Sea Strike: Post 7; Morning Line: 5-1
Trainer: Chad Brown; Jockey: Flavian Prat
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026
Chad Brown – who, if you didn’t already know, was raised in Mechanicville, New York, a few (actually, 128) furlongs from the Spa – has had 18 starters in the Travers, with limited success. His best finishes were in 2024, when he was third with Sierra Leone, the eventual 3-year-old champion, 2022 (third with Zandon) and 2021 (you guessed it, third with Miles D.)
This year, the five-time Eclipse Award winning trainer returns with a veteran of the Triple Crown trail in Emerging Market, and the infinitely more intriguing Sea Strike, who galloped into everyone’s consciences when he kicked 4-5 favorite Chief Wallabee’s butt and ran off to an eye-popping 8 ¼-length victory in the listed Curlin Stakes at the Spa.
This is important for a couple of reasons, namely, he walloped the competition in only his third lifetime start while going two turns for the first time, and he did so at Saratoga. Secondly, four of the last five Travers winners won their prep race at Saratoga, as did 11 of the past 25, including V.E. Day, who won the Curlin in 2014.
Owned by Flanagan Racing, the chestnut colt by Midshipman made his debut at Aqueduct a winning one, and next wound up finishing fifth against older horses on June 6 at the Spa after getting a boatload of dirt kicked in his face. Which, according to Brown, he greatly resented. In the Curlin, sent off at 6-1, Sea Strike put it all together, running off the rail and stalking Gulfy through fractions of 23.62, 47.77 and 1:11.88 before moving up on the turn, taking command once straightened for home and galloping clear to hit the wire in 1:48.94.
“[I wasn’t expecting] that margin of victory, but I was feeling pretty good the horse would have at least a chance to win,” Brown 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.
“Now he’s playing catch-up here,” Brown added. “I’m not saying a step up against those other horses he’d do the same, and he’s likely to have some company in that final turn against better horses.”
Saturday, Sea Strike breezed for furlongs over the main track in 48.70, a tad faster than he worked before the Curlin.
Sea Strike “doesn’t like to get his face dirty,” said Brown, so look for the flashy chestnut to be close to the lead along with Leading Change, Silent Tactic and Baby Vino as Napoleon Solo goes straight to the front. No matter what the early formation is, expect Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) winner Renegade and Derby and Belmont winner Golden Tempo to battle through the stretch.
Flashed his talent in the Curlin, but will likely be inhaled by the closers in the final furlongs. If you must, include him as a saver in exotics.
-- Jenny Kellner
Jenny Kellner is an award-winning journalist and teacher who has covered thoroughbred racing for years. As a reporter for both United Press International and The Associated Press, her work has appeared in publications and on websites around the world. Jenny has also written for The New York Times, the New York Post, Newsday and Sports Illustrated.
