Pink Lloyd wins Shepperton, extends streak to eight

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The unstoppable champion Pink Lloyd won the $100,000 Shepperton Stakes for the third time Thursday evening at Woodbine, giving jockey Rafael Hernandez his fourth winner on the card.

After breaking from the rail under 128 pounds, Pink Lloyd raced in third along the backstretch while tugging a little at Hernandez. Not So Quiet set moderate fractions while being pressed by Dun Drum, as Souper Success kept Pink Lloyd boxed in along the inside.

Souper Success faded nearing the quarter pole, enabling Hernandez to angle Pink Lloyd outside for a clear path. Pink Lloyd inhaled the leaders inside the eighth pole and went on to prevail by 1 3/4 lengths under a hand ride, in a time of 1:16.44 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.

Silent Jimmie rallied stoutly on the outside to finish second over Dun Drum. Not So Quiet faded to fourth in the six-horse field of older Ontario-sired runners.

Trained by Robert Tiller, Pink Lloyd was coming off a workmanlike score in his season opener in the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier.

“He’s back,” Hernandez said. “Last time, I had to work him hard to get there. After [this] race, I told Bob, now he’s ready, 100 percent. He showed up today. He just broke out of the gate and settled behind good. He switched leads in the stretch and re-broke.”

Pink Lloyd ($2.60) earned $60,000 for Entourage Stable. It was the 21st stakes victory and eight straight win for the 8-year-old gelding by Old Forester, who won the Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion sprinter in each of the last three years.