Pink Lloyd just gets up in Kenora Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd barely got the job done over stablemate Circle of Friends in the $100,000 Kenora Stakes, which was one of six stakes on Wednesday night’s Woodbine card for graduates of Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society yearling sales.

Over a Tapeta surface that produced slow clockings, Pink Lloyd ($2.30) closed strongly from fourth to win by a neck in a time of 1:10.75 for the six furlongs. Eurico Da Silva rode him for trainer Robert Tiller.

English Illusion ($19.40) survived a claim of foul when he upset 1-2 favorite Johnny Bear in the $100,000 Halton, in which he ran about 1 1/2 miles over good turf in 2:29.72. With Rafael Hernandez aboard, English Illusion was making his first start off a $45,000 claim by 4U Thoroughbred Racing Stable and trainer Sylvain Pion.

Kingsport ($5) set sleepy fractions in a gate-to-wire score over the favored Melmich in the $100,000 Elgin, a 1 1/16-mile route that was run in a slow 1:47.08. Trained by Sid Attard, Patrick Husbands rode the giant killer Kingsport for Goldmart Farm and Royal Laser Racing.

Late-running offspring of leading Ontario freshman sire Souper Speedy captured both 6 1/2-furlong juveniles stakes on the card. With Gary Boulanger up, Blessed Two ($17.10) won the $175,800 Simcoe for colts and geldings by a head over The Newfie Express. Speedy Soul ($15.10) manhandled the fillies in the $177,400 Muskoka, scoring by four lengths over first-timer Preferred Guest, with Kazushi Kimura riding for trainer Andrew Smith.

Owner Derek Chin and trainer Kevin Attard found the mark with Blessed Two and with Trini Brewnette in the $100,000 Algoma. Trini Brewnette ($13.40) ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.27, and gave Eurico Da Silva a double on the evening.