Wilko (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Wilko


caption =
sire = Awesome Again
grandsire = Deputy Minister
dam = Native Roots
damsire = Indian Ridge
sex = Stallion
foaled = 2002
country = United States flagicon|USA
colour = Chestnut
breeder = Rosendo Parra
owner = J. Paul Reddam & Mrs. Susan Roy
trainer = Jeremy Noseda
record = 29: 3-3-10
earnings = $2,435,133
race = Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2004)
awards=
honours =
updated= September 9, 2007

Wilko (foaled January 13, 2002 in Kentucky) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in the United Kingdom and in the United States. Sired by Awesome Again, winner of the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic, he was out of the mare, Native Roots. His damsire was the British horse Indian Ridge, a sire of Breeders' Cup Mile winners Domedriver and Ridgewood Pearl, the latter also voted the 1995 European Horse of the Year. Bred by Rosendo Parra, Wilko was purchased by Mrs. Susan Roy at the September 2003 Keeneland Sales for $75,000, an amount that in Thoroughbred racing is very small.

Susan Roy raced Wilko as a two-year-old in the United Kingdom, where he won two races and had his best result in a stakes race with a second place finish in the Vintage Stakes to Shamardal who would become that year's European Two-Year-Old Champion. Wilko also ran third in the Superlative, Royal Lodge and Chesham Stakes. At the beginning of October 2004, American businessman J. Paul Reddam purchased a 75% interest in the colt and brought him to the United States to run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, held that year at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Racing on dirt for the first time in his career, Wilko was ridden by British jockey Frankie Dettori in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The field included the betting favorite Roman Ruler, a son of Fusaichi Pegasus who had won the Best Pal and Norfolk Stakes, plus Afleet Alex who had won the Sanford Stakes and the Grade I Hopeful Stakes. Given little consideration by bettors, Wilko was sent off as a 28-1 long shot but ran the race of his life and came home a winner by a length over Afleet Alex. It would turn out to be the colt's last win but he proved to be a durable horse and in his next start, and the last of 2004, he ran third in the Hollywood Futurity behind runner-up Giacomo and winner Declan's Moon who would be voted that year's American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.

In 2005, Wilko made six starts without a win then in 2006 went winless again but finished a solid second to Electrocutionist in the Dubai World Cup. He returned to racing in 2007 but fared poorly and was retired in August. In September, Wilko was acquired by Frank Stronach's Adena Springs breeding operation and will stand at stud at their Ocala, Florida facility where his sire Awesome Again is also located.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/wilko Wilko's pedigree and partial racing stats]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MexQclpO6ic Video at YouTube of Wilko's win in the 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile]