Tiller gets off to hot start at meet

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Robert Tiller has gotten off to a fast start at the Woodbine meet, thanks to the popular champion Pink Lloyd and two offspring of the hot Ontario sire Souper Speedy – Ari Gold Speedwagn and Ciuri.

Through Sunday, Tiller had won with 9 of 25 starters, or a 36 percent win clip.

“That’s not going to last,” Tiller said. “We’re running out of horses to run. We have a lot of 2-year-olds. I didn’t see this coming, and I’m very pleased with the way things have gone.”

Pink Lloyd, the 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year and a two-time champion sprinter, captured the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes for the third straight year May 4 while flirting with his own six-furlong synthetic-track record. The 7-year-old is nominated to the $125,000 Greenwood Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for Ontario-breds here May 25, and Tiller said “there’s a very good possibility he’ll run.”

“Pink Lloyd is a day-to-day, race-to-race horse, and he’s doing great,” Tiller said.

Pink Lloyd’s 3-year-old half-brother, Ari Gold Speedwagn, lugged in through the stretch when second on debut April 21. Last Saturday, he dominated open maiden special company in a five-length tally, running six furlongs in 1:09.40 on a quick surface.

Tiller said adding blinkers to Ari Gold Speedwagn’s equipment led to an improved performance from the $65,000 yearling purchase.

“His race was better than I thought he’d throw,” Tiller said. “A little set of blinkers helped him. ‘Cheaters’ made him pay attention.”

Tiller described Ari Gold Speedwagn as immature, and said he’s reluctant to rush him into a two-turn experiment in advance of the June 29 Queen’s Plate.

“I think he’ll get seven-eighths,” Tiller said. “He’s a big, gangly, Pluto kind of horse. I think he’ll get better. To try to make a Plate horse out of him, I don’t know about that.”

Ciuri, a half-sister to the Grade 2-winning millionaire sprinter Something Extra, was a bargain $20,000 yearling. She won both of her races at the meet in front-running fashion, including an Ontario-sired allowance last Sunday.

“We always knew she could run,” Tiller said. “She’s all heart. We bought her cheap at the sale. She’s not perfect conformation-wise. I think she’s got quality.”

Tiller said Ciuri is aiming for a nonwinners-of-three allowance. Like Pink Lloyd and Ari Gold Speedwagn, she is owned by Entourage Stable.

Souper Speedy was Canada’s leading freshman sire last year. The 10-year-old son of Indian Charlie ranks fifth among all Canadian sires in 2019 progeny earnings.

“Souper Speedy is going to be a great sire, but they’re all very plain looking,” Tiller said. “They’re plain Janes, but boy, do they run. I don’t get high on sires, but he excites me.”

Souper Speedy stands at T.C. Westmeath Stud Farm near Orangeville, Ontario.