It was a long wait but deceased stallion Gone West came through with his 100th stakes winner Jan. 13.
Gone West, who had 98 stakes winners at the time of his death September 2009 at age 25, hit the century mark when his 5-year-old son Treble Jig captured the Jebel Ali Stakes at Jebel Ali Racecourse. Owned by Fathi Esaed Mohammed Egziama, Treble Jig was bred by Juddmonte Farms.
Gone West stood his entire career at Mill Ridge Farm, owned by Alice Chandler and her husband, Dr. John Chandler. Gone West (Mr. Prospector—Secrettame, by Secretariat) entered stud at the Lexington farm in 1988 after a successful career during which he won the Dwyer (gr. II), the Gotham (gr. II), and the Withers (gr. II) stakes in New York for James Mills’ Hickory Tree Stable. His stud fee, $40,000 his first year, eventually reached $150,000.
Although his best distances were at a mile and 1 1/8 miles, Gone West became widely respected as a stallion who could get winners at just about every conceivable distance. His son Speightstown won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) and was a champion sprinter, and another son, Commendable, captured the Belmont Stakes (gr. I).
Gone West’s other successful progeny included Da Hoss, a Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT) winner, and Johar, who deadheated for first in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT), plus additional grade I winners Came Home, Grand Slam, Lassigny, Marsh Side , and West by West.
Gone West, whose last crop of foals are 2-year-olds, has sired 676 winners from 1,281 foals of racing age (53%) and are the earners of more than $84 million.