Sea Strike storms onto Travers scene in Curlin; Stress Relief stars in Adirondack

Sunday’s dirt stakes at Saratoga both showcased new talents. 

The three-year-old division picked up an exciting new face in Sea Strike, who romped over Triple Crown trail veteran Chief Wallabee in the $150,000 Curlin S. With this sensational stakes and two-turn debut, the Chad Brown pupil entered the conversation for the Aug. 29 Travers (G1).

In the $225,000 Adirondack (G3), Joel Politi’s homebred Stress Relief gave fledgling trainer Kinnon LaRose his first graded stakes win since he took over from the retired Tom Amoss. Adding to the feel-good story, Stress Relief’s dam, the Ghostzapper mare Littlestitious, was herself a multiple stakes winner for the Politi/Amoss tandem. 

Curlin S.

Postponed from last Wednesday’s washed-out card, the Curlin was supposed to be a cozy spot for odds-on favorite Chief Wallabee to score an overdue first stakes win. 

The 1 1/8-mile test is restricted to sophomores who have yet to win a graded stakes, and Chief Wallabee set the standard on form. His near-misses in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1), followed by fourths in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont (G1), made him the poster boy for the divisional establishment here.

In contrast, Sea Strike had raced only twice in sprints, and he was coming off a belated fifth in a June 6 allowance at the Spa. Nor did the pedigree scream that he wanted to stretch out, as a Midshipman colt out of a half-sister to Bucchero who is also closely related to World of Trouble.

Sea Strike’s main appeal was his high-percentage connections. Brown targets the right horses for this race, having won the Curlin six times before Sunday, and jockey Flavien Prat stuck with the colt. 

Sent off as the third choice at 5.81-1 ($13.62), Sea Strike acted like a natural router from the start. The chestnut perched in second as 20-1 longshot Gulfy led the way through fractions of :23.62, :47.77, and 1:11.88. 

On the far turn, Sea Strike got the jump on Chief Wallabee, who was still in the process of advancing into contention. But the result wasn’t only due to Sea Strike’s superior tactical position. Chief Wallabee simply couldn’t keep up down the stretch and lost ground in the final furlong.

Chief Wallabee’s rider, Junior Alvarado, recommended a cutback in distance.

“By the five-sixteenths, I even took a peek back, thinking like I didn’t want to move too soon, thinking I had the horses in front (covered),” Alvarado said. “When I asked him, he did give me a kick. It was probably just a good sixteenth-of-a-mile kick from the quarter pole to the three-sixteenths. That was it. 

“That’s not enough if you are going two turns. You have to keep carrying that. Period. Too far. It doesn’t matter the company. I just think it’s too far for him.”

But Sea Strike answered his stamina question by powering 8 1/4 lengths clear. Moreover, his raw final time of 1:48.94 stacked up versus Saturday’s Jim Dandy (G2), won by fast-finishing Renegade in 1:49.08.

The bulk of the field was strung out. Gulfy held third, another five lengths behind Chief Wallabee, followed by Minorinconvenience, 2.37-1 second choice Blackout Time, Tiernanogue, and Mount Vernon. Fulmine was scratched.

Sea Strike races for Flanagan Racing, which also campaigned Grade 1 hero Chancer McPatrick, winner of last year’s Curlin. Sea Strike’s scorecard stands at 3-2-0-0, $131,300.

“We were going into a bit of an unknown,” Prat said of the Curlin. “He ran very well first time out (April 25 at Aqueduct). I thought he showed a lot of class that day. When we came back here in a big field, I think he showed us he wants to go a little further. 

“Obviously, (1 1/8 miles) was a question mark, but he was able to get himself in the race today. I was traveling well all the way around. I was pleased with the way he was going. After that, he gave me a good run.”

Brown noted that Sea Strike’s zest for training persuaded him to give the Curlin a go, and the Travers could be next.

“(I wasn’t expecting) that margin of victory, but I was feeling pretty good the horse would have at least a chance to win,” the horseman said. “He’s just the best training horse I have, and he has been all year. And sometimes it doesn’t correlate to meaning that you’re the best racehorse, but when he breezes, he breezes freaky good.

“This horse is freaky good in the morning. Now he’s playing catch-up here...We’ll just see how he comes out of it and go from there, but I wouldn’t take it (the Travers) off the table.”

Bred by Lesley Campion & River Oak Farm in Kentucky, Sea Strike sold for $140,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. He was a pinhook success for Arroyo Bloodstock, reselling through Caliente Thoroughbreds for $650,000 at OBS March.

 Adirondack (G3)

Although Alvarado endured a loss with Chief Wallabee in the Curlin, he bounced right back to deliver the winning ride aboard Stress Relief in the Adirondack. 

A debut winner at Churchill Downs June 20, where she argued the pace and drew off by five lengths, Stress Relief adapted to different tactics at the Spa. The Not This Time filly was reserved in fourth, a couple of lengths behind front-running Luminous Beauty, through an opening quarter in :21.99. 

Creeping into third by the half in :45.40, Stress Relief took aim on the longtime leader in the lane, and she swept past to a 3 1/2-length decision. The blaze-faced dark bay negotiated 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.45 and paid $14.22.

The 12-1 Luminous Beauty just lasted for runner-up honors by a neck from the rallying Scarlett Begonia, the 2.24-1 second choice. Bandmaster, the 51-1 longest shot on the board, checked in fourth. Next came Prime Aurora; slight 2.18-1 favorite Pierette; Washton; and the eased Caroline’s Girl. Almighty One was pulled up early and vanned off.

LaRose revealed that the Adirondack was always on the radar for Stress Relief, who is now 2-for-2 with $192,246 in earnings.

“When she broke her maiden at Churchill, Joel Politi was there with his family, and he looked at me and said, ‘can’t wait for the Adirondack!’ For us to be able to get here and (have) everything go right, we got lucky. She’s a classy filly, and she ran a great race. Junior rode her perfectly.

“We talked to Joel about that (rating just off the pace), talked to Junior. Junior came and worked her last week and got a feel for her. He really liked the way she worked. She’s a very versatile filly. She’s young, but at the same time she seems like she can really adapt to what we throw at her. She’s just a pleasure to train.”

LaRose also commented on his landmark win, at an especially sentimental venue for the upstate New York native.

“No better place to do it. I wish Joel Politi was here with his family, but my wife is here, my mom and my dad, and my brothers are here. We had a bunch of friends here. It’s a special place. I grew up coming here as a kid, and I never thought I would be in this position, but I’m just very grateful.”