Sunday, December 14, 2014

Hong Kong Cup 2014 - Designs On Rome



Designs On Rome won the planet's 2nd richest race this weekend in the Hong Kong Cup. It was an exciting finish as Designs On Rome came from last at the top of the stretch to nip Military Attack at the wire. Criterion finished third. All top three finishers were descendants of Northern Dancer. Designs On Rome's sire Holy Roman Emmperor was the son of Danehill and Fanfreluche's daughter L'on Vite.

1) Designs On Rome (IRE) - great great grandson x3
2) Military Attack (IRE) - great great grandson x2 through Danehill/Lyphard
3) Criterion (NZ) - great great great grandson x3 also through Danehill and Dancer's HOF daughter Fanfreluche


That wraps up another year of Classic G1 races from around the globe and it's fair to say Northern Dancer's impact on the International sport is as big as ever. It was a difficult year for me to keep track of just because of the changes in my own life. I missed a lot of live coverage and had to settle for my own video links to experience the excitement after the events took place. The races took place on 4 different continents but 6 different continents and many more countries were represented in the breeding of the world's top thoroughbred champions who all shared one common thread in the DNA of our little Canadian Sire. It looked like a few years back things were going to change and we might see the impact wain but now it's stronger than ever. I hope I can keep this up in some fashion but if not it may not be necessary to document what is becoming more and more obvious. Let's see what happens next spring.

photos from hjkc.com

video of race
http://campaign.hkjc.com/en/2014-hkir/2014-media-video.aspx?vdo=replay-full/2014/20141214/08/eng/replay-full_20141214_08_eng

Monday, December 1, 2014

Japan Cup 2014



I just missed the Japan Cup live but here are the results. Epiphaneia powered to the victory ahead of Just A Way and Spielberg. All three were Japanese breds and of course were all descendants of Northern Dancer. The purse was worth 250 million yen ($5M US).

1) Epiphaneia - great great grandson x2 through Sadlers Wells
2) Just A Way - great great great grandson through Lyphard
3) Spielberg - great great grandson x2 through Sadlers Wells and Lyphard


photos from japanracing.jp (click on to enlarge)

video of race http://web-cache.stream.ne.jp/web/jra/onetag/sub/player.html?movie=jra_english/2014/1130/201405050911&ua=4

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Breeders Cup 2014 - Classic



In the big race it was a clean sweep for the US breds with Bayern coming out on top, going wire to wire with Toast Of New York finishing second and California Chrome finishing third. Of course, all three were descendants of my little Canadian hero Northern Dancer.

1) Bayern - great great great grandson through Storm Bird
2) Toast Of New York - great great grandson x5 through Sadlers Wells, Danzig
3) California Chrome - great great grandson through the prolific daughter Dance Number


Well that a wrap for this year`s Breeders Cup Races (at leats the big 8 races). Of the 24 top 3 finishers all 24 were descendants of Northern Dancer and while it was a great day for US breds there were still 5 countries on 3 continents represented in the breeding of these Dancer grandkids and Northern Dancer`s daughters were well represented.

photos from breederscup.com (click on them to enlarge - great photos this year)

video of race http://www.breederscup.com/results/2014/classic

Breeders Cup 2014 - Turf



In the $3M Turf it was Main Sequence completing a perfect season with Flintshire second and Twilight Eclipse third.

1) Main Sequence (USA) - great great great grandson x3 through Nijinsky, Nuryev
2) Flintshire (GB) - great grandson x3 through Sadlers Wells
3) Twilight Eclipse (USA) - great great grandson through Nijinsky


photos from breederscup.com

video of race http://www.breederscup.com/results/2014/longines-turf

Breeders Cup 2014 - Mile



In the Mile it was the Japanese bred Karakontie in his first race outside of France winning with Anodin second and Trade Storm third. All 3 International breds were grandsons of the Dancer.

1) Karakontie (JPN) - great great grandson x2 through Storm Cat
2) Anodin (IRE) - great grandson x2 through Danzig
3) Trade Storm (GB) - great great great grandson through The Minstrel, Danzig, Lyphard


photos from breederscup.com

video of race http://www.breederscup.com/results/2014/mile

Breeders Cup 2014 - Filly and Mare Turf



In the $2M Filly and Mare Turf it was Dayatthespa going wire to wire to get the win with Stephanie`s Kitten second and Just The Judge third.

1) Dayatthespa (USA) - great great great great granddaughter through Nijinsky
2) Stephanie`s Kitten (USA) - great great granddaughter through Sadlers Wells
3) Just The Judge (IRE) - great great great granddaughter through Danzig


photos from breederscup.com

video of race
http://www.breederscup.com/results/2014/filly-mare-turf

Breeders Cup 2014 - Juvenile



In the boys 2 year-old division it was Texas Red coming from dead last at the turn to win by 6 lengths. Carpe Diem was second and Upstart third, once again all 3 grandsons were US breds.

1) Texas Red - great great grandson x2 through Nuryev
2) Carpe Diem - great great grandson x2 through Giant`s Causeway
3) Upstart - great great grandson x3 through daughters Cool Mood and Wild Applause


photos from breederscup.com

video of race
http://www.breederscup.com/results/2014/juvenile

Breeders Cup 2014 - Juvenile Fillies



In the 2 year-old filly race it was 60-1 Take Charge Brandi going wire to wire with Top Decile second and Wonder Gal third. All 3 granddaughters were once again US breds as the US had a great day overall and a pretty good day for broodmare daughters of Northern Dancer.

