Pink Lloyd

Pink Lloyd began his five-year-old campaign in the listed six-furlong Jacques Cartier Stakes on April 15, 2017 – opening day at Woodbine.[6] He was bumped at the start but soon settled in second behind a fast early pace set by Conquest Tsunami. Put to a drive turning into the stretch, he took over the lead in mid-stretch and then held off a late run from Commute to win by three-quarters of a length.[7]

His next start was on May 6 in the New Providence Stakes, a six-furlong race restricted to horses sired by Ontario-based stallions. Going off as the odds-on favorite, Pink Lloyd raced in mid-pack for the first half mile, then circled wide for an easy win.[8] He followed up with a wire-to-wire victory in the Achievement Stakes on June 10.[9]

Pink Lloyd earned his first graded stakes win in the Vigil Stakes on July 16, run at a distance of seven furlongs. He took the early lead then withstood multiple challenges at the top of the stretch before drawing off to win by ​2 ¹⁄₄ lengths.[10] "He's a gift from God, that's what I think," said Tiller. "At the barn, he's difficult. He's a big boy and he loves to make you worry."[11]

Pink Lloyd followed up with wins in the Shepperton Stakes on August 12 and the Kenora Stakes on August 30 in restricted stakes company. During the latter race, he tore off the horseshoe on his right hind hoof, resulting in a cut and a quarter crack.[2] He was given a few weeks to recover, then returned in the seven-furlong Overskate Stakes on October 29. He broke a half-stride behind the rest of the field, then settled about seven lengths behind the fast early pace set by Singandcryindubai. Turning into the stretch, he made an "eye-catching move" to take the lead and then drew away for a four-length victory.[12]

Pink Lloyd's final start of the season came in the Kennedy Road Stakes on November 25. He pulled his way to the early lead, challenged on both sides down the backstretch and into the far turn. Drawing away from his early challengers at the top of the stretch, he turned back one last challenge and won by ​2 ¹⁄₄ lengths. "I thought I was going to be a little more behind the pace, but he brought me there," said jockey Eurico Rosa Da Silva. "He was really, really easy. But there's always horses around him, he's an aggressive horse."[13]

Pink Lloyd completed the season with eight stakes race wins from eight starts – believed to be the longest stakes-winning streak ever at Woodbine Racetrack.[13] At the Sovereign Awards, he was named Canadian Horse of the Year, Champion Sprinter and Champion Older Male Horse.[14]

Pink Lloyd was given some time off over the winter at a farm in Ontario, then resumed training in January 2018.[15] He made his first start of the year in the Jacques Cartier Stakes on April 21. Tiller was somewhat concerned as the gelding had missed a workout due to weather problems and jockey Da Silva was serving a suspension.[16] Under jockey Rafael Hernandez, Pink Lloyd settled behind the early leader Conquest Enforcer, who completed the first quarter mile in 21.96 seconds. Pink Lloyd then made a powerful move rounding the far turn to take control, drawing away to win by three-quarters of a length while setting a new track record of 1:08.05 for six furlongs. "I've ridden against him, and every time he's beat me," said Hernandez. "He beat me eight times. I finally get on him, and I won the race."[15]

Pink Lloyd extended his winning streak to ten with his second victory in the New Providence Stakes on May 13. Reunited with Da Silva, he broke quickly but was soon passed by Marten River, who completed the first quarter mile in 22.70 seconds. Pink Lloyd then moved back to the lead, withstood a challenge from Lokinforpursemonee around the far turn, and drew off to win by ​6 ¹⁄₄ lengths. "I was fighting with him to sit second," said Da Silva, "and another horse started lugging out and I just went beside him and he took off from there. He said, 'You know what, let me do my job,' and he started running. He's a very special horse."[17]

On June 3, Pink Lloyd went off as the 1-10 favorite in the Achievement Stakes against only three rivals. He broke poorly but then rushed up to challenge Lokinforpursemonee for the lead. The two set brisk fractions as they dueled around the turn, then Pink Lloyd pulled away down the stretch to win by three lengths. The win took his career earnings over C$1 million. It was his eleventh straight win.[18]

