A better than average racehorse from a vintage American crop, Gone West was not quite the equal of standouts like Alysheba, Bet Twice, Java Gold, Polish Navy or Gulch at their best but was more than good enough to merit first-rate opportunities when he retired to stud. With excellent conformation and a fine pedigree to go with his racing performance, much was expected of him. He delivered, siring 100 stakes winners during the course of his stud career and establishing his own branch of the Mr. Prospector male line.

Race record

17 starts, 6 wins, 4 seconds, 2 thirds, US$682,251

1987:

• Won Dwyer Stakes (USA-I, 9FD, Belmont)
• Won Gotham Stakes (USA-II, 8FD, Aqueduct)
• Won Withers Stakes (USA-II, 8FD, Belmont)
• 2nd Wood Memorial Invitational Stakes (USA-I, 9FD, Aqueduct)
• 2nd Peter Pan Stakes (USA-II, 9FD, Belmont)
• 2nd Hutcheson Stakes (USA-III, 7FD, Gulfstream Park)
• 3rd Fountain of Youth Stakes (USA-II, 8.5FD, Gulfstream Park)

Assessments

Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form‘s Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1987, 10 pounds below champion Alysheba.

As an individual

A rich dark bay with three white feet and a star, Gone West stood 16 hands. He was a powerfully muscled, short-coupled horse with a look of great quality and had the straight, strong hind leg typical of Mr. Prospector’s progeny. He also had an excellent shoulder and hip and had the broad forehead and clean-cut, expressive head that Secretariat often passed on.

As a stallion

Gone West reached as high as third on the American general sire list, a peak he reached in 1995. He led the English broodmare sire list in 2005 and was fifth on the corresponding American list in 2014. As of January 21, 2015, The Jockey Club credits him with 704 winners (55.0%) and 94 stakes winners (7.3%) from 1281 named foals of racing age, while The Blood-Horse credits him with 100 stakes winners (7.8% of his named foals), a milestone he reached on January 13, 2012, with the victory of his son Treble Jig in a stakes race in Dubai. Gone West typically passed on his own excellent conformation and miler speed but was a versatile stallion with progeny ranging from top juveniles and sprinters to 12-furlong turf horses.

Notable progeny

Came Home (USA), Changeintheweather (USA), Commendable (USA), Da Hoss (USA), Elusive Quality (USA), Grand Slam (USA), Johar (USA), Lassigny (USA), Link River (USA), Marsh Side (USA), Mr. Greeley (USA), Royal Abjar (USA), Speightstown (USA), West by West (USA), Western Winter (USA), Zafonic (USA)

Connections

Foaled in Kentucky, Gone West was bred by Dr. William O. Reed at his Mare Haven Farm near Lexington. He was purchased for $1.9 million at the 1985 Keeneland July yearling sale by James and Alice Mills, who raced Gone West in the name of their Hickory Tree Stable. He was trained by Woody Stephens.

Gone West entered stud in 1988 in Kentucky at Mill Ridge Farm, where he stood until he was pensioned due to declining fertility in May 2009. He was humanely destroyed due to complications from colic surgery in September of the same year. Surgery revealed that his colic had been caused by a lipoma, a tumor that had wrapped itself around the stallion’s small intestine. The mass was successfully removed but the small intestine failed to spontaneously reopen, necessitating euthanasia.

Pedigree notes

Gone West is inbred 4×4 to Nasrullah and 5×5 to Discovery. He is a full brother to 1993 True North Handicap (USA-II) winner Lion Cavern, who was also a multiple Group III winner in England. He is a half brother to Japanese stakes winner Lord Ultima (by Seeking the Gold) and to Sakura Secrettame (byDanzig), dam of multiple Japanese Group III winner Sakura Orion (by El Condor Pasa).

Secrettame, the dam of Gone West, won a division of the Shirley Jones Handicap as a 5-year-old and was Grade II-placed. Produced from the Tim Tammare Tamerett, she is a half sister to the multiple grade I winner and good sire Tentam (by Intentionally); to 1980 Two Thousand Guineas (ENG-I) winner Known Fact (by Intentionally’s son In Reality), also a successful sire; to Grade II winner Terete (by Boldnesian); and to stakes winner Tamtent (by Intentionally). She is also a half sister to Taminette (by In Reality), dam of multiple Grade I winner Tappiano (by Fappiano; dam of multiple Irish stakes winner Ice Dancer, by Sadler’s Wells) and stakes winners My Earl (by Chieftain) and A.P Jet (by Fappiano). Through her daughter Amo (by Hold Your Peace), Taminette is also the second dam of Grade III winner Atticus Kristy and stakes winners Amos, Fiery Dancer and Distorted Reality and third dam of 2011 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Oatsee, whose five stakes winners include 2011 Preakness Stakes (USA-I) winner Shackleford and 2007 Alabama Stakes (USA-I) winner Lady Joanne, and Grade III winner Calculator.

 

fonte : http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com