While 2020 may have been a traumatic and difficult one for the majority, descendants of deceased top stallion Gone West have been excelling all over the world.
Gone West’s deceased record breaking son, and former US champion sire, Elusive Quality, has been in the news as a sire, sire of sires, and broodmare sire.
Elusive Quality
Sarah Whitelaw writes that Elusive Quality daughters Ce Ce and She’s A Julie have both won Gr1 races in North America this year, with the former landing both the Gr1 Beholder Mile and G1 Apple Blossom Handicap and the latter taking the Gr1 Ogden Phipps Stakes.
His Breeders’ Cup Classic winning son Raven’s Pass is broodmare sire of 2020 Gr1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Mishriff (Make Believe), while his four time Gr1 winning son Quality Road has supplied eight North American stakes winners in 2020, including Saturday’s G2 Delaware Handicap winner Dunbar Road.
Elusive Quality ranks as the broodmare sire of hot sire No Nay Never (Scat Daddy). The latter, the Leading First Crop Sire of 2018, is having another good year in 2020, with his representatives including Gr3 winning filly Love Locket and Gr1 Qipco 2000 Guineas runner up Wichita.
In South Africa, Elusive Quality’s unraced daughter Juvenescent has come up with a pair of stakes winning daughters this year-her three-year-old daughter Golden Belle landing the Gr2 WSB Camellia Stakes and Juvenescent’s four-year-old Shamrock Wind winning the Listed Casey Bloomberg Fillies Mile.
Golden Belle wins the (Pic – JC Photos)
Juvenescent received a welcome boost to her page when unbeaten 2yo Master Of The Seas (who shares his granddam Kerrera with Juvenescent) won the Gr2 bet365Superlative Stakes).
Another Gone West son to have made headlines in 2020 is champion sprinter Speightstown. Speightstown is responsible for the Gr1 winners Charlatan (Arkansas Derby) and Mozu Superflare (Takamatsunomiya Kinen). Another daughter, Breeders’ Cup winner Sharing, finished second in the 2020 Gr1 Coronation Stakes this year, and his sons and daughters at stud have also been excelling in 2020.
Speightstown’s Gr1 Humana Distaff winning daughter Mona De Momma is dam of current top US galloper Vekoma (Candy Ride), whose unbeaten 3 race winning streak this year includes wins in both the Gr1 Runhappy Carter Handicap and Gr1 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap.
The Speightstown sons Munnings and Speightster have both made their presence felt in 2020, with Munnings currently responsible for five North Hemisphere stakes winners, and Gr3 Dwyer Stakes hero Speightster currently ranking as North America’s Leading First Crop Sire (by stakes) at the time of writing. Speightster made news earlier in the year with his first two-year-olds making up to $1,1 million.
Gone West’s brilliant 2000 Guineas winner Zafonic, now deceased, left behind a high-class sire son in the form of July Cup runner up Iffraaj.
The latter’s Gr1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winning son Wootton Bassett, already sire of French Derby winner Almanzor, has had an excellent season this year thus far and he is currently second on France’s General Sires List for 2020 thus far. Wootton Basset has gone close to having a truly sensational year, with son The Summit finising second in both the Gr1 French 2000 Guineas and Gr1 French Derby, and daughter Speak Of The Devil beaten a nose when second in the Gr1 French 1000 Guineas.
What A Winter (Western Winter – Waseela)
This male line also continues to enjoy success in South Africa, where Gone West’s champion sprinter grandson What A Winter has had a tremendous season in 2019-2020 thus far.
South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire in 2016-2017, What A Winter has supplied a trio of Gr1 winners this year notably Clouds Unfold (Bidvest Majorca Stakes), Russet Air (Cape Flying Championship) and Warrior’s Rest (Golden Horse Sprint).
