Northern Dancer Blog

Eclipse Awards for 2011

2012-01-17T05:49:00.007-05:00

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Above AP image of Havre de Grace winning the Beldame in 2011.

It was almost a clean sweep for descendants of the Dancer last night at the annual Eclipse awards. All but 2 of the equine winners were descendants. Only the Female Sprinter - Musical Romance and the Steeplechaser - Black Jack Blues were not. Here are the rest. I was able to watch most of it live thanks to DRF before my connection quit.

Horse of the Year - Havre de Grace - great great granddaughter x2
3 Year Old Female - Royal Delta - great great granddaughter x2
3 Year Old Male - Animal Kingdom - great great great grandson x3
Older Female - Havre de Grace - great great granddaughter x2
Older Male - Acclamation - great grandson
Male Sprinter - Amazombie - great great grandson
Female Turf Horse - Stacelita - great great granddaughter
Male Turf Horse - Cape Blanco - great grandson
2 Year Old Female - My Miss Aurelia - great great great granddaughter
2 Year Old Male - Hansen - great great great grandson

Even the Special Eclipse Award winner - Rapid Redux - a $6,000 claimer who managed to win 22 races in a row was a great great grandson.

2011 - What a year!

2011-12-26T10:10:00.008-05:00

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I am not sure there has ever been a bigger year for Northern Dancer's descendants. Just when it looked like his bloodlines could be trailing off his descendants manage to win every major classic race from every corner of the globe. Here is a list of the classics they won that I covered on my blog. I am sure I missed a few but this list is pretty impressive.

Japan Cup
Japan's Arima Kinen

Hong Kong Cup
Hong Kong Mile
Hong Kong Sprint
Hong Kong Vase

US Breeders Cup Classic
US Breeders Cup Mile
US Breeders Cup Juvenile
US Breeders Cup Turf
and 11 other Breeders Cup races

Austrailia's Melbourne Cup

France's Prix De L'arc de Triomphe

England's St Leger
England's Epson Derby
England's 2000 Guineas

Canada's Queens Plate

US Belmont Stakes
US Preakness Stakes
US Kentucky Derby

Dubai World Cup
Dubai Shema Classic
Duby Duty Free
and 4 other Dubai Stakes

Barbados Cup

If I had to pick something for everyone to watch to try to explain my little Canadian hero it would probably be this CBC documentary on their Life and Times series. It was first aired on March 31, 2005 on CBC and instrumental along with Muriel Lennox's book in my desire to document more of his story. Muriel is interviewed throughout the film. You can see this brilliant biography in 4 parts on youtube. Here is part 1. You can link to the other 3 parts off my blog (on the right side down below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2FrZY4mjL4

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Arima Kinen 2011 to Japan's Triple Crown Winner Orfevre

2011-12-26T09:50:00.004-05:00

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It was a fantastic field in this year's Arima Kinen in front of 115,000 fans. I wanted to see how the great mare Buena Vista fared but she was not a factor. The winner Orfevre won Japan's Triple Crown earlier this year and was the favorite. The top 3 finishers were all bred in Japan and all descendants of our Dancer to cap off an incredible year for the grandkids.

1) Orfevre great great grandson x2
2) Eishin Flash great great great grandson x2
3) To The Glory great great grandson x3

images from Japan Racing Association

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

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup 2011 Summary

2011-12-11T05:56:00.009-05:00

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Wow, what an exciting day at Hong Kong's beautiful Sha Tin racecourse with 60,000 people in attendance. Four great finishes in the big races and a perfect 13 for 13 top 3 finishes for descendants of Northern Dancer (bred in 8 different countries on 4 different continents). With a total purse of 68 million HK$ the grandkids brought in another $8 Million US$. Just when it was looking like some other bloodlines were starting to take hold the Norhern Dancer genes had a dominant year in 2011.

That's a pic of Dunaden winning the Vase earlier today completing his big double of the Melbourne Cup and Hong Kong Vase and Lucky Nine edging out Entrapment in the Sprint. Some of the many great photos on the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup site (click on to enlarge them).

Added the pics from the CP site of Able One winiing the Mile and California Memory winning the Cup and fireworks after the Cup.

The individual race results are just below this post - exciting stuff.

