Tiller unhappy with date shift

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Pink Lloyd’s remarkable achievement of winning the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier for the fourth consecutive year was one for the books, but it didn’t come without controversy.

When it had just four entries, the six-furlong stakes was moved from its scheduled date of Saturday, June 20, to the following Thursday by Woodbine management in order to showcase the threetime Canadian champion sprinter on a new horse racing show on The Sports Network in Canada.

After the scratch of Dixie’s Gamble, Pink Lloyd defeated three allowance-type runners in workmanlike fashion. It was a welcome relief for trainer Robert Tiller, who was unhappy with the unprecedented change of date for the race.

“The powers that be made that decision, and I hope they don’t do it again,” Tiller said. “It’s their ballgame, and I’m sure they had their reasons. It was a wonderful opportunity for him to be showcased, but it came right out of left field. It had never been done before with a graded stakes. It was the biggest shock I’ve had in years. It was very stressful on me. We wound up winning, and I’m thrilled that it was on TV. I hope a lot of people saw it, but I don’t think it was his best race. I trained him for Saturday, not for Thursday.”

Tiller acknowledged that the cooler Thursday weather and Pink Lloyd’s ideal outside draw were positives regarding the postponement of the race.

“It didn’t hurt him,” he said.

“That turned out good, so maybe it was meant to be.”

The Jacques Cartier was Pink Lloyd’s 20th stakes score, and he got the job done off a seven-month layoff. Tiller said the 8-year-old came back well, and he’s aiming him to the July 19 Shepperton, an Ontariosired stakes that he’s won twice before.

“He’s fine,” Tiller said. “Hopefully, we can get him to his next race. It’s a little closer now than we thought it was going to be. I hope it’s on that day.”

Looking ahead, Pink Lloyd figures to contest the Grade 3 Bold Venture on Aug. 15, but Tiller was noncommittal about the rest of the gelding’s 2020 schedule.

“We’re going to take it one race at a time,” he said.

A new track rule that came out this week gives Woodbine the right to cancel, carry over, or reschedule any stakes at its discretion. The rule will be enacted at the discretion of the racing secretary.

Deep allowance for 3-year-olds

Tiller entered the oncebeaten Forester’s Turn in Friday’s featured allowance that drew nine 3-year-olds. Forester’s Turn is coming off a hard-fought triumph in his season opener in a six-furlong Ontario-sired allowance, for which he got a 78 Beyer Speed Figure.

“It’s going to be a tough race,” Tiller predicted.

Trainer Mark Casse sends out Finalist and Patrol in the sixfurlong event. Finalist has been idle since finishing third in the 1 1/16-mile Display Stakes here Dec. 14.