TORONTO, July 27, 2025 – Its Time to Shine was able to fend off a furious finish from stablemate Junior Hot Shot to take the $100,000 Pink Lloyd Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine. Making his second stakes appearance – he was third in last year’s Lake Erie – John Ross trainee Its Time to Shine blasted out of the gates and was joined immediately by Maakwa in the six-furlong main track race for Ontario-sired 4-year-olds and up. It was Maakwa who eventually struck front, holding a half-length advantage over Its Time to Shine through a lively opening quarter in :21.89, but the latter wrested away the lead ahead of the half in :44.61. Jose Campos, aboard the 4-year-old colt, looked to sprint away from their pursuers in early stretch, hugging the rail and digging in as challengers, including even-money choice and multiple stakes winner Junior Hot Shot, came calling mid-way down the lane. At the wire, Its Time to Shine held on for a head score. Junior Hot Shot finished one-length clear of Light the Lamp. Last American Exit was fourth. Poseidon Steel was scratched. The final time was 1:10.27. Its Time to Shine winning Sunday’s Pink Lloyd Stakes. (Michael Burns Photo) “We made a Plan and a Plan B,” said Campos. “Its Time to Shine is a difficult horse to ride, so I said that I better go. For one moment, I thought, ‘I don’t know’ at the end, but the horse gave me everything he has from the gate to wire.” “They are both beautiful horses,” said Ross, who watched Its Time to Shine turn the tables on Junior Hot Shot one race after the latter notched a one-length win over the former on June 29. “Junior kind of showed a little bit more step near the end – I thought he (jockey, Rafael Hernandez) rode a nice race on the horse, and the other side of the coin is that [Its] Time to Shine is slowly improving and coming to the forefront even more. He kind of showed it today.” “They both ran great races,” continued the multiple graded stakes winning conditioner, who co-owns the winner with Rijack Farm and Jim Aston. “I was very, very happy. Why wouldn’t I be?” Bred by Ericka Rusnak, Its Time to Shine, a son of Souper Speedy out of the Eddington mare, champion Platinum Steel, is now 5-3-2 from 16 starts. The bay debuted on May 12, 2024, at Woodbine, and finished second, a head back of the winner, in a 6 ½-furlong main track race. He broke his maiden in his fourth start, on July 28 of that year, at the same distance and over the same surface. He won three consecutive races from December 15, 2024, to May 18, 2025. Its Time to Shine was a $40,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2022 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale. He paid $10.80 for the win. The race, previously known as the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes, is named after one of Canada’s greatest all-time sprinters. Bred in Ontario in 2012, sprint superstar Pink Lloyd won 29 of 38 starts and earned $2.4 million (CDN) under the guidance of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer Robert Tiller. Bred by John Carey and owned by Entourage Stable, Jr., Pink Lloyd was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2023. Following his retirement from the track, his connections donated him to LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, where he continues to be a popular draw with racing fans who visit their farm. -30- Chris Lomon, Woodbine Share This:Share
