Steve Owens believes patience and careful planning have brought Poulin in O T back to peak condition, and the accomplished Ontario-bred sprinter will bid to add another notable success when he lines up in Sunday’s $100,000 Pink Lloyd Stakes at Woodbine.
Pink Lloyd Stakes 2026.
The six-furlong contest has attracted a field of seven Ontario-sired runners aged four and upwards, with Poulin in O T returning to stakes company after a promising start to his campaign. The race offers another opportunity for the consistent gelding to strengthen his impressive record against some of the province’s leading sprinters.
Owens, a multiple graded stakes-winning trainer, is chasing his 21st career stakes victory and believes the six-year-old arrives at the race in excellent shape after overcoming another significant challenge in his career.
A son of Reload out of the Dance Brightly mare Town Dance, Poulin in O T has built an admirable record of eight wins, two seconds and six thirds from 22 starts while earning more than $425,000 in prize money. His consistency has made him one of Ontario’s most dependable sprint performers.
The gelding spent eight months away from competition after undergoing surgery to remove a bone chip from his ankle following a runner-up effort at Woodbine last spring. Rather than rushing him back, Owens opted for a patient rehabilitation programme before preparing him at Gulfstream earlier this year.
That approach quickly produced results. Poulin in O T returned with a convincing starter allowance victory in March, earning an 80 Beyer Speed Figure and providing reassurance that the lengthy absence had not diminished his ability.
Owens admitted the gelding was not quite at his sharpest when finishing third in the Thorncliffe Stakes on his return to Woodbine in May, believing the horse carried a little more condition than ideal after travelling back from Florida.
Adjustments have since been made, and the trainer says his stable star is fitter and moving better ahead of Sunday’s assignment.
Three consecutive bullet workouts have further strengthened confidence. Poulin in O T covered four furlongs in 46.40 seconds on June 21 before matching that time a week later, maintaining the steady preparation Owens favours.
The trainer credits a routine centred on long, relaxed exercise between timed workouts for helping keep the experienced sprinter both sound and enthusiastic.
Poulin in O T announced his talent early in his career with a dominant debut victory at Woodbine in June 2022 before stepping straight into stakes company to win the Victoria Stakes by more than three lengths. He finished his juvenile campaign with four wins from six starts and earned recognition as a finalist for Canada’s Champion Two-Year-Old Male honour.
Sunday’s race will be the 12th stakes appearance of his career, a target Owens identified well in advance.
Rather than exploring alternative opportunities earlier in the season, the stable deliberately mapped out a campaign aimed at the Pink Lloyd Stakes, believing it offered the ideal platform for the gelding’s return to top-level provincial sprint competition.
Owens and fellow trainer Tara Neigel remain closely involved in the horse’s daily care, with the trainer noting that their hands-on approach has been central to managing a horse who has recovered from multiple surgeries during his career.
The Pink Lloyd Stakes 2026 also celebrates one of Canada’s greatest modern sprinters. Pink Lloyd won 29 of his 38 races, captured 26 stakes victories at Woodbine and earned multiple Sovereign Awards, including Horse of the Year, before retiring to the LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society.
Pink Lloyd Stakes 2026
With proven stakes form, encouraging recent performances and a carefully managed preparation behind him, Poulin in O T looks well placed to mount another serious challenge as he seeks to add the Pink Lloyd Stakes 2026 to an already distinguished résumé.
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