Videos of all HK races and connection to website
http://www.cxhkir.com/english/hkir2011/hkircx11-multimedia.asp

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup 2011

2011-12-11T05:35:00.006-05:00

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Wow, it was another exciting finsh as this year's Cup is a wrap. It was the beautiful grey American bred California Memory surging ahead at the finish to beat the German breds Irian and Zazou. All four races this year on Cup day were brilliant finishes and of course another 1-2-3 finish for the grandkids (yes even the grey).

1) California Memory (USA) great great grandson x3
2) Irian (GER) great great great grandson
3) Zazou (GER) great great grandson x3

Images from Getty

Race result and video of race
http://www.cxhkir.com/english/hkir2011/race-cup-result.asp

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile 2011

2011-12-11T05:19:00.004-05:00

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It was the nine year-old Able-One upsetting the Hong Kong Mile with City Scape second and the favorite Xtension third in yet another exciting finish. Another 1-2-3 finish for the grandkids bred in 3 different countries.

1) Able One (NZ) great great grandson x2
2) City Scape (JPN) Grandson
3) Xtension (IRE) great great great grandson

Images from Getty

Race result and video of race
http://www.cxhkir.com/english/hkir2011/race-mile-result.asp

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint 2011

2011-12-11T04:59:00.005-05:00

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Another exciting finish and this time a dead heat for second with Lucky Nine coming out on top of Entrapment and Joy and Fun in the Sprint. This time it's a 1-2-2 finish for the grandkids.

1) Lucky Nine (IRE) great great grandson x4 (through Dubawi and Dubai Millennium)
2) Entrapment (AUS) great great grandson x3
3) Joy and Fun (NZ) great great grandson x2

images from Getty

Race results and video of race
http://www.cxhkir.com/english/hkir2011/race-sprint-result.asp

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase 2011

2011-12-11T04:43:00.005-05:00

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Wow, Dunaden becomes the first to win both the Melbourne Cup and the Hong Kong Vase in a great finish. It was a 1-2-3-3 finish for the grandkids of Northern Dancer as Thumbs Up finished second and it was a dead heat for third between Silver Pond and Red Cadeaux.

1) Dunadedn (FR) great great grandson
2) Thumbs Up (NZ) great grandson x2
3) Silver Pond (Fr) great great grandson x3
3) Red Cadeaux (GB) great great grandson x3

images from Getty

Video of race and results
http://www.cxhkir.com/english/hkir2011/race-vase-result.asp

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup - Sunday early am EST

2011-12-10T06:15:00.006-05:00

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The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup coverage is outstanding. The final 4 Gr 1 races including the Cup itself will start around 1:30 am EST from the beautiful Sha Tin racecourse. I will be following closely.

Here is their link where you can already catch up on a lot of the pre-race activities. Photo above of Breakfast with the Champions - a family day on Saturday at Sha Tin

http://www.cxhkir.com/english/hkir2011/main.asp

Japan Cup 2011 - Buena Vista wins it for the girls

2011-11-27T06:18:00.013-05:00

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It was a 1-2-3 finish for the Japanese breds and a 1-2-3 finish for descendants of Northern Dancer in what is billed as the 3rd richest race in the world. The great mare Buena Vista outduelled Tosen Jordan down the stretch with Jaguar Mail finishing third to win over 250,000,000 yen (over $3M US) first place money. Danedream and Victoire Pisa winners of l'Arc and the Dubai World Cup finished well back. It was vindication for the 5 year-old mare who won the race last year but was demoted to second after the stewards ruled her jockey interfered with Rose Kingdom who was promoted for the win.

1) Buena Vista - great great grandaughter x2
2) Tosen Jordan - great grandson x2
3) Jaguar Mail - great great grandson x2

above images from Getty

great early video coverage of the race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpxYVkrc_J8

quick link to my last year's post and video where Buena Vista won the race a little more convincingly but had her number taken down by the stewards
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/japan-cup-2010-1-2-or-2-1-finish-for.html

Breeders Cup 2011 - Classic

2011-11-05T19:27:00.006-04:00

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Wow, what a great day of racing and lots of surprises. Drosselmeyer came out of nowhere to overtake Game On Dude to win the Classic for Winstar Farms (my Facebook friends). Ruler On Ice finished third. The win tied jockey Mike Smith with Jerry Bailey with the most Breeders Cup wins all time (15). All top 3 were grandkids of the Dancer and Ruler On Ice is another descendant of Fanny through L'Enjoleur.

