TDN RISING STARS

December 12, 2020 - Gulfstream Park, Race 2, Msw, USD $50,000, 6F, .0000

Prime Factor, C, 2, 2018 by Quality Road

1st Dam: Haylie Brae, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Dance Swiftly, by Danzig
3rd Dam: Classy 'n Smart, by Smarten

Owner: CHC Inc & WinStar Farm LLC
Breeder: Two Hearts Farm LLC (KY)
Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s debuting Prime Factor (Quality Road), a $900,000 purchase out of the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale-the joint-second priciest of 63 Quality Road yearlings to sell in 2019-was off as the 21-10 second choice and turned his first trip to the post into a one-horse affair en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

Smoothy into stride, the bay sidled up alongside pacesetting Dr. Duke (Ghostzapper) as the top two pulled well clear of the peloton rounding the turn. Prime Factor eased to the front while racing well off the inside approaching the quarter pole, put several lengths on his rivals entering the final furlong, was taken well in hand at the sixteenth pole and jogged home to score by 8 3/4 lengths. Stablemate Bracken (Speightster), himself a $285,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling and the most expensive of 71 of his first-crop sire (by Speightstown)'s yearlings to sell last year, closed belatedly to complete the exacta.

"It was a very professional debut. He broke well and put himself in a good spot. It looked like he was taking Irad [Ortiz] wherever he wanted him to go throughout the race," Pletcher said. "He's been training exceptionally well. We were looking forward to a good debut. Honestly, he exceeded expectations."

As for the future, the conditioner said, "We'll talk to Elliott [Walden] and the guys at WinStar and CHC and come up with a game plan. The good thing about this time of year is there's pretty good options all around. We have high hopes for him."

Prime Factor is, in fact, out of a half-sister to fellow 'Rising Stars' Speightster and West Coast Swing (Gone West) as well as SW Paiota Falls (Kris S.). Second dam Dance Swiftly is a full-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year and U.S. Eclipse Award winner Dance Smartly. Haylie Brae is the dam of the yearling colt Sea Lane (Liam's Map) and a weanling colt by Distorted Humor.