Pink Lloyd's winning streak finally came to an end in the Shepperton Stakes on July 8. He tossed his head in the starting gate and broke poorly, slamming sideways into Jack's Escarpment. He then rushed forward to enter into a speed duel with Boreal Spirit, completing the first quarter-mile in 22.43 seconds and the first half in 44.86. He started to pull clear in the stretch, but could not hold off the closing drive of Kingsport and Jack's Escarpment, finishing third.[19] "Bad luck that my horse broke too sharp," said Da Silva. "When I tried to take him back, he was fighting me, and I let him run. I made that decision and I had to live with it."[20]

Pink Lloyd spiked a fever two days after the Shepperton but was soon back in training. On July 29, he went off as the 2-5 favorite in a field of six contesting the Vigil Stakes. He settled in the middle of the pack for the first half mile then moved to the outside as they rounded the final turn. In the stretch, Pink Lloyd accelerated and drew clear to win by two lengths over Yorktown, with Jack's Escarpment another ​2 ¹⁄₄ lengths back in third.[21] He followed up on August 29 with a win in the Kenora Stakes when he overcame a poor start to catch Circle of Friends in the final strides.[22]

On September 15, Pink Lloyd went off as the even-money favourite in the Bold Venture Stakes. Shortly after being loaded, he broke through the starting gate and struggled against Da Silva's attempts to pull him up, resulting in a fall for Da Silva. Pink Lloyd was captured by the outrider, then was remounted by Da Silva and loaded again. When the race finally began, Pink Lloyd settled in mid-pack and failed to respond when they turned for home, finishing fifth. "He was too sharp, I guess," said Tiller. "He got away with that (breaking through the gate) once last year, but that’s not a good thing."[23]

Pink Lloyd made his final start of the year in the Overskate Stakes on October 27. He again broke poorly, then settled in fourth place. Around the final turn, he moved to the lead but then tired and finished fourth. After the race, it was reported that he bled, indicating trouble with his breathing.[24] Tiller announced that the gelding would be given time to "heal up his little issues" before re-entering training.[25]

Pink Lloyd finished the year with five wins from eight starts and was named the Canadian Champion Sprinter of 2018.[26]

Pink Lloyd began his seven-year-old campaign on May 4, 2019 with his third win in the Jacques Cartier Stakes. Carrying top weight of 124 pounds (56 kg) in a field of twelve, Pink Lloyd broke well and rated behind a fast early pace. In the stretch, he steadily closed ground and pulled away in the final strides to win by a length.[26]

Pink Lloyd was supposed to make his second start of the year on May 25 in the $125,000 Greenwood Stakes. However, a thunderstorm started just as the field was nearing the starting gate, causing the race to be postponed.[27] The race was rescheduled on June 1, with Pink Lloyd going off as the 3-10 favorite in a field of seven. He rated in mid-pack, then started his move rounding the far turn. He opened a three-length lead in midstretch then held off the closing run of Marten Lake to win by ​1 ³⁄₄ lengths.[28]

On July 14, Pink Lloyd earned his third victory in the Vigil Stakes, overcoming a career high weight assignment of 127 pounds (conceding the rest of the field from 5 to 9 pounds. He rated behind the early pace then "inhaled"[29] the early leaders in the stretch to win by ​4 ¹⁄₂ lengths. Tiller called him "the greatest sprinter there ever was in Canada."[30]

Pink Lloyd extended his new winning streak to five with victories in the Shepperton Stakes on August 4 and the Kenora Stakes on August 29.[1] The streak was broken though in the Bold Venture Stakes on September 14 after he broke through the starting gate and was deemed a non-starter.[31]

Pink Lloyd made his final start of the year as the 3-5 favorite in the Kennedy Road Stakes on November 23. He trailed the field of eight down the backstretch then swung wide on the turn as he moved into position. He moved to the lead at the eighth pole and won by ​1 ¹⁄₄ lengths. Da Silva was emotional after the race as he was retiring at the end of the season and knew this would be his last race with Pink Lloyd. "There was so much trouble in front of me, and I just took him back and said 'Boy, we need to go outside'," he said. "There's only one horse who could do it. His name is Pink Lloyd."[32]

Pink Lloyd was narrowly edged out by Starship Jubilee in the 2019 Sovereign Award voting for Canadian Horse of the Year, losing by 105 votes to 108. He was named Canadian Champion Sprinter for the third year in a row and Champion Older Male Horse for the second time.[33]

Pink Lloyd's eight-year-old debut was delayed by the closure of Woodbine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[34] On June 25, 2020, he won the Jacques Cartier for a record fourth time.[35][36]