Making Money Betting Pink Lloyd in the Vigil Stakes

September 3rd, 2020 by Mike Curry

Pink Lloyd, shown winning the Bold Venture Stakes last month, tries for a fourth consecutive win in the Vigil Stakes Saturday at Woodbine. (Michael Burns/Woodbine Photo)

Superstar sprinter Pink Lloyd, a six-time Sovereign Award winner and the 2017 Canadian Horse of the Year, will try to win the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes for the fourth straight year Saturday at Woodbine.

The 8-year-old Old Forester gelding has shown no signs of slowing down in 2020 with three wins in as many starts, and he already has defeated six of the eight horses entered in the Vigil, including the second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers behind him when he won the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes Aug. 15 at Woodbine.

With 25 wins in 31 career starts and an 18-for-19 record at this three-quarter-mile distance, filling out the exacta and/or trifecta underneath Pink Lloyd has been a better proposition than trying to beat him in a spot like this. So, that’s how we’ll approach betting the Vigil – using #7 Pink Lloyd on top trying to find value underneath.

I like #3 Not So Quiet’s chances to run a big race after he led in the stretch when facing Pink Lloyd in the Shepperton Stakes before fading to fourth, beaten by three lengths. With a strong workout Aug. 26, I think he’ll be sent to the front and he could hold on gamely late to finish second. His 12-1 odds on the morning line are very appealing. Trainer Mark Casse’s top rider, Kazushi Kimura, opted to ride stablemate #6 Olympic Runner, but he’s a closer and I think No So Quiet could be dangerous with the early lead or even from a pressing position.

I’ll also use #9 Roaring Forties, who should improve in his second start as a 4-year-old after fading to fourth in the Bold Venture when returning from a seven-month layoff. I’d expect to get every bit of the 12-1 odds on the morning line and they could drift even higher for a trainer/jockey combination (Daniel Vella-Justin Stein) that shows a nice return on investment.

My plan is to play Not So Quiet and Roaring Forties under Pink Floyd in the exacta and add in the aforementioned Olympic Runner (runner-up to Pink Lloyd in the Bold Venture) for my trifecta play.

Exacta strategy on a $20 Budget

$10 exacta: 7 with 3,9 ($20)

What to say at the betting window: Woodbine, ninth race, $10 exacta 7 with 3,9

Trifecta strategy on a $20 Budget

$3 trifecta: 7 with 3,6,9 with 3,6,9 ($18)

What to say at the betting window: Woodbine, ninth race, $3 trifecta 7 with 3,6,9 with 3,6,9