Pink Lloyd Seeks Fourth Straight Vigil Victory

Multiple graded stakes winner and 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year, 8-year-old Pink Lloyd, faces eight rivals in the $125,000 Vigil Stakes (G3), Sept. 5 at Woodbine. The Sovereign Award winner and 22-time stakes-winning champion chases another stakes crown in a race he has owned the past three years.

Trained by Robert Tiller for Entourage Stable, the chestnut gelded son of Old Forester  bred by John Carey has strung together a perfect three straight victories this season, his latest tour de force coming in the Aug. 15 Bold Venture Stakes (G3).

Pink Lloyd launched his current campaign with a triumph in the June 25 Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3). That was followed by a win in the July 23 Shepperton Stakes.

Riding a nine-race win streak, the Ontario-bred could go double platinum in earnings with a first or second-place finish in the Vigil.

Tiller, who would love to see Pink Lloyd reach the CA$2 million mark in career purse earnings this Saturday, is keeping his focus strictly on the race itself.

"I try not to think about things like that," said the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee. "I've reached the point where if I start thinking about winning another race with him, or any other accomplishment … we just try to keep carrying on and what will be will be. Thank God I have enough horses in the barn to keep my mind occupied. Winning another race with Pink Lloyd … we just try to our best with him. If we win, I'm thrilled, obviously. But I try to stay as grounded and focused as possible."

Admittedly, it's not always an easy task.

But watching the multiple stakes champion make his way to the winner's circle is a scene that never gets old for Tiller.

"They'll never be another one like him, and they'll never be another one close to him. I'm always trying to come up with a new phrase or new way to talk about him. It's hard, but I'll think of something soon. He's just a phenomenal animal and athlete. He's amazingly perfect. The more he wins, the more you realize that."

As does everyone who works with Tiller.

"The groom, the exercise rider, the hotwalkers—everybody loves him. No question. We're all very much in love with him."

Win or lose this weekend, Pink Lloyd isn't ready to hang up his horseshoes for now.

"The party, it's still on," said Tiller.

Trainer Mark Casse sends out the trio of Blind Ambition, Not So Quiet, and Olympic Runner. A 4-year-old son of Gio Ponti , Olympic Runner finished second, just a neck back of Pink Lloyd in the Bold Venture. 

Multiple stakes placed Silent Jimmie, bred, owned, and trained by Paul Buttigieg, was second to Pink Lloyd in the Shepperton.

City Boy, Malibu Secret, Eskiminzin, and Roaring Forties complete the field for the Vigil.

Trainer Barb Minshall had won three previous straight editions of the Vigil, two with Kiridashi (1996-97) and the other with Sea Wall (1995).

Entries: Vigil S. (G3)

Woodbine, Saturday, September 05, 2020, Race 9

• Grade III
• 6f
• All Weather Track
• $125,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:08 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Silent Jimmie (ON)	Daisuke Fukumoto	121	Paul M. Buttigieg	12/1
2	2City Boy (ON)	David Moran	122	Michael Keogh	20/1
3	3Not So Quiet (ON)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	121	Mark E. Casse	12/1
4	4Malibu Secret (ON)	Sahin Civaci	121	Martin Drexler	20/1
5	5Eskiminzin (ON)	Darryll P. Holland	121	Carlos Grant	20/1
6	6Olympic Runner (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	122	Mark E. Casse	5/2
7	7Pink Lloyd (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	128	Robert P. Tiller	1/1
8	8Blind Ambition (KY)	Patrick Husbands	121	Mark E. Casse	8/1
9	9Roaring Forties (FL)	Justin Stein	121	Daniel J. Vella	12/1