BREEDERS’ CUP RECAPS
Wilko surprises in Juvenile
J. Paul Reddam & Mrs. Susan Roy’s WILKO (Awesome Again)
was sent off the second longest shot on the board at 28-1 in
Saturday’s $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
(G1), but proved
best in the 1 1/16-mile test by three parts of a length. With
jockey Frankie Dettori in the irons, the Jeremy Noseda trainee
came with a late rally to pass Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet) in
upper stretch before crossing under the line in a final time of 1:42.
Racing wide throughout, Wilko was settled in third as Twice
Unbridled (Unbridled’s Song) set reasonable splits of :23 2/5 and
:47 2/5. The pacesetter began to fade and it was up to Sun King (Charismatic)
and Consolidator (Storm Cat) to fight for the next point of call,
which went to the former in 1:11 1/5.
However, neither one could hold off Afleet Alex, who took the
lead passing the quarter-pole en route to sewing up juvenile
championship honors. It was not to be, though, as Wilko and
Dettori suddenly appeared and surged past to get the victory at
the wire.
“I can’t believe it,” Dettori said after dismounting
with his patented flying leap. “I mean the horse worked well
on the dirt but we were just hoping to hit the board. I don’t
know what to say.”
Wilko rewarded his supporters with nice payouts of $58.60, $18.20
and $6.80 while keying the $254 exacta, $1,424.60 trifecta and $7,150.20
superfecta (8-3-1-4). Afleet Alex was the 3-1 third choice and
gave back $5 and $3.60 while Sun King, a neck back in third,
returned $5.60 at 6-1.
Consolidator finished another 1 1/4 lengths back in fourth and
next under the line were Roman Ruler (Fusaichi Pegasus), Proud
Accolade (Yes It’s True), Twice Unbridled and Scandinavia (Fusaichi
Pegasus).
Wilko was making his first U.S. start in the Juvenile and
scored his first stakes win in the process. Prior to Saturday,
the chestnut colt had posted five black-type placings in England,
including the Vintage S. (Eng-G2), Royal Lodge S. (Eng-G2) and
Superlative S. (Eng-G3). He now owns an 11-3-2-4 record to go
along with $880,494 in earnings.
Bred in Kentucky by Ro Parra, Wilko brought $75,000 as a
Keeneland September yearling. He is out of the winning Native
Roots (Ire) (Indian Ridge), who also has an unnamed weanling
filly by Talk is Money.