1) Take Charge Brandi - great great granddaughter x2 through Giant`s Causeway
2) Top Decile - great great granddaughter x2 through daughter Wild Applause
3) Wonder Gal - great great granddaughter x3 through Nuryev

photos from breederscup.com

video of race
http://www.breederscup.com/results/2014/juvenile-fillies

Breeders Cup 2014 - Distaff



In the $2M Distaff it was Untapable with Don't Tell Sophia running second and Iotapa in third. All 3 granddaughters of the Dancer were US breds. Rosie Napravnik rode the winner and announced her retirement after the race.

1) Untapable - great great great granddaughter through Nijinski
2) Don't Tell Sophia - great great granddaughter x3 through daughters Mari's Book and Danseur Fabuleux
3) Iotapa - great great great grandaughter x3 through Nuryev

photos from breederscup.com

video of race
http://www.breederscup.com/results/2014/longines-distaff

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Breeders Cup 2014 - Sprint



I am still playing catch up but it does come with some advantages - like watching 8 Breeders Cup races in just a couple of hours. I will just focus on the 8 biggest races. Of these 8 races all 24 top 3 finishers were descendants of Northern Dancer despite being bred in 5 different countries on 3 continents.
Let's start with The Sprint. The winner was Work All Week with Secret Circle second and the Canadian bred Private Zone finishing third.
1) Work All Week (USA) great great great grandson through Danzig
2) Secret Circle (USA) great grandson x2 through Dixieland Band and Danzig
3) Private Zone (CAN) great great great grandson through Vice Regent/Deputy Minister

photos from breederscup.com (click on them to enlarge)

video of race
http://www.breederscup.com/results/2014/xpressbet-sprint

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

The Race That Stops a Nation - Melbourne Cup 2014



I was so busy I didn't get a chance to watch or listen this year to my favourite International Race. Better late than never - here is my recap. It was the German Bred Protectionist winning the $5M Cup followed by the GB bred Red Cadeaux and third was the NZ bred Who Shot Thebarman. Despite being bred on three different continents all three are descendants of our little Dancer. Unfortunately the race was marred by the death of two horses.

1) Protectionist (GER) great great grandson x2 through Nuryev and Sadlers Wells
2) Red Cadeaux (GB) great great grandson x2 through Nuryev and Lyphard
3) Who Shot Thebarman (NZ) great great great grandson through Nijinsky

photos from Jake Nowakowski, Mark Stewart, Getty and Colleen Petch

video of race http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnzlLHKyw1Q

Le Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2014 - I am way behind



After a few months of moving and travelling I am finally settled down enough to catch up a bit on the blog. I will start with 2 of the biggest International races. In this year's $6.8M l'Arc it was the outstanding French bred filly Treve winning it for the second year in a row, the first time that has happened since Alleged in 1978. She made a powerful move at the top of the stretch to outrun the two GB breds Flintshire and Taghrooda. Of course all 3 were descendants of Northern Dancer.

1) Treve (FR) great great granddaughter x3 through Montjeu/Sadlers Wells
2) Flintshire (GB) great great grandson x4 through Danehill/Danzig
3) Taghrooda (GB) great grandson x2 through Sea the Stars and a Sadlers Wells mare

photo from AP

video of race http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwI1bnqGQDc

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Kingston Hill wins 2014 St Leger Stakes



Thirty four years after his great great uncle Nijinsky won the St Leger and the British Triple Crown to open up the International floodgates for Northern Dancer offspring, it was great great great great grandson Kingston Hill winning the classic race with Romsdal finishing second and Snow Sky finishing third. All three GB breds were descendants of Northern Dancer.

Photo from BBC

1) Kingston Hill - great great great grandson x3 through Danzig/Danehill
2) Romsdal - great great great grandson x3 through Nijinsky, Sadlers Wells and Danzig
3) Snow Sky - great great grandson through Danzig/Danehill

video of race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKCU0SV5J6A

Sunday, July 27, 2014

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2014



The classy Taghrooda became the first filly in 38 years to win the prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot yesterday. It was Telescope finishing second and Mukhadram third. All three are descendants of Northern Dancer.

1) Taghrooda (GB) great granddaughter x2 through the young Sadlers Wells mare Ezima
2) Telescope (IRE) great grandson x2 through Sadlers Wells/Galileo
3) Mukhadroom (GB) great great great grandson x2 through Giants Causeway

image from Getty Images

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q-VhZmP4uE

Monday, July 7, 2014

Hats and Horseshoes 2014 - Lexie Lou takes the 155th running of the Queen's Plate






What a great event to attend in person if you ever get a chance. It was the filly Lexie Lou dominating the boys in the big race. All 15 entries in the Plate were descendants of Northern Dancer. It was free parking and a free event if you did not want to sit in the grandstand. We spent most of our time around the walking ring area and on the apron of the track. We received one free wager each for registering as a guest and we were able to make that last for 10 out of 11 races. There was plenty of fashion to go along with the racing making it a very colourful day.

In the Plate
1) Lexie Lou - great granddaughter through Sadlers Wells/Sligo Bay
2) Ami's Holiday - great great great grandson x3 through Storm Bird/Storm Cat
3) Asserting Bear - great great grandson x3 through Nuryev/Be My Guest

video of race
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvAHPq6ywrM">