Pink Lloyd Just Gets by Stablemate in Kenora Stakes

Pink Lloyd, Canada's reigning Horse of the Year, provided one of the highlights during Canadian Millions Sales Stakes night Aug. 29 in a Kenora Stakes thriller, as Woodbine hosted six stakes sponsored by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

Trained by Robert Tiller for Entourage Stable, defending Kenora champion Pink Lloyd needed every inch of the stretch run to collar stablemate Circle of Friends for a narrow score. It was Pink Lloyd's 13th stakes win from 19 lifetime starts.

The stakes victory was the first of two on the night for Woodbine's leading jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva, who also rode Trini Brewnette, a daughter of Milwaukee Brew , to victory in the Algoma Stakes for trainer Kevin Attard and owner Derek Chin.

Chin and Attard also watched the Souper Speedy  colt Blessed Two circle a field of 10 2-year-olds to win the Simcoe Stakes in rein to Gary Boulanger.

Offspring by Souper Speedy swept the 2-year-old events, as Joey Gee Thoroughbreds' homebred filly Speedy Soul captured the Muskoka Stakes with apprentice jockey Kazushi Kimura aboard for trainer Andrew Smith.

English Illusion kicked off the stakes action with an upset of last year's Halton Stakes winner Johnny Bear and Kingsport ended Melmich's three-year reign in the Elgin Stakes. The latter was another stakes winner on the night sired by Milwaukee Brew.

The Canadian Millions Sales Stakes annually showcase past Canadian-bred sale graduates on the eve of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Yearling Sale. The 2018 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale will be held Aug. 30 in the Woodbine Sales Pavilion.