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‘We Have High Hopes For Him’: $900,000 Quality Road Colt Prime Factor Romps In Debut For Pletcher

WinStar Farm LLC and CHC Inc.'s Prime Factor appears ready for prime time following the Todd Pletcher's trainee's sparkling debut Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 2-year-old son of Quality Road crossed the finish line under wraps while scoring by 8 ¾ lengths in the six-furlong maiden special weight race carded as Race 2 on a program that featured the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) and four other stakes.

Bred by Two Hearts Farm LLC and purchased for $900,000 from the Legacy Bloodstock consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September sale, Prime Factor broke alertly from the starting gate to sit alongside pacesetter Dr. Duke along the backstretch and around the far turn before assuming the lead on the turn into the homestretch. The Kentucky-bred colt quickly accelerated at the top of the stretch under mild encouragement from jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. before completing the final eighth of a mile under wraps.

“It was a very professional debut. He broke well and put himself in a good spot. It looked like he was taking Irad 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.”

Prime Factor ($6.20), who ran six furlongs in 1:10.38, is out of the Bernardini mare Hailey Brae, a half-sister to Speightster.

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

Pletcher-trained Bracken, a debuting son of Speightster for Robert and Lawana Low, closed to finish second behind Prime Factor.

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Quality Road Firster Gives Family Another ‘TDN Rising Star’

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.

2nd-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 12-12, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.38, ft, 8 3/4 lengths.
PRIME FACTOR, c, 2, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Haylie Brae, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Dance Swiftly, by Danzig
3rd Dam: Classy ‘n Smart, by Smarten
Sales history: $900,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $24,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-CHC Inc & WinStar Farm LLC; B-Two Hearts Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

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Saturday’s Insights: Expensive Quality Road Colts Square Off at Gulfstream

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

2nd-Gulstream Park, $50k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 12:35 p.m.
Todd Pletcher saddles firster PRIME FACTOR (Quality Road) for China Horse Club and WinStar Farm. The bay colt was a $900,000 purchase at last year’s Keeneland September sale. He is out of Haylie Brae (Bernardini), a half-sister to graded-winning freshman sire Speightster and a granddaughter of blue hen mare Classy ‘n Smart (Smarten). Christophe Clement sends out Shel Evans’s Broadway (Quality Road), a $500,000 purchase at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. The juvenile is the first foal out of Etiquette (Tapit), a half-sister to graded winner Pleasant Prince (Indy King) and from the family of Canadian champion Holy Helena. TJCIS PPs

7th-Gulfstream Park, $50k, Msw, 2yo, 1m, post time: 3:08 p.m.
Godolphin’s ALEXANDER VALLEY (Medaglia d’Oro) makes his first trip to the post for trainer Bill Mott. Purchased for $2.15-million at the 2019 Keeneland September sale, the bay colt is the first foal out of Grade I winner Tara’s Tango (Unbridled’s Song). TJCIS PPs

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Who’s Your Pick? Joe Miller

As we approach the end of the calendar, we turn our attention to the incoming sire class of 2021. We asked several judges who their favorite incoming sire is for next year and if there are any other stallions, new or otherwise, that have caught their eye as under-the-radar picks.

JOE MILLER, Kern Thoroughbreds

McKinzie (Street Sense), $30,000, Gainesway

My favorite new sire is a tough decision. There are so many good choices in 2021 and I really do not want to jinx anyone, but I would have to say McKinzie is the horse that really stands out to me.

He was a very talented horse around one turn, and was able to carry that speed two turns. He relaxed well in his races, and was unlucky not to win a few more big races. His dam was precocious and very fast as well, and looks wise. He is a picture. On his day, he was pretty special. I think $30,000 is a fair price on him.

Constitution (Tapit), $85,000, WinStar Farm

Best value does not necessarily mean inexpensive, and I think Constitution is very good value at $85,000. The commercial market should catch up with race results.

Also, an honorable mention to Ocean Park (Thorn Park) at Waikato Stud in New Zealand. For a $20,000 N.Z. stud fee (about $14,000 U.S.), you can breed to a young stallion that has already had several Grade 1 winners and seems to have a new stakes horse every weekend in Australasia. He seems to do it on both sides of the Tasman.

Do you have a favorite incoming sire pick for 2021 or a stallion that you think might be under-the-radar next year? Email the TDN’s Katie Ritz at katieritz@thoroughbreddailynews.com to give your response.

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