Quip edges out Lone Sailor to win Oaklawn Handicap

WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing’s Quip made a successful return to Oaklawn Park, holding off Lone Sailor by a neck to win the Grade 2, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap for older horses before an estimated crowd of 45,000 on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Quip surged to the lead near the sixteenth pole under Jose Ortiz and had just enough to outlast Lone Sailor, who closed strongly in the middle of the track under Flavien Prat. It was another neck back to pacesetter Pioneer Spirit in third, with Remembering Rita another neck farther back in fourth.

Quip, a 4-year-old Distorted Humor colt trained by Rodolphe Brisset, finished second in last year’s $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1). Quip, who carried 116 pounds, returned paid $13, $7.40 and $6.20. The winning time for 1 1/8 miles over a sloppy track was 1:50.21.

“We were expecting to be close," Brisset said. "He looked like on the backside, the horse was not really taking us anywhere, but he was keeping position. He had to make an early move and was very wide on the turn, but the horse ran his usual race.

"He’s been taking us on a fun ride. It’s very sweet. This horse is special. I had no idea (if Quip won). Lone Sailor made his usual run. He came running at the end. I’m sure it was a short nose.”

Quip won for the fourth time in eight starts to raise his career earnings to $942,500.