On January 8, 2020 thoroughbred race horse X Y Jet died of a heart attack. X Y Jet was eight years old, and was foaled on February 7, 2012. The death followed the normal morning workout.
X Y Jet is from the famous Secretariat bloodline. Secretariat and Priceless Gem produced Lady Winborne. Danzig and Lady Winborne produced Lost Soldier. Lost Soldier and Blue Ensign’s Lady produced Soldiersingsblues. Kantharos and Soldiersingsblues produced X Y Jet.
On the track, X Y Jet lived up to the famous lineage. In 26 career starts the horse had 12 first-place finishes, seven second-place finishes, and two third-place finishes. Career earnings are $3,096,513.
In 2019, with earnings of $1,537,850 X Y Jet had its career best earnings. This followed the previous career high of $698,610 in 2018. The career earnings were held down to some degree by never starting more than five races in a year after 2014. The horse only made one start in 2017.
Here’s a list of the 12 first-place finishes:
- Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse on 3/30/2019
- Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream Park on 2/13/2019
- Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 6/30/2018
- Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay on 2/17/2018
- Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 1/20/2018
- Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 12/23/2017
- Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 2/27/2016
- Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 1/16/2016
- Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 12/19/2015
- Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream Park West on 11/11/2015
- Allowance Optional Claiming at Monmouth Park on 9/20/2015
- Maiden Special Weight at Gulfstream Park West on 11/8/2014
X Y Jet outperformed both sides of its immediate lineage on the track. Kantharos has three first-place finishes in three starts, with career earnings of $185,213. Soldiersingsblues won three races and finished second in two others in 10 career starts. The career earnings are $36,380.
Of course, X Y Jet didn’t quite live up to its most famous ancestor, Secretariat, but few horses do. Secretariat won 16 races out of 21 starts and only started one race where it didn’t finish in the top three. Secretariat is most famous for winning the Triple Crown in 1973. The Triple Crown of horse racing consists of the Belmont Stakes, the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes.
Jorge Navarro trained X Y Jet and Emisael Jaramillo took care of jockey duties. Rockingham Ranch, Gelfenstein Farm, and David Bernsen LLC owned the horse.
Navarro trained horses have over 1,200 first-place finishes in over 4,200 career starts and total earnings over $34,000,000. Navarro is shooting for a fourth straight year with over $6,000,000 earnings in 2020. He offered the following quote when announcing the passing of X Y Jet:
“Since his arrival at my stable at the end of 2014, I immediately felt that connection with him, which remained until today and will surely remain with me until the day of my departure.”
X Y Jet is the most accomplished horse in earnings power ever trained by Navarro.
Jaramillo starts 2020 with over 4,700 starts and 947 first-place finishes. He has career earnings of over $27,000,000.
X Y Jet raced in fewer races than most horses the same age because of multiple knee surgeries over the years. But as you can see from the record, winning almost half of the races entered means the horse was a fierce competitor when it was on the track. Of all the horses in the bloodline of Secretariat, X Y Jet takes it place with the others at the top.