Northern Dancer Blog: September 2011

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Masked Marvel takes 3rd leg of Triple Crown - St Leger

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In the past 65 years there has only been one winner of Britain's Triple Crown and that was the amazing Nijinsky from Northern Dancer's second crop of foals. There was no winner again this year as all 3 races went to different winners. It was another 1-2-3 finish for Dancer descendants however with Masked Marvel winning the St Leger at Doncaster.

1) Masked Marvel - great great grandson x2
2) Brown Panther - great great grandson x2
3) Sea Moon - great great grandson x2

Image from racingfotos

Video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IakkfNVgBKc

Pour Moi wins 2011 Epsom Derby

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It was a 1-2 finish for Northern Dancer descendants in this year's Epsom Derby. Pour Moi came from way back at the top of the stretch to nip Treasure Beach and the Queen's Carlton House at the wire. Have a look at the video as Pour Moi's teenage jockey celebrates early in the irons after getting a whisker in front just as they crossed the wire in a blanket finish - exciting stuff.

Pour Moi - great grandson x2
Treasure Beach - great grandson x2
Carlton House - no descendant

Image from Alan Crowhurst getty images europe

Video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2FAcL6iLMQ

Undefeated Frankel destroys field in 2011 2000 Guineas

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It's been a busy summer of 2011 for me and now it's time to catch up on the blog. It was a 1-2-3 finish for Northern Dancer descendants in the first of Britain's Triple Crown races in 2011. Favorite Frankel ran away with the 2000 Guineas to eventually win by 5 lengths. The second place finisher Dubawi Gold is a son of Dubawi from the only crop of foals of the incredible Dubai Millennium.

1) Frankel - great grandson x2
2) Dubawi Gold - great great grandson x2
3) Native Khan - great grandson

Image from Getty images

Video of 2000 Guineas 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQajCQ1_BSA

Link to post on Dubai Millennium
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/search?q=dubai+millenium

Reason for the Blog

I thought it was time to extend the story I started in 2005. This will be a busy week in November 2009 for thoroughbred racing and something tells me my little hero will have played a significant role by the end of the week.

I wrote that on November 2, 2009 and I would say that the Dancer is still playing a significant role. I am trying to update the status of Northern Dancer's legacy using excerpts from my book which was completed in 2007 and published in 2008 along with today's thoroughbred racing news. If you are confused it may be because in addition to inserting the latest (2009) news I also decided to shift around my chapter flow from the original book which also featured many time shifted chapters to begin with. I am confusing myself just trying to describe it. Back to the future - it is Nov 12, 2009 for another 5 minutes.

Quotes describing Northern Dancer from the CBC Life and Times Biography

"They say the north wind was tangled in his mane"

"The pony from Canada"

"The little dancer"

"The little horse with a big heart"

"He gave you more resasons to love him"

"You can see the soul of an animal through his eye and Northern Dancer had a particularly deep eye, it was as if you could see forever in there"

"What he represented to us was the heroic"

"Little guy ... big heart, trying his best, never gave up ... it was heroic"

on his relationship with E.P. Taylor - "It was alchemy, they transformed each other"

"He became a Canadian hero"