1) Drosselmeyer - great great grandson x3
2) Game On Dude - great great grandson
3) Ruler On Ice - great great great grandson (Fanny)

Great Images from Getty

Fantastic 2 days of racing. That is the most top 3 finishers on a Breeders Cup weekend for descendants of Northern Dancer - 44 0f the 45 top 3 finishers and over $20 Million earned. I was thinking of our friend and great writer Ted Beare today. I wish he could have been there like he was for so so many years of Breeders Cups. I felt like I was watching this for two. We miss you Ted.

video of the race
http://www.youtube.com/BCWorldChampionships#p/u/0/kZaELcMJ95s

Breeders Cup 2011 - Mile

2011-11-05T18:31:00.005-04:00

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Goldikova came up short in her bid to be the first 4 time Breeders Cup winner after a brilliant effort in the mile. She was hemmed in around the turn and had to bump her way out before taking the lead but she couldn't hang on as Court Vision edged out Turallure by a whisker at the wire. Goldikova could have been taken down for her obvious bump of Courageous Cat (and others) but the stewards left her number up for third. Again all 3 were descendants of the Dancer.

1) Court Vision - great great grandson
2) Turallure - great grandson
3) Goldikova - great granddaughter x2

Image from Getty

video of the race
http://www.youtube.com/BCWorldChampionships#p/u/1/7_JY35JjPt8

Breeders Cup 2011 - Juvenile

2011-11-05T18:00:00.005-04:00

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Speed burns as the obvious speed horse in the Juvenile - the grey Hansen hangs on to beat favorite Union Rags at the wire with Creative Cause third and another 1-2-3 finish for Northern Dancer descendants.

1) Hansen - great great great grandson x2
2) Union Rags - great grandson x2
3) Creative Cause - great great grandson

Images from Getty

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/BCWorldChampionships#p/u/5/lm6PTqsSi9w

Breeders Cup 2011 - Turf

2011-11-05T17:07:00.004-04:00

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Wow, highlight of the day for me. No surprise in that an Aidan O'Brien trained horse can win a classic race but the jock is his 18 year-old son Joseph Patrick O'Brien who becomes the youngest jockey to win a Breeders Cup race. What's maybe more interesting is that his career as a jockey could be over almost before it starts. Joey stands 5'11 and weighs 9 stone (126 lbs). He will probably end up following in his father's hoofprints as he already is a big part of the training regimen with his dad. Oh, by the way - another 1-2-3 finish for the grandsons.

St Nicholas Abbey (IRE) - great grandson
Sea Moon (GB) - great great grandson x2
Brilliant Speed - great great great grandson

Images from Getty

video of the race
http://www.youtube.com/BCWorldChampionships#p/u/2/TfwiZ1Dzz8U

Breeders Cup 2011 - Dirt Mile

2011-11-05T16:18:00.005-04:00

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It was an exciting finish with Caleb's Posse coming from way back at the top of the stretch to run down Shackleford with Tres Borrachos finishing third and another 1-2-3 finish for the grandkids.

1) Caleb's Posse - great great grandson
2) Shackleford - great great grandson
3) Tres Borrachos - great great great grandson x3

Images from Getty

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/BCWorldChampionships#p/u/10/S-8-fZ0gSYY

Breeders Cup 2011 - Turf Sprint

2011-11-05T15:48:00.005-04:00

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It's another 1-2-3 finish for descendants of the Dancer in the Turf Sprint.

1) Regally Ready - great great grandson
2) Country Day - great great great grandson
3) Perfect Officer - great great great grandson x2

Image from Getty of Coey Nakatani aboard Regally Ready

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/BCWorldChampionships#p/u/9/vRj6_vQd35Y

Breeders Cup 2011 - Sprint

2011-11-05T14:53:00.006-04:00

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You have to love his name and the fact that he was a throw in on a $5,000 purchase. Amazombie wins the $1.5 Million Sprint ahead of Force Freeze and Jackson Bend. Three more descendants of the Dancer so not only do they take the 14 furlong Marathon they also take the short 6 furlong Sprint. Amazombie is also the second champion of the day coming through the Dancer's granddaughter Nuryette from Nuryev, she was also the great grandma of Afleet Again (winner of the Marathon).

1) Amazombie - great great grandson (Nuryette)
2) Force Freeze - great great grandson
3) Jackson Bend - great great great grandson x3

Images from Getty

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/BCWorldChampionships#p/u/4/WIh_qe0w_a8

Breeders Cup 2011 - Juvenile Turf

2011-11-05T14:18:00.008-04:00

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It was 3 more great grandsons on top of the Juvenile Turf with the Irish bred Wrote winning going away. Excaper was 2nd and another Irish bred Faarraaj in third. Wrote's sire High Chaparral won 2 Breeders Cup Turfs and his sire Sadlers Wells (from the Dancer's 1981 crop) led England's sire list for 13 consecutive years.

