Editing Slip Anchor (section)

==Racing career==
As a two-year-old in 1984, Slip Anchor finished fourth on his debut. In October, he ran in a ten [[furlong]] race at [[Nottingham Racecourse]], and, despite showing inexperience ("running green"), he won by four lengths from Rushad. At the end of the year, he was given a rating of 91 by Timeform, whose editor described him as "sure to go on to better things".<ref name="Timeform1984">{{cite book | author=Timeform| title = Racehorses of 1984| publisher=Timeform | year = 1985| isbn = 0-900599-40-5}}</ref>

Slip Anchor finished third on his first appearance as a three-year-old before winning the [[Newmarket Stakes|Heathorn Stakes]] at [[Newmarket Racecourse]] in May. On his next appearance, he was sent to Lingfield for the [[Lingfield Derby Trial|Highland Spring Derby Trial]]. Cecil had not regarded the colt particularly highly and treated the event as an easy opportunity to win a Group race, but Slip Anchor led from the start and won by ten lengths from Lord Grundy to establish himself as a leading contender for the Epsom Deby.<ref name="Timeform1985">{{cite book | author=Timeform| title = Racehorses of 1985| publisher=Timeform | year = 1986| isbn = 0-900599-42-1}}</ref>

At Epsom on 5 June, Slip Anchor started the [[Fractional odds|9/4]] favourite for the Derby, ahead of [[2000 Guineas]] winner [[Shadeed]] and the Irish-trained colts [[Law Society (horse)|Law Society]] and [[Theatrical (horse)|Theatrical]]. The race attracted a crowd of 250,000 spectators including [[Queen Elizabeth II]] on a warm, misty day.<ref name="google2457">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FAohAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bXIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2457,1334774&dq=slip-anchor&hl=en |title=Cauthen rides Slip Anchor to victory |page=45 |newspaper=[[Schenectady Gazette]] |date=6 June 1985 |access-date=2013-05-11}}</ref> Cauthen sent Slip Anchor into the lead from the start and maintained a slight advantage until halfway when he accelerated clear of his thirteen opponents. He turned into the straight ten lengths ahead of the field and was never challenged, winning by seven lengths from Law Society, who was in turn six lengths clear of the rest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m-89AAAAIBAJ&sjid=2UgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3603,1370672&dq=slip-anchor&hl=en |title=Slip Anchor weighs in for victory |newspaper=[[Glasgow Herald]] |author=Martin Gale |date=6 June 1985 |page=23 |access-date=2013-05-11}}</ref> Theatrical finished seventh, [[Petoski]] eleventh, and Shadeed thirteenth. Slip Anchor was the first Derby winner to lead all the way since [[Coronach (horse)|Coronach]] in 1926.<ref name="Timeform1985"/> His victory made Cauthen the first American jockey for 65 years to win the Derby and the first to ride the winners of both the [[Kentucky Derby]] (on [[Affirmed]] in 1978) and the Epsom original.<ref name="google2457"/> After the race, Cauthen described Slip Anchor as the best horse he had ever ridden, including Affirmed, saying that "this horse kills them before they have a chance to get at him."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=za8_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=4FYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2499,2292151&dq=slip-anchor&hl=en |title=Slip Anchor called best by Cauthen |newspaper=[[The Vindicator]] |date=6 June 1985 |page=25 |access-date=2013-05-11}}</ref>

After the Derby, Slip Anchor sustained an injury to his left foreleg in training and missed an intended run in the [[King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes]] at [[Ascot Racecourse]] in July (won by Petoski). Slip Anchor returned to the track in the [[September Stakes]] at [[Kempton Park Racecourse|Kempton Park]]. He started the 1/2 favourite but was beaten half a length by the four-year-old Shernazar ([[Shergar]]'s half-brother).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2MBAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=26UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5155,1640615&dq=slip-anchor&hl=en |title=Slip Anchor beaten |newspaper=Glasgow Herald |date=7 September 1985 |page=19 |access-date=2013-05-11}}</ref> On his final appearance of the season, Slip Anchor was brought back in distance to contest the [[Champion Stakes]] over ten furlongs at Newmarket on 19 October. In an exceptionally strong renewal of the race, he finished second to the [[filly]] [[Pebbles (horse)|Pebbles]], with Palace Music in third and [[Commanche Run]] unplaced.<ref name="Timeform1985"/>

Slip Anchor stayed in training as a four-year-old but became increasingly temperamental and difficult to train: for a time, Cecil had to exercise the colt separately from his other horses. He was beaten by Phardante on his seasonal debut in the [[Jockey Club Stakes]] and did not race again. His retirement was announced in June, with Cecil saying that the colt had not "recaptured his brilliance of last year".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ubZAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3383,3361585&dq=slip-anchor&hl=en |title=Results and Prices |newspaper=Glasgow Herald |date=13 June 1986 |page=31 |access-date=2013-05-11}}</ref>