Flanagan Racing's Sea Strike (c, 3, Midshipman-Meetmeonline, by Line of David) finally figured things out in the final furlong of a six-furlong Aqueduct maiden and despite a less-than-ideal passage, rolled home to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard.
A $140,000 Keeneland September yearling, the Mar. 26 foal was fractionally green, but very fast in breezing a quarter-mile in a bullet :20 2/5 for last year's OBS March Sale and was hammered down for $650,000 to Nick Sallusto and John Kimmel, agents for Flanagan, who also advised on the purchase of Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie).
The blaze-faced chestnut was training as far back as late September on the Oklahoma track at Saratoga and returned to the worktab at Payson Park following a four-month gap in early February. His penultimate breeze before shipping up to New York was a best-of-79 half-mile that was timed in :48.80, matching his 3-year-old filly stablemate Leinani (Omaha Beach), an 8 1/4-length maiden winner in March. The next-fastest clocking of :49 seconds was achieved by four-time graded winner Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo).
Sea Strike took the lion's share of the pari-mutuel action to be off at 38 cents on the dollar, but those who swallowed that skinny quote would have been lamenting their situation in the opening exchanges, as Sea Strike was off awkwardly, ducked in a few strides away from the gate and appeared to be climbing into the kickback over a surface that took a fair amount of rain in the few minutes leading up to the start.
Settled at the back of the field through the opening quarter mile, the attractive colt commenced a move 3 1/2 furlongs out, splitting rivals, and he sustained that momentum to be within striking distance turning for home. Flavien Prat appeared to have enough horse power underneath him to go either inside or outside, and he charted the former course, hitting the front with big strides inside the furlong, then galloping out strongly into the clubhouse turn.
Sea Strike's dam is closely related to MGSW and leading New York-based sire Bucchero (Kantharos) and to Meets Expectations (Valid Expectations), the dam of multi-surface Grade I winner World of Trouble (Kantharos) and SW Money Or Love (J Be K).
Meetmeonline is also responsible for a 2-year-old filly by Speaker's Corner, a yearling filly by Army Mule and is due for a full-sibling to Sea Strike this year.
1st-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 4-25, 3yo, 6f, 1:11.17, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
SEA STRIKE, c, 3, by Midshipman
1st Dam: Meetmeonline, by Line of David
2nd Dam: Meetmeontime, by General Meeting
3rd Dam: Parlay, by Mt. Livermore
Sales history: $140,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $650,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $44,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Flanagan Racing; B-Lesley Campion & River Oak Farm (KY); T-Chad C Brown.
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