1) Wrote (IRE) - great grandson x3
2) Excaper - great grandson x2
3) Farraaj (IRE) - great grandson x3

Images from Getty - look at the focus in Wrote's eye (click on photo to enlarge)

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/BCWorldChampionships#p/u/7/YP5bwEAEu28

Breeders Cup 2011 - Marathon

2011-11-05T13:50:00.008-04:00

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Saturday races are underway. It was another longshot, the grey Afleet Again at 41-1 who wins the Marathon with Birdrun 2nd and Giant Oak 3rd. All 3 are descendants of Northern Dancer. Now, before someone says it - I will - you hear 80% of all thoroughbreds can now be traced back to Northern Dancer. I don't know if that stat can be supported but even if it can we still see more than 80% of the winners in the biggest races in the world (and I do mean the entire world) coming through our Canadian athlete of the year from 1964.

1) Afleet Again - great great great grandson (Nuryette)
2) Birdrun - great great grandson
3) Giant Oak - great great grandson x2

Before and after images from Getty

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/BCWorldChampionships#p/u/6/d-MjcDFNoWc

Breeders Cup 2011 - Ladies' Classic

2011-11-04T19:44:00.005-04:00

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The Friday races wrapped up with favorite Royal Delta winning the Ladies' Classic and another 1-2-3 for Northern Dancer great great granddaughters making it 17 out of 18 top 3 finishes for descendants of our little Canadian hero today and another $5 Million plus in earnings (remember nobody wanted that homely little yearling Northern Dancer for $25 thousand in 1962).

1) Royal Delta - great great granddaughter x2
2) It's Tricky - great great granddaughter x2
3) Pachattack - great great granddaughter x2

Image from Getty

video of race
http://www.breederscup.com/default.aspx

Breeders Cup 2011 - Filly and Mare Turf

2011-11-04T19:19:00.005-04:00

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It was another upset with 27-1 Canadian owned and trained Perfect Shirl winning the Filly and Mare Turf over the European breds Misty for Me and Nahrain. All 3 are descendants of the Dancer.

1) Perfect Shirl - great granddaughter
2) Misty For Me - great granddaughter x2
3) Nahrain - great great great granddaughter

Image from Getty

video of race - click on thumbnail or wait for it to show in screen
http://www.breederscup.com/default.aspx

Breeders Cup 2011 - Juvenile Fillies

2011-11-04T18:28:00.004-04:00

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It was the undefeated My Miss Aurelia winning the Juvenile Fillies with Grace Hall a game second and pickles the goat's stallmate Weemissfrankie in third. All 3 impressive fillies are descendants of our little hero.

1) My Miss Aurelia - great great great granddaughter
2) Grace Hall - great great granddaughter x2
3) Weemissfrankie - great great granddaughter

Image from Getty

video of races - click on thumbnail or wait for it to show in screen
http://www.breederscup.com/default.aspx

Breeders Cup 2011 - Filly and Mare Sprint

2011-11-04T18:17:00.006-04:00

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It was a miss for descendants in the Filly and Mare Turf with the 20-1 longshot Musical Romance upsetting the field.

1) Musical Romance (no descendant)
2) Switch - great great granddaughter
3) Her Smile - great great great great granddaughter

Image from Getty

video of race - click on thumbnail or wait for it to show in screen
http://www.breederscup.com/default.aspx

Breeders Cup 2011 - Juvenile Fillies Turf

2011-11-04T17:50:00.006-04:00

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It was another 1-2-3 finish for Dancer descendants in the Juvenile Fillies Turf with 2 of those descendants of the Dancer's amazing daughter Fanfreluche from his second crop of foals. Fanny had an impressive race record and an even more impressive breeding record but it was almost cut short when she was kidnapped in 1977 while in foal to Secretariat.

1) Stephanie's Kitten - great great granddaughter x3 (Fanny)
2) Stopsoppingmaria - great great granddaughter
3) Sweet Cat - great great granddaughter x3 (Fanny)

Images from Mathea Kelley and Getty Images

Link to blog post on Fanny - chapter 12 from book - both Stephanie's Kitten and Sweet Cat are descendants of the Dancer through Fanny and L'Enjoleur who are both mentioned here
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/chapter-12_2744.html

Breeders Cup 2011 - Juvenile Sprint

2011-11-04T17:44:00.008-04:00

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They're off at the Breeders Cup 2011. It was a 1-2-3 finish Northern Dancer grandkids in the first of this year's Breeders Cup races.

