Bankit slips through to win New York Derby

Under a heady ride from Eric Cancel, Bankit drove to a 1 1/4-length victory in the $150,000 New York Derby for New York-bred 3-year-olds Wednesday at Finger Lakes.

Sent of as the 5-2 second choice, Cancel had Bankit in the clear on the outside down the backstretch and around the far turn. At the three-sixteenths, Bankit threaded his way between 7-5 favorite Not That Brady and Just Right, slightly brushing both of them, and edged away in the final sixteenth. Not That Brady held well for second after cutting all of the pace, a half-length ahead of Just Right.

Owned by Willis Horton Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen, Bankit, a son of Central Banker, got the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.97.

Earlier on the card, Wait a Minute fought off heavy favorite Espresso Shot to win the $75,000 New York Oaks. The winner made the pace from just out into the track and held off an inside bid from 1-5 Espresso Shot from the half-mile pole to the wire under Jose Baez. Wait a Minute paid $7.60 as the second choice in the four-horse field and got the mile and a sixteenth in 1:48.17.