Our Nautique gets away with slow fractions, wires All
American
After being left alone on the early lead, Our Nautique managed to stave off
the desperate late rally of Bold Chieftain in Friday’s Grade 3, $100,260
All
American Stakes, winning by neck over the Tapeta track at Golden Gate Fields.
The six-year-old gelding registered his second graded tally at the Northern
California venue this year following his success in the Grade 3 San Francisco
Mile on turf last April.
Owned by breeder Rob Tunnicliffe and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Our Nautique
was guided by jockey Kevin Krugger. The New Zealand-bred established slow,
unopposed opening splits in :24 3/5, :49 4/5 and 1:14 2/5, and clung to a
two-length advantage after a mile in 1:39. Bold Chieftain, the 3-2 favorite,
made it interesting with a strong finish in deep stretch, but ran out of room on
the wire.
The winner completed the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:51 3/5 and paid $11.80 to
win as the near 5-1 fourth choice among six rivals.
Bold Chieftain, who stalked the early pace in third along the rail, wound up
a length clear of third-placer Dunmore East. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back
to fourth-placer Uh Oh Bango, who got away slowly after hopping at the start,
and Highway Bandit and Skipshot completed the order of finish.
Our Nautique was third in last year’s All America and captured this year’s
Joseph T. Grace Handicap at Santa Rosa. A son of Pins, the former claimer has
now earned $291,939 from 17-8-4-2 ledger. He is out of Dauphin Fabuleux mare
French Tide, a half-sister to stakes victress Sea Regent and multiple stakes
winner Play the Hornpipe. Sea Regent is herself the dam of Canadian Grade 2 hero
Desert Waves as well as stakes scorers Duckpower, Search the Sea, Spinnakers
Flying and Wave Wise.