RUIDOSO DOWNS, N.M. -- Genuine Strawfly narrowly upset heavily favored Tres Seis in Sunday's 29th running of the Grade 1 $219,403 All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs. Tres Seis, the 3-to-5 wagering choice, hooked up with 8-to-1 longshot Genuine Strawfly from the first jumps of the 440-yard classic but could never forge ahead. Under jockey Antonio Escareno, Genuine Strawfly held Tres Seis at bay by a neck.

	Genuine Strawfly (4) edges Tres Seis (top) and A Real Man (3) in the All American Derby.

The narrow defeat marks the third time in Tres Seis' career that the John Bassett trainee has just missed in a Grade 1 marquee race. Tres Seis lost the 2001 All American Futurity and the July 20 Rainbow Derby by the same scant nose margins.

"We had a great trip," said Joe Badilla, rider of Tres Seis. "He didn't break as sharply as he did in his trial, but we have no excuses. We just got beat today."

Genuine Strawfly paid $18.40 to win, notching his second major derby score of the racing season. The son of Strawfly Special won the Grade 2 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby in June. The locally based Genuine Strawfly has now won four of 10 starts, 9 of which have come at Ruidoso Downs. He has now earned more than $180,000.

Carl Draper trains Genuine Strawfly for owners Ray Willis, Joyce McBride and Elmer Criswell. Genuine Strawfly was bred in Kansas by Ramich Farms and has developed into a top performer at age three. He lost all three starts as a juvenile

"I never doubted his ability, but he was the dumbest gate horse I'd ever trained in my life," Draper said. "So I turned him out, and brought him back with a clean mind, and this is the result."

A Real Man, winner of this spring's Grade 1 Remington Park Derby and Grade 1 Heritage Place Derby, finished a neck farther back in third. Don't Dink With Me, one of 10 qualifiers for the All American Derby final from the Aug. 16 trials, scratched, leaving a field of nine.

The biggest weekend of the Quarter Horse season continues with Monday's Labor Day fixture, the $2 million All American Futurity. Rainbow Derby winner First To Flash looks to give Bassett a third All American Futurity victory. The morning line favorite will face the strongest finals field in recent years, including track record-setting Ab What A Runner, the fastest qualifier in the history of the race.