by Timothy M. Jones, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rochester, IL — Reggae Ruby (Master Willie-Go Buggy-Heather Smoke), one of Illinois’ most productive trotting broodmares over the last decade, died Dec. 21, 2012.

Owner Jodi Peacock stated that the cause was unknown, and the mare was not in foal.

The dark brown mare with a white snip on her face and white right hind ankle, a 1994 foal bred by the Tot Size Stable of Springfield, Ill., took her 2:02.3s lifetime mark at Sportsman’s Park in 1997. Her racing career of 60 starts totaled earnings of $15,337.

Timothy M. Jones photo

Reggae Ruby’s filly Rubys And Pearls was Illinois’ 2011 2-year-old Trotting Filly of the Year.

Retired to the broodmare ranks in 1999, successful and lucrative pairings with Fox Valley Standardbred stallion Vaporize produced three foals, two colts and one filly, who combined have lifetime earnings of $493,203.

Vanished, her 2002 colt, earned $241,630 and had 19 lifetime wins. The gelded offspring retired in 2008 with a lifetime mark of 1:56.2 set as a 3-year-old.

Super Sonic Flash, Reggae Ruby’s 2007 colt, like a fine wine gets better with age. Also a gelding, he set his lifetime mark of 1:54.3 in 2012 at the age of 5, and has earnings just shy of $100,000.

Her 2009 mating with Vaporize produced Illinois’ 2011 2-year-old Trotting Filly of the Year, Rubys And Pearls. That filly’s short racing career has amassed $151,924 and she also sports a 1:57.1 lifetime mark.

The latter two offspring are pointed towards resuming their racing careers in 2013.

Reggae Ruby would have been 19-years-old on January 1, 2013.