O'Sullivan Farms owner John Funkhouser saw several opportunities appear when he learned of the availability of proven stallion Cross Traffic , a grade 1-winning son of Unbridled's Song.
Foremost, the West Virginia owner/breeder saw a stallion that could add quality and versatility to the Mid-Atlantic breeding market.
"I truly believe this is the type of horse the entire Mid-Atlantic region needs," he said. "A stallion that is proven to get you a grade 1 winner can get you a big horse with a lot of versatility, and has runners that have done well on turf."
Secondly, Funkhouser saw a chance to start leveraging Virginia's expanding state-bred program.
"Obviously, O'Sullivan Farms is a stallion operation, a full-service breeding and boarding operation, but I believe people are really tuned in on what Virginia is doing," he said. "Every time they come around to a new meet (at Colonial Downs), the days are expanding and purses are rising.
"If Cross Traffic was a bit more of a speedball, more of a sprinter type, then maybe I would have stood him in West Virginia," Funkhouser continued. "But this is a horse that can get you a classic-distance type and some turf. I think he's a good fit for Virginia."
Since entering stud at Spendthrift Farm in 2015, Cross Traffic has sired 270 winners that include 19 black-type winners. His top performers include 2018 champion 2-year-old filly Jaywalk; Ashland Stakes (G1) winner Defining Purpose; multiple stakes winner Ny Traffic, who was runner-up in the 2020 Haskell Stakes (G1); and multiple turf graded stakes winner and millionaire Neecie Marie.
Funkhouser bought the stallion with the help of a syndicate and will stand Cross Traffic at Mt. Airy Farm in Millwood, Va., which is about a half-hour's drive from O'Sullivan Farms near Charles Town, W. Va. Bridget and Tim Overcash own Mt. Airy Farm, which is adjacent to a breaking and training farm owned by Cliff and Laura Robbins, who oversee the early training for Funkhouser's yearlings and 2-year-olds. The Robbins' farm is not set up for boarding mares, so they were keeping a few horses at Mt. Airy. When Funkhouser started looking for a Virginia farm to stand Cross Traffic, the Robbins' suggested Mt. Airy.
Bridget Overcash has been around a lot of horses, but never stood a Thoroughbred stallion. After Funkhouser gave her a tour of O'Sullivan Farms and introduced her to his roster of sires, she was all in.
"I've got all my horses in the Virginia-certified program, but with Cross Traffic we're getting more three-dimensional," Funkhouser said, noting that in addition to stallion awards, standing a stallion in Virginia makes available the lucrative purses for runners that are Virginia-sired and Virginia-bred.
"There's a lot of money out there with Virginia restricted races, and they write them often," he said. "So if you have the chance to run in a $90,000 restricted race, I'll take that any day."
Funkhouser is confident Cross Traffic should be able to attract around 50 mares next year. The stallion will be standing for $4,000, and lifetime breeding rights are available for $5,000. He also is honoring any of the lifetime breeding rights that were sold by Spendthrift early during the stallion's career through its "Share the Upside" program.
Because Mt. Airy is new to the stallion game, Funkhouser said he will be handling every breeding. He also will be boarding mares at his farm that are booked to Cross Traffic.
"Mt. Airy is not taking any more mares, so we'll use my farm as the prep farm," he said. "We've got plenty of space, and we have a really good reproduction vet. We do the work-up, get them ready to be bred, and you get free vanning service for the breeding."
Funkhouser said he is confident he can re-energize Cross Traffic's stud career in a regional market where breeders are primarily breed-to-race operations.
"I think it is really an exciting time to do this kind of thing with a stallion that gets you a runner," he said. "He's already sired an Eclipse champion, he's got a Breeders' Cup winner and another grade 1 winner, plus he gets you the Unbridled's Song sire line. He's just a solid, solid bet and a total class act. If people don't consider him, they are definitely foolish."