1) Secret Circle - great grandson x2
2) Shumoos - great great granddaughter x2
3) Holdin Bullets - great great great grandson

image from Getty

video of race - click on thumbnail or wait for it to show in screen
http://www.breederscup.com/default.aspx

The Race that stops a Nation - Melbourne Cup 2011

2011-11-01T00:32:00.013-04:00

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Wow, it looked like a dead heat but it was the French bred Dunaden winning the 101st running of the Melbourne Cup by a whisker over the British bred Red Cadeaux with the German bred Lucas Cranach finishing 3rd. All three international breds are descendants of our little Dancer. I couldn't sleep so I got up to find out post time and caught the live broadcast on radio. Turns out we had a friend in Australia at the time of this year's Cup. Our very own piano man Greg Gallello can attest to the fact that the race stops the nation and provides quite a celebration.

1) Dunaden (FR) great great great grandson (x2)
2) Red Cadeaux (GB) great great grandson (x2)
3) Lucas Cranach (GER) great great grandson (x2)

images from IllawaraMercury and Fox sports

fox sports article and photo finish pic - announcer said he won it by a pixel - good call

http://www.foxsports.com.au/other-sports/horse-racing/melbourne-cup-result/story-e6frf41l-1226182547697

Image gallery from Sydney Morning Herald of Cup and Carnival
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/sport/horseracing/melbourne-cup-2011-20111101-1msvz.html

early video of finish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehUuvGYFn5g

here is my favoritr Melbourne Cup - Makybe Diva winning her 3rd Cup in 2005 - so emotional
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em-PsEhVlLU

Fillies Dominate Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2011

2011-10-06T22:36:00.005-04:00

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It was a 1-2-3 finish for the girls and they were all descendants of Northern Dancer in this year's exciting Arc. It was an emotional win for the German connections of Danedream who won the classic her great grand sire Nijinsky could not.

1) Danedream (Ger) great great granddaughter x2
2) Shareta (IRE) great great granddaughter x3
3) Snow Fairy (IRE) great great great granddaughter x2

Image from Reuters

Below is a great video of the race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb9K3oqp7FE

Windfields Farm Group on Facebook

2011-10-06T20:19:00.005-04:00

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There is a group on facebook that was set up originally for former employees of Windfields to stay in touch and discuss their experiences and how special of a place it was. Lately there has been a lot of discussion about the condition of my little hero's grave along with the other special horses buried there. Some media pressure resulted in some clean up but I think this group would like to see more happen (like a memorial). Have a look and join the group.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/2384512050/?id=10150311408187051¬if_t=group_activity

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

2011-09-17T08:58:00.005-04:00

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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

2011-09-17T08:32:00.003-04:00

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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

2011-09-17T06:59:00.007-04:00

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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

Fantastic Filly Inglorious Wins 152nd Queen's Plate

2011-06-29T20:30:00.008-04:00

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It was a 1-2 finish for the grandkids in the 152nd running of the Queen's Plate at Woodbine. Inglorious was the only filly in the race and trained by Josie Carroll who was the first female trainer to win the Queen's Plate in 2006 with Edenwold (anothe descendant of our Dancer). Inglorious won the race with an explosive move at the top of the stretch. Sorry for the late post - had a busy week.

1) Inglorious - great great granddaughter X2
2) Hippolytus - great great grandson

photo from Mark O'Neill of Toronto Sun

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUhBVJElUt4

video tribute to this year's fillies and mares including Inglorious
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6W9f7DU8fc

Ruler On Ice Upsets in Belmont

2011-06-11T19:56:00.004-04:00

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It was a 1-2-3 finish for descendants of our little Dancer in the Belmont. The great great grandmother of Ruler On Ice was Northern Dancer's daughter Fanfreleuche. Fanny was kidnapped when she was in foal from her farm in Kentucky. They found her being used as a saddle horse some time later. She, like the Dancer is in Canada's Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

1) Ruler On Ice - great great great grandson X3
2) Stay Thirsty - great grandson X2
3) Brilliant Speed - great great great grandson X3

That's jockey Jose Valdidivisia Jr celebrating in the Getty image above

Shackleford Wins 2011 Preakness

2011-05-21T19:34:00.010-04:00

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A lathered up Shackleford managed to hang on to win the 2011 Preakness after a blistering first half. It was a 1-2 finish for the grandkids. Shackleford is a great great grandson through his sire Forestry a son of Storm Cat and of course Animal Kingdom winner of the Derby is a descendant through his Brazilian sire Leroidesanimaux - Candy Stripes - Bubble Company - Lyphard. The 3rd place finisher Astrology is not a descendant of Northern dancer.

