updated 4:03 p.m. ET Oct. 31, 2004

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - European invader Wilko pulled off an upset in the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Saturday, leaving trainers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito disappointed in their 2-year-old American colts.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Wilko covered 1 1-16 miles in 1:42.09 and paid $58.60 — the third-biggest upset in the 21-year history of the Juvenile. He won by three-quarters of a length.

“I can’t believe it,” said Dettori, who thrilled the fans with his usual flying dismount in the winner’s circle.

Bred in Kentucky, 28-1 shot Wilko was running in the United States for the first time and on dirt for the first time. He had two victories in 10 previous starts, all in England. His sire is Awesome Again, the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner.

The upset cast doubt upon the quality of the six American colts in the race. The eight-horse field was the smallest in the Juvenile since 1997, when eight ran at Hollywood Park.

Afleet Alex was second and the Zito-trained Sun King was third. Those horses also finished in the same order in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park.

“He ran his guts out, but I think we would have done better on the outside,” Zito said. “That’s been two races he’s been down on the rail. I wish he (Edgar Prado) didn’t put him down there.”

Consolidator, trained by Lukas, was fourth. Roman Ruler, the 2-1 wagering favorite trained by Baffert, was fifth.

“You’ve got to be aggressive with this horse,” Baffert said. “He’s got to be ridden a certain way and we are trying to figure out his style.”

Jockey Corey Nakatani said Roman Ruler didn’t have good footing on the dirt.

“He’s better than that,” he said.

Proud Accolade was sixth, followed by Twice Unbridled and Ireland-based Scandinavia.

The Juvenile winner is usually tabbed as the winter favorite for next year’s Kentucky Derby, though none have followed that up with a victory at Churchill Downs. London-born trainer Jeremy Noseda, who had never started a horse in the Breeders’ Cup, said Wilko will stay in the United States, although the colt will be transferred to California-based trainer Craig Dollase.

“I didn’t think we had anything to lose. I thought we could get a piece of it,” Noseda said. “This feels fabulous.”

Wilko is owned by Englishwoman Susan Roy (who owned 2002 Belmont Stakes winner Sarava, a 70-1 long shot) and Canadian J. Paul Reddam, who purchased a 75 percent interest in the colt earlier this month.

The biggest Juvenile upset was 41-1 shot Action This Day last year at Santa Anita. Anees was 30-1 when he won in 1999 at Gulfstream Park.

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