Cross Traffic (horse)

Cross Traffic (foaled February 15, 2009) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grade I Whitney Invitational Handicap at Belmont Park in 2013 as a four-year-old.^[2]

Cross Traffic is a gray or roan colt that was bred in Kentucky by Diamond A Racing Corp. and was a $300,000 purchase at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale when consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.^[3] His dam Stop Traffic was a multiple Grade I winner, victorious in the Santa Monica Handicap and Ballerina Handicap. He was sired by Unbridled's Song, the leading sire in the US in 2017.^[4]

Cross Traffic was trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Todd A. Pletcher.

Starting his career at Gulfstream Park January 24, he reeled off two impressive victories before tackling graded stakes company in only his third start. In the April 27 Grade III Westchester Stakes he earned a 1 1/2 Ragozin number when losing by a short head to Belmont specialist Flat Out, who finished in a time of 1:32.99, three-fifths of a second off the world record.

Cross Traffic followed that effort with a nose loss to Sahara Sky in the Grade I Metropolitan Handicap, just getting nipped after setting the pace in the one-mile test. In the Whitney Invitational Handicap, his first time around two turns, which he won by three quarters of a length over Successful Dan while defeating the one-two finishers of the 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic, Fort Larned and Mucho Macho Man, and 2012 Travers Stakes winner Alpha.^[3] In the Jockey Club Gold Cup Cross Traffic stumbled badly out of the starting gate and was no factor in the race when finishing seventh.^[5] It was found that he injured his shin and did not return to the racetrack again.^[3]

Cross Traffic was retired in 2014 and would stand at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky and offered immediately to breeders through Spendthrift's "Share the Upside Program" on a limited basis for $17,500. His 2015 stands & nurses fee were $15,000.^[11]

On May 3, 2018, Dreaming Diamonds gave freshman sire Cross Traffic his first check mark in the winner's column, when she captured a 4+1⁄2-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs in near gate-to-wire fashion by 3+1⁄4 lengths. In 2018 Cross Traffic would stand for $7,500.^[12] Jaywalk's victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2018 gave Cross Traffic top Freshman-sire honors and increased his fee for 2019 to $25,000.^[13] In 2023 Cross Traffic stands for $7,500 Live Foal.

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

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