Pink Lloyd will try to win Kenora sales stakes for third straight year

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Canadian champion sprinter Pink Lloyd will look to win the $100,000 Kenora Stakes for the third consecutive year as part of sales stakes day at Woodbine on Wednesday night. The program features six stakes races worth $750,000 for graduates of the local yearling sale.

Pink Lloyd has begun his 2019 campaign with four consecutive stakes victories and is the 1-9 morning-line favorite in the Kenora. Last season, he combined with Robert Tiller-trained stablemate Circle of Friends for a one-two finish in the Kenora, and that scenario could very well be replicated this year, with Circle of Friends listed as the 12-1 third choice on the morning line.

Dixie’s Gamble, the 6-1 morning-line second choice, will be looking to play the role of spoiler in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and upward after finishing second to Pink Lloyd last time out in the Shepperton Stakes on Aug. 4.

The Kenora is scheduled as race 3 with post time set for 8:05 p.m. Eastern.

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◗ The stakes action gets underway with the second race on the card, the $100,000 Halton Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf. English Illusion won this event last year, and then proceeded to finish third in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes and ninth in the Grade 1 Canadian International. He will be making his first start of the year in the Halton for trainer Sylvain Pion, who also sends out King and His Court for the first time since claiming him for $40,000 on July 27.

King and His Court and Cooler Mike, trained by Nick Nosowenko, were both cross-entered in the $100,000 Elgin Stakes later on the card.

Other key contenders in the Halton include Ethical Funds and Eskiminzin.

◗ Red Cabernet, trained by Ian Black, captured the Eternal Search Stakes on the inner turf just two weeks ago and will make the switch to Tapeta for the $100,000 Algoma Stakes for fillies and mares. While she’s won just one of her nine starts on Tapeta, she did post her career-best Beyer Speed Figure on the surface when she earned a 90 while finishing second to Thor’s Rocket in the Overskate Stakes last October.

Hell N Wild will look to capture her first stakes win in the Algoma, and has hit the board in all five starts this year, all sprints. She ran her best race to date in her most recent start on Aug. 4, defeating open allowance company by 3 1/4 lengths in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint on Tapeta.

Other key contenders in the Algoma include Alice’s War and Crumlin Queen.

◗ In the first 2-year-old stakes of the night, the $175,000 Simcoe Stakes, Pinky Dude will look to build off of an impressive victory just 10 days ago on Aug. 18. Following a runner-up finish in his career debut on July 28, Pinky Dude came from a stalking position to win his second start by 4 1/4 lengths for trainer Michael Doyle.

The competitive Simcoe field also includes Mark Casse trainee Goldmine Cat, who will make his first start since his maiden victory against open company in June. He earned a 66 Beyer Speed Figure, drawing away from the field to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

Rockcrest was a debut winner for trainer Nigel Burke on July 28, and Lakeside Park was a gate-to-wire winner in his second start on Aug. 11.

◗ The $175,000 Muskoka Stakes for 2-year-old fillies drew a field of 10, led by debut winner She’s a Dream, who earned a 73 Beyer Speed Figure for trainer Josie Carroll on Aug. 10. She is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Paladin Bay.

Tara Dawn was second to She’s a Dream on Aug. 10, but was 7 3/4 lengths ahead of the third-place finisher, November Fog, who also is entered here.

Blessed Truly, a half-sister to Queen’s Plate winner One Bad Boy, figures to be bet down from her 15-1 morning line as she’ll add blinkers and jockey Eurico Da Silva following an eighth-place finish against open company in her career debut on Aug. 2.

◗ Rounding out the stakes action on the card is the $100,000 Elgin Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta. The Elgin field is led by Kingsport, who upset Melmich in this event last season for trainer Sid Attard. Kingsport is the even-money favorite on the morning line for the Elgin following a win in the Steady Growth Stakes on June 15 to kick off his 2019 campaign.

Thor’s Rocket will be looking to upset Kingsport after finishing third in the Steady Growth earlier this year. Since then, he finished second to Mr Ritz in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup Stakes on Aug. 11. Aheadbyacentury is also an interesting prospect, as he’ll add Da Silva and was a close fourth in the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes two starts back on June 30.

The field for the Elgin could be shortened to four if Cooler Mike and King and His Court remain in the Halton.