Prime Factor, owned by WinStar Farm and CHC Inc., sparkled in his first start Saturday at Gulfstream Park, rolling to a nine-length victory while being named a TDN Rising Star.
The 2-year-old colt, is out of Haylie Brae, who herself is a half-sister to WinStar’s dynamic First-Crop sire Speightster, who was also a TDN Rising Star.
At the start of the six-furlong race, Dr. Duke sped to the lead, but Prime Factor was just off his flank as the top two raced through a quarter-mile in :22.27. Prime Factor took the lead on the turn with ease and left the field far behind in the stretch despite not being asked in the least by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.
The final time of 1:10.38 on a fast track earned the bay colt a Beyer Speed Figure of 85.
“We’ll talk to the guys at WinStar and CHC and come up with a game plan,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of the colt’s future. “The good thing about this time of year is there’s pretty good options all around. We have high hopes for him.”
A $900,000 Keeneland September yearling, Prime Factor is a son of Quality Road and hails from the family Canadian Horse of the Year and U. S. Eclipse Award winner Dance Smartly, four-time Canadian champion Sky Classic, and Grade 1 winners Full of Wonder and Smart Strike.
