Lil Milo captures stakes debut in Clocker's Corner

ARCADIA, Calif. – A small amount of coaxing was all Lil Milo needed to record his first stakes win in Sunday’s $89,200 Clocker’s Corner Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Lil Milo ($14.20) was within three lengths of the front before jockey Ruben Fuentes urged his mount in early stretch.

“I was stalking the pace and no one was coming to me,” Fuentes said. “Turning for home, I smooched to him a little bit and he was gone.”

Lil Milo was timed in 1:02.62. He finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of 2-1 favorite Ghoul, who was disqualified and placed fifth after a stewards' inquiry. Ghoul was ruled to have drifted to the inside in the stretch and interfering with Double Touch.

As a result of the disqualification, What’sontheagenda, Ax Man and Double Touch were promoted one position to second through fourth.

Oiseau de Guerre and Bay Muzik completed the order of finish in the field of seven. Bay Muzik set an early pace of 22.21 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.72 for a half-mile before fading through the stretch.

Lil Milo races for Jack Weinstein and Robert Cannon. Weinstein bred Lil Milo, a 5-year-old California-bred gelding by Rocky Bar. Lil Milo, trained by Alfredo Marquez, was eighth in the restricted Lure Stakes at a mile on turf in his stakes debut last October.

More recently, Lil Milo was a troubled third in an optional claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf here on Dec. 29 racing in traffic through the final three furlongs.

The Clocker’s Corner Stakes was the first stakes win for the 71-year-old Marquez since Melanyhasthepapers won the Cougar II Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2006.

Lil Milo has won 5 of 13 starts and earned $218,625. He won a $50,000 claimer for maidens in his third start in November 2018.