Pink Lloyd still going strong

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd will take center stage on the Woodbine Mile undercard in the Grade 3, $125,000 Bold Venture Stakes.

Pink Lloyd’s remarkable 11-race win streak in local stakes ended when he ran third in the July 8 Shepperton, but he found the winner’s circle again three weeks later in the Grade 3 Vigil. Most recently, in the restricted Kenora, he came charging on the outside from well off sleepy fractions to collar stablemate Circle of Friends late and prevail by a neck.

“He’s won 13 out of his last 14 stakes,” trainer Robert Tiller said. “He’s an amazing animal, and we really need to appreciate him. Thirty years ago, he would have been on the front page of the Toronto Star sports section. Unfortunately, the world’s too busy with other things. Hopefully, he’ll keep running well, and I have no reason to believe that he won’t. I’m very happy with him.”

The 6 1/2-furlong Bold Venture lured nine others, including last year’s winner, Ikerrin Road, who had struggled this year until he won a recent optional claimer.

Kingsport benefited from a speed duel between Pink Lloyd and Boreal Spirit when he captured the 6 1/2-furlong Shepperton with a spirited rally. He set a glacial pace and never looked back to take the restricted Elgin Stakes over Melmich most recently.

The versatile Maryland shipper Battle in Seattle was in fine form until he finished far back last time in a second-level optional claimer on good turf at Saratoga.

“I think he ran really well on the [Tapeta], and he doesn’t handle soft ground,” trainer Graham Motion said.

Canadian: Brown sends two

Trainer Chad Brown ran one-two in the 2016 Canadian Stakes, and sends out Inflexibility and New Money Honey in Saturday’s edition of the $250,000 turf route for fillies and mares.

Inflexibility is Woodbine’s 10-furlong course record holder, and the about nine-furlong distance of the Grade 2 Canadian is suitable for her. She was in solid form until a flat fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Beverly D. over 1 3/16 miles on Aug. 11 at Arlington.

New Money Honey hasn’t raced since a wide sixth-place finish behind high-class Sistercharlie and A Raving Beauty in the Grade 1 Diana on July 21 at Saratoga. Her two Grade 1 triumphs came in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the 2017 Belmont Oaks.

Niigon’s Eclipse led all the way going a mile in the Grade 2 Nassau here May 27. She was subsequently a charging second in the seven-furlong Zadracarta and then wasn’t at her best finishing second over good ground most recently in another restricted stakes, the 1 1/16-mile Victoriana.

Starship Jubilee was Canada’s champion female turf runner in 2017, when she captured two Grade 2 stakes before finishing third in the Canadian. She ended a mini-slump when she beat males easily in an Aug. 6 optional starter.

Mythical Mission finished second or third in all three legs of last year’s Canadian triple tiara, but she had never won a stakes until her last start, a nose victory in the West Virginia President’s Cup over turf at Mountaineer.

“One of the reasons I’d like to run her is hopefully the ground’s going to be dry,” said Graham Motion, who trains Mythical Mission.

DePaulo must make decision

Two-time Grade 3 winner Code Warrior is cross-entered in the $100,000 Sweet Briar Too here Saturday and Monday’s Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters. Trainer Mike DePaulo said he was on the fence regarding which 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares to run her in.

“My owner wants to go to Presque Isle, but the problem with that race is we’re going to have to give a horse like Ami’s Mesa 11 pounds, which is ridiculous,” DePaulo said.

DePaulo also entered Sister Nation in the Sweet Briar Too. She was eighth behind victorious Code Warrior in the Seaway Stakes on Aug. 26.

“Her last race wasn’t such a great race,” DePaulo said. Eurico Da Silva “thought he might have had her a little too close. Some of her other races, she’d fit in with these.”

Moonlit Promise had a horrible trip in traffic after breaking from the rail in the sevenfurlong Seaway, and drew the dreaded one-hole again for the Sweet Briar Too. Da Silva picks up the mount for the hot barn of trainer Josie Carroll, who’s adding blinkers to the mare’s equipment.

Malibu Bonnie ran fourth behind Gamble’s Ghost in the Grade 3 Ontario Matron and third in the Seaway.

◗ In the 12th and final race, there will be a mandatory payout on the Jackpot Hi 5, which has a carryover of $631,143.

MICHAEL BURNS Pink Lloyd, who has won 13 of his last 14 races – all stakes – has nine opponents in the Grade 3 Bold Venture on Saturday.