Allamerican Bertie Daylight Winner of Delaware Oaks

Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein's Allamerican Bertie won the Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park by 6 1/4-lengths on Saturday under Larry Melancon.

The 3-year-old daughter of Quiet American--Clever Bertie, by Timeless Native, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.81 over a fast main track. The 9-5 favorite Alternate, with Ramon Dominguez, astride ran second and it was another 3 1/4 lengths further back to Pass the Virtue, with Alberto Delgado aboard, in third.

Allamerican Bertie returned $7.40. The Kentucky-bred trained by Steve Flint improved her record to four wins from seven starts with earnings of $240,000.

"We will probably run her in the Alabama," said Flint, referring to the grade I race at Saratoga on Aug. 17. "The mile and a quarter really intrigues me."

"We wanted to commit to being closer to the pace today," said Ramon Dominguez aboard Alternate. "She got a little more aggressive than I wanted. You can tell by the way the fractions went. I cannot take anything away from the winner. She was racing beside and she ran a very strong race. Therefore, I thought my filly had a pretty good performance herself."

"I did not think she handled the racetrack real well," said Garrett Gomez aboard Adoration. "The dirt splattered in her face going around the first turn. I got her to the outside, where I thought she would be very comfortable. But she never really responded to that spot. All the way down the backside I felt her struggling on me. I was hoping that once something came to her, then maybe she will go to running. She did try to run until about the middle turn. At the middle the turn, a horse went by her and when that horse went by her, she gave it up completely on me. This was not her performance today. She just did not get hold of the racetrack real well. It was her first time out of California and all she has known is California racetracks. It will help her in the long run as far as her seasoning. I have not lost any confidence her. I still think she is just as good as when she came into the race."

"The first thing I wanted to do was to get her to relax," said winning rider Melancon. "The last time I rode her, she did not relax. Today she broke and really settled. I had her in hand and when she turned for home she just exploded."

(Chart, Equibase)