Pink Lloyd a little dinged up

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Pink Lloyd exited his troubled run in Sunday’s Grade 3 Jacques Cartier a little banged up, but the four-time Canadian champion sprinter could be healed up in time for the Grade 3 Vigil on Aug. 1, according to trainer Robert Tiller.

Off a seven-month layoff, 9-year-old gelding Pink Lloyd was trying to win the sixfurlong Jacques Cartier for the fifth year in a row. Shortly after the break, he was bumped by Joker On Jack and then trailed the six-horse field on the backstretch before closing for second behind Souper Stonehenge, who had smooth sailing in his fourlength score.

“He got a nasty cut on his right front,” Tiller said. “It’s been treated. He had a puncture hole there that’s showing signs of healing up. You can’t stitch that area because it’s right on the bend of the ankle, where a horse can run down. He’s very sound. I believe we’ll have it under control very shortly. He had several other little wounds on his hind legs.

“I’m not saying he could have beaten the winner. The winner had everything his own way and was awesome. [Pink Lloyd] still ran his eyeballs out and didn’t have the best of trips. I’m very proud of him. He hadn’t run in seven months. I was dubious of how he would run. I was very happy with the effort, and not surprised that he got beat.”

Tiller said Pink Lloyd will be retired by year’s end. The plan has been to send him to the LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, where he should be a popular attraction for visitors to LongRun’s farm west of Toronto.

“We’re going to see how he is, go one race at a time,” Tiller said. “Each race could be his last race, including this one. As soon as he shows us that he’s not right and doesn’t want to do it anymore, he’s not going to run again. He will not run as a 10-year-old. We love this horse.”

Trainer Mark Casse said Souper Stonehenge will make his next start in the $150,000 Vigil, and a rematch with Pink Lloyd would be highly anticipated. When they met for the first time in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road here on Nov. 21, Souper Stonehenge saved ground while Pink Lloyd took the overland route. They finished second and third behind the Casse-trained Ride a Comet.

◗ Friday’s eight-race card is made up exclusively of claimers. The fifth, a $5,000 sprint, includes the 10-year-old geldings Abbaa and Slip Kid among a field of eight.

Badjeros Boy, a 9-year-old stretch-runner, is dropping from a key $7,500 claimer following a layoff. He will try to catch Victor’s Destiny, who should be the controlling speed in his second start off the shelf.

Friday’s post time is 4:50 p.m.