Frankel's No Slip Wins Oak Tree Derby; Startac Sixth

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From Santa Anita
No Slip posted a nose victory over Sligo Bay in the $150,000 Oak Tree Derby for 3-year-olds Saturday at Santa Anita Park.

A lightly raced French-bred, No Slip ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.56 and paid $13.20, $7.80 and $4.20. Kent Desormeaux rode the winner at 118 pounds for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel and owners John and Jerome Amerman.

Sligo Bay, Laffit Pincay Jr. riding at 118 pounds, finished second and returned $7.40 and $3.40. Romanceishope, the betting favorite ridden by Chris McCarron at 122 pounds, was a neck back in third and paid $2.40.

Sigfreto, Mister Approval, Startac, Huggy Boy, Lasting Tribute and Hadrian's Wall completed the order of finish.

No Slip, far back early, entered the stretch in sixth place, rallied boldly on the outside, and won a head-bob over Sligo Bay.

"The race set up very nice," Desormeaux said. "My horse did everything I asked him, when I asked him."

Sligo Bay stalked early leader Sigfreto, made his bid at the head of the stretch and suffered a tough loss.

"He ran a good race, he really tried," Pincay said.

Trained by Andre Fabre in France, No Slip made his American debut with a half-length victory in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Del Mar last month. The Exit to Nowhere colt finished out of the money in Group III events at Chantilly and Longchamp last spring.

The Oak Tree Derby was only the sixth career start for No Slip. He has a 3-0-1 record and the $90,000 first prize bumped his earnings to $149,528.

(Chart, Equibase)

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