Travers day at Saratoga Race Course is the town's and race meet's annual highlight. It will be uniquely special this year for bloodstock agents John Kimmel and Nick Sallusto, who purchased Sea Strike and Silent Tactic, two of the entrants in the Aug. 29 Midsummer Derby. In addition, Kimmel and Sallusto, who formed their partnership just a few years ago, will also have a graduate in both the Forego Stakes and Ballerina Stakes (both G1) on the Travers Stakes (G1) undercard.
"When something like this happens, you feel validated," said Sallusto, who operates Thorostock, a training center near Ocala, Fla. "When you buy a good horse, you naturally wonder when you're going to do it again. To buy and develop horses who reach this level—particularly in a young partnership—it's great to get off to a start like this."
Sallusto and Kimmel, the latter retired as a trainer earlier this year to devote his energies solely to bloodstock work, hit the ground running with their purchase of Chancer McPatrick at the 2024 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. That colt scored in the Hopeful and Champagne stakes (both G1) that season for owner Sean Flanagan's Flanagan Racing.
At the 2025 OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Sallusto and Kimmel identified a Midshipman colt as a pure athlete. Although light on pedigree, the colt breezed effortlessly, and they recommended him to Flanagan, who went to $650,000 to buy Sea Strike. Because of a shin issue, Sea Strike trained at Thorostock for several months before heading to trainer Chad Brown.
"The more you're around him, the more you like him," Sallusto said of Sea Strike. "He's a classy horse, and things come easy to him."
In just his third start, Sea Strike ran off the screen, winning the Aug. 2 Curlin Stakes at Saratoga by 8 1/4 lengths, which earned him a try in the Travers, and the respect of the morning-line maker who installed him at 5-1.
"Both John and Nick have a great eye for a horse, and each brings different things to the table," Flanagan noted. "I have confidence in their recommendations. Even though Sea Strike cost a bit more than we thought, he's turned out to be the real deal. But we've also had success with several good horses who have won stakes that we bought in the $100,000 range."
Sallusto and Kimmel took a different tact on Silent Tactic, who they purchased as a yearling for $60,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale.
"He was by a first-year sire (Tacitus) and was my favorite physical in that sale," Sallusto said. "His second dam is a full sister to Malibu Moon, and I was surprised to be able to buy him at that price."
Silent Tactic was broken at Thorostock and entered into the OBS Spring sale last year. Having developed into a big, powerful horse with a two-turn look, the colt brought a winning bid of $500,000 from Justin Casse for owner John Oxley.
While Gun Runner over Tapit mares has proven to be a potent cross, Silent Tactic is by a son of Tapit crossed with a Gun Runner mare. This, too, has worked out. Silent Tactic scored in the Southwest Stakes (G3) before finishing second by a nostril in the Rebel Stakes (G2) and running second to Renegade in the Arkansas Derby (G1). A foot issue forced trainer Mark Casse to scratch the colt two days before the Kentucky Derby (G1), but he returned after a five-month layoff to run third in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2). He has earned better than $1.1 million.
"There is a ton of stamina there, and we hoped he could run in these types of races like the Travers," Sallusto said.
Grade 2 winner Crazy Mason, bought by Sallusto and Kimmel as a yearling for $27,500, will contest the Forego, while multiple grade 3 winner Grammy Girl, purchased as a yearling for $25,000, goes in the Ballerina. Both received their early training at Thorostock.
"We are proud to have two horses in the Travers and two others in grade 1s that day," Sallusto said. "It shows consistency, particularly since we typically buy only a dozen yearlings and maybe five 2-year-olds a year. John and I started this hoping to develop high-level horses. Travers day is the biggest stage of the summer, and we're thrilled to be playing a part in it."
