Quality Road's Prides Crossing Dazzles

Prides Crossing (Quality Road), a seven-digit yearling who was recently named a "TDN Rising Star," outran her competitors on the way to an elegant debut at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

The most recent 'Rising Star' entered this competition fresh off three consecutive bullet five-furlong exercises at The Thoroughbred Center, her final four of five being the morning's fastest. The latest move was on May 17 and it took 1:01.00.

Following the lead from third place, She's It (Omaha Beach) had early splits of :22.63 and :46.30. As the lead progressively began to wane, the 3-1 second choice selected the three paths through the turn. Prides Crossing, who was 4 3/4 lengths clear on the line, found her finest strides rolling into the lane and kicked away from Genetics (Tapit) under a firm hand ride. The winner is the 19th 'TDN Rising Star' from Quality Road.

A fleet of siblings, including a 2-year-old half-sister by American Pharoah, a yearling colt by Uncle Mo, and a 2024 filly by Flightline, are waiting in the wings for Prides Crossing, the third to the races for her dam. Prides Crossing is also the second winner.

Bred by Summer Wind Equine, Prides Crossing brought a tidy $1.3 million to purchase a branch of the Carson Jen female line at the 2022 Keeneland September sale from OXO Equine. The 'Warrior' siblings GSW & GISP E Z Warrior (Exploit); MSW J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday); MGSW & GISP Jojo Warrior (Pioneerof the Nile); and the second dam, GISW A Z Warrior (Bernardini), who created Key To My Heart (Ire), are all members of this family. TDN certified all four of them as "Rising Stars." Additionally, this is the MSW & GISP Sayaad (Street Sense) family.