eights stakes in 2017 when he was named Horse of the Year.

"It's not a new rider, it's an old rider," Tiller said of Hernandez, who teamed with the chestnut to win the 2018 Jacques Cartier, setting the track record of 1:08.05 for six furlongs while da Silva was serving a suspension. "He's won with the horse. It was a logical choice, a no-brainer to me."  

"For me to ride the horse back is a pleasure," Hernandez said. "He's an unbelievable horse. The only time I was on the horse, he broke the track record. I feel good about that. 

"I'm always going to do my best and try to win as many as we can. He knows how to run. He's an old horse and does everything by himself. He just needs somebody on him to make the race official. He's so good, he doesn't need anybody on his back. He can do everything. He broke good, he can get himself where he wants, and he knows when it's time to run. When he turns for home and he switches leads, he knows it's time to go and the next stop for him is the winner's circle. 

"I appreciate the owners and Bob Tiller giving me the opportunity to ride him back, and I'm going to do my best every time I get on the horse. I feel that horse is like Woodbine's horse. Everybody cheers for that horse every time he runs."

In May, Pink Lloyd, bred by John Carey, was voted top male sprinter for the third consecutive year and won his second Sovereign as champion older male main track runner. He was 6-for-7 in stakes in 2019.

The gelding's sizable talent—and trophy haul—is matched by a big personality.

"His personality is ridiculous," groom Michelle Gibson said with a laugh. "I guess the best way to describe 'Pink' would be a grumpy old man. He is not a mushy, lovey kind of horse, except in his own way. You have to know him to appreciate when he's lovey-dovey. He is all class every day and extremely smart. He knows when it's entry day, race day, or just a walk day. And he's very vocal. He lets you know he is the man. The way he comes out of the starting gate is pretty much the same as when he exits his stall to go train in mornings. He loves it. And when he is in his 'spot,' chilling, nothing is going make him move—not me or the boss. 'Pink' really only does what 'Pink' wants, and of course we all allow it. So when you see him switch leads in the stretch and come flying down to the wire, you know that's because 'Pink' wants it."

Tiller expects another strong showing from his stable star in his season debut.

"He's doing very, very well right now. I expect a big race. Sometimes he gets too sharp and he gets goofing off around the gate, but he's been really good. And he's had a lot of training on the main track, which I think is going to help him. If he behaves himself, I think he's going to be very hard to beat."

Pink Lloyd will face a field of four other older horses—all younger than him—and has been assigned program odds of 1-9. His main competition figures to come from Overskate Stakes winner Dixie's Gamble, who is also making his season debut and has won half of his 12 starts.