Milk It Mick upsets Kilroe in thriller

ARCADIA, Calif. - Milk it Mick ended a 10-race losing streak dating back to October 2003 in the $300,000 , a race in which the first eight finishers were within 1 3/4 lengths at the wire.

Milk it Mick finished a head in front of Aragorn, who was a nose in front of Chinese Dragon. Cacique, the 7-5 favorite, finished fourth, a head behind Chinese Dragon.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Milk it Mick ($26.80) finished a mile on turf in 1:34.49.

Winning trainer Jim Cassidy credited Desormeaux for his ride.

"He put a brilliant ride on him," Cassidy said. "We wanted to cover him up. We had to use him a bit and we were able to get him tucked in."

Milk it Mick was sixth for the first half-mile, racing two or three lengths behind pacesetter Willow o Wisp, who set early fractions of 22.80 and 46.58 seconds. On the final turn, Desormeaux guided Milk it Mick into contention with a three-wide rally, avoiding the wider rally that plagued Cacique, who was eight wide entering the stretch.

Milk it Mick hit the front in the final furlong but was fully extended to win.

"That stretch was getting longer by the second," Cassidy said. "He won't get a tougher field than this unless a few new faces show up."

Milk it Mick, 5, races for Paul Dixon and has won 6 of 22 starts and $598,752. The Grade 1 Kilroe was Milk it Mick's second start in the United States. He finished second in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes in his U.S. debut in January. Prior to Saturday, Milk it Mick had not won since the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes in England in 2003.