Kentucky Derby winner Cross, Sunny's Halo's trainer, dies at 84

HRN Staff
Photo: Eclipse Sportswire

David Cross Jr., trainer of 1983 Kentucky Derby winner Sunny's Halo, died Wednesday night at 84, Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers announced Thursday.

Cross' trainees made 3,229 starts from 1976-2012, earning 328 wins and $8,762,272 in winnings.

Cross enjoyed graded triumphs with Big Destiny in the Grade 3, 1976 Dominion Day Handicap; with Sunny's Halo in the Arkansas Derby (G1), Super Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby, all in 1983; with Quintana in the 1991 Rebel Stakes (G3); with Dianes Halo in the 1995 La Canada Stakes (G2); and with Classic Cat in the Ohio Derby (G2) and the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2), both in 1998.

Sunny's Halo, foaled in Ontario, became only the second Canadian-bred Kentucky Derby champion.

Cross worked in recent years for trainer Jinks Fires.

According to Daily Racing form reporter Jay Privman, who first reported Cross' death, he was recently admitted to the University of Kentucky's Albert B. Chandler Hospital after suffering a stroke.

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