Favored to return to winning ways in this spot, Surgical Strike broke sharply and settled in a ground-saving third off early fractions of :25.64 and :51.31. Tipped out three wide on the far turn, the chestnut surged up alongside the leading duo of One Mean Man and Swagger Jagger in the lane. Edging past Swagger Jagger, he battled One Mean Man to the wire, pushing past that rival in the final strides to score.
“He put me there in a position I didn't really want to be in, but they were going so slow,” winning rider James Graham said. “He was always going well. He's tough, well-skilled, and he knows his job.”
Kicking off this term with a fourth in the GIII Dania Beach S. at Gulfstream Jan. 2, Surgical Strike was third in Turfway's WEBN S. Feb. 20 and scored a decisive victory in that venue's John Battaglia Memorial S. next out Mar. 12. A late-running third in that venue's GIII Spiral S. Apr. 2, the sophomore completed the trifecta again last time in the GII American Turf S. May 7.
The winner is a half to Grade II winner Sky Treasure (Sky Mesa); as well as the 2-year-old colt Preemptive Strike (Harlan's Holiday) and a yearling filly by Artie Schiller.
Saturday, Arlington Park
ARLINGTON CLASSIC S.-GIII, $100,000, AP, 5-28, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:47.51, yl.
1–@SURGICAL STRIKE, 121, c, 3, by Red Giant
1st Dam: Preemptive Attack, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Bold Ruritana, by Bold Ruckus
3rd Dam: Stage Queen, by Ruritania
O/B-Edward A. Seltzer & Beverly Anderson (KY); T-Ben
Colebrook; J-James Graham. $56,400. Lifetime Record:
11-3-1-3, $290,813. *1/2 to Sky Treasure (Sky Mesa), GSW,
$492,426. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–One Mean Man, 118, c, 3, Mizzen Mast–Abbeyville Miss, by
Grand Slam. O-L. T. B., Inc. & Hillerich Racing LLC; B-Bernard
Flint & Ron Hillerich (KY); T-Bernard S. Flint. $18,800.
3–Swagger Jagger, 117, c, 3, Crown of Thorns–Magical Mist, by
Congaree. ($77,000 2yo '15 OBSAPR). O-Warner
Thoroughbreds, Lewis, III, Lewis, Setzer, Setzer et al.;
B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC. (FL); T-Michael J. Maker.
$10,340.[bullet ad=”woodford-winning”]Margins: HD, 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.70, 10.70, 7.00.
Also Ran: Two Step Time, Tequila Joe, Itsnotezbeinbreezy, Felt in Pocket, Yo Carm, Call the Colonel, Uncle Jerry, Cocked and Loaded. Scratched: Candy My Boy. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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