Pink Lloyd Keeps the Wins Rolling With Vigil Victory
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Photo: Michael Burns
Pink Lloyd wins the Vigil Stakes at Woodbine
Canadian racing icon Pink Lloyd took the biggest slice of the pie and boosted his cash stash past the CA$2 million mark in career earnings with another winning effort in the CA$144,400 (US$110,545) Vigil Stakes (G3) Sept. 5 at Woodbine.
Trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Robert Tiller, Pink Lloyd nearly matched his own track record on the Tapeta, sprinting six furlongs in 1:08.06. He came within one hundredth of a second of his mark while carrying 128 pounds.
Track announcer Robert Geller called it one of the best starts of Pink Lloyd's career as the popular chestnut gelding broke well from post 7 with a head in front early. He settled into stalking position behind a quartet of early leavers before making his winning move on the final turn for jockey Rafael Hernandez.
Pink Lloyd rallied home a clear winner. Olympic Runner, who finished a neck back in their previous matchup, the Bold Venture Stakes (G3), closed from the backfield for runner-up honors once again.
City Boy, among the dueling frontrunners through early fractions of :21.97 and :43.92, finished 1 1/2 lengths behind in third and just a half-length in front of Eskiminzin. Malibu Secret, Blind Ambition, and Roaring Forties, Silent Jimmie, and Not So Quiet completed the order of finish.
"He's so dear to my heart. We believe in him so much," said Tiller, who admitted he was the most nervous he's been in a long time Saturday. "He's going to get two months off now, and he deserves it. We'll be back in the fall."
Bred in Ontario by John Carey and owned by Entourage Stable, the son of Old Forester is 4-for-4 during his 8-year-old campaign and has won 26 of his 32 starts.
Pink Lloyd and his connections after his fourth Vigil Stakes win
He reeled off 11 consecutive victories from 2017 into 2018.
The newly minted Canadian double millionaire boasts a record four Vigil Stakes victories, six Sovereign Awards, and 23 stakes wins. He has CA$2,066,330 in earnings.
Send postward as the 4-5 favorite, Pink Lloyd paid CA$3.80 to win.
"I don't think you're going to find another horse like him again. He's a Canadian racing icon," Tiller said. "This is a true, true champion. And I've said it many times, I just love him to death and he just keeps amazing me."