The Lieutenant earns first stakes victory in All American

ALBANY, Calif. – Jockey Tyler Conner was never concerned as The Lieutenant ($7.80) sat off the fast pace of My Friend Emma down the backstretch of the Grade 3 $101,125 All American Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Monday.

That changed near the quarter pole, but Conner remained patient, and, when traffic eased around him, he asked the favored Street Sense horse to go. And go he did.

The half-brother of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify surged through the stretch and put the game, front-running My Friend Emma away inside the sixteenth pole, winning the one-mile race by one length in 1:36.60.

My Friend Emma, coming off a wire-to-wire allowance victory in his first try at one mile, prevailed by a nose in a three-way photo for second over Grecian Fire, who was a head in front of Perfectly Majestic.

Conner got on The Lieutenant for the first time and had a long talk with trainer Michael McCarthy on Sunday at Santa Anita.

“The only time we talked was yesterday morning,” said Conner. “He told me about the horse but didn’t give me many instructions.”

Conner said he made sure The Lieutenant was warmed up during the post parade anticipating My Friend Emma would show speed.

As My Friend Emma set honest fractions of 23.07 seconds, 46.36, and 1:10.78, Conner was “kinda asking” The Lieutenant and trying to keep him in the clear down the backstretch.

On the second turn, he was trying to save ground when he found himself in a traffic jam.

“I didn’t want to have him go too wide,” said Conner, explaining his positioning. “You hope it works for the best, but sometimes you have to eat it.

“We were kinda boxed in, but when he got room, he came running.”

The victory was The Lieutenant’s first stakes win. He was coming off a third in the Grade 2 Californian and a second in the Santana Mile.

Owned by Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren, The Lieutenant earned $60,000 as he improved his record to 4 for 12. He has now earned $209,537.

My Friend Emma was gallant in defeat, earning praise from his rider Ricardo Gonzalez.

“He gets loose up front and has such a long stride, you don’t know how fast he’s going,” said Gonzalez. “When he feels horses coming up on him, he tries again.”