Image above from Getty.

NBC video of race

http://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/5/21/2183439/preakness-2011-results-video-youtube-shackleford-pimlico-winner-animal-kingdom-nbc

Animal Kingdon wins 137th Kentucky Derby

2011-05-07T18:55:00.011-04:00

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It was a 1-3 finish for descendants of Northern Dancer in this year's Derby. You can read about Animal Kingdom's sire and his dam and granddam (the amazing Bubble Company) in my Chapter 14 post in 2009.

1) Animal Kingdom Great Great Great Grandson X2
2) Nehro - no relationship
3) Mucho Macho Man Great Great Great grandson

Images from AP.

Chapter 14 Post
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/chapter-14.html

Video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQsMgu9rr1k

Dubai World Cup - Japan's spirit lifted

2011-03-26T13:50:00.009-04:00

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It was an emotional 1-2 finish for Japan in the $10M Dubai World Cup. Italian jockey Mirco Demuro was crying after the race saying "I love you Japan" after his brilliant ride with a bold move early on the backstretch aboard Victoire Pisa and what do you know ... it was not a 1-2-3 finish for the grandkids. The winner Victoire Pisa is not a descendant of the Dancer but his grandsire Sunday Silence might not have made it to Japan if not for Northern Dancer's son Northern Taste who paved the way for some great Japanese imported sires. Transcend another Japanese bred was second and Monterosso was third (it was a 2-3 finish for the grandkids).

Once again sport (and horse racing in particular) can have a healing effect and raise the morale of an entire nation. There were many, many tears at the playing of the national anthem of Japan. I got the result I was hoping for even if it wasn't one of the grandkids to provide the shining moment.

Victoire Pisa (JPN) - no relationship to Northern Dancer
Transcend (JPN) - great great great grandson
Monterosso (GB) - great great grandson (X2)

Image above from gulf news

Video of race
http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/popups/video.php?id=ffdedd8f&width=640&height=512

Finish of race and beginning of interview with an emaotional Mirco - they cut it just before he says "I love you Japan" in tears.
http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/popups/video.php?id=d08be840&width=640&height=360

Brilliant article from Bill Christine
http://www.horseraceinsider.com/lines-in-the-sand/03272011-a-country-again/

Dubai World Cup - Sheema Classic

2011-03-26T13:16:00.006-04:00

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A great ride from Frankie aboard Rewilding provides Godolphin with their third win on the night in the $5M Sheema Classic and of course another 1-2-3 for the grandkids.

Rewilding (GB) - great great grandson
Redwood (GB) - great great grandson (X2)
Calvados Blues (FR) - great great grandson

Image from gulf news

Video of race
http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/popups/video.php?id=c1cb03d3&width=640&height=480

Dubai World Cup - Duty Free

2011-03-26T11:59:00.008-04:00

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Image from Time Out Dubai

It was a great ride from Ryan Moore to go from last to first to win the $5M Dubai Duty Free on board Presvis. Needless to say another 1-2-3 for Dancer descendants from different hemispheres.

Presvis (GB) - great great grandson (X2)
River Jetez (SAF) - great granddaughter
Wigmore Hall (IRE) - great grandson (X2)

Video of race
http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/popups/video.php?id=ded86f92&width=640&height=512

Dubai World Cup - Golden Shaheen

2011-03-26T11:22:00.005-04:00

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The Australian bred, Singapore owned Rocket Man won the $2M Golden Shaheen making up for a tough loss last year. Another 1-2-3 for Northern Dancer grandkids.

Rocket Man (AUS) - great great great great grandson
Euroears (US) - great grandson (X2)
Sunny King (IRE) - great great grandson (X3)

Image from gulf news

Video of race
http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/popups/video.php?id=ca79936b&width=640&height=512

Dubai World Cup - UAE Derby

2011-03-26T10:55:00.005-04:00

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It was back to back wins for Godolphin with the filly Khawlah winning the 2$M Derby and another 1-2-3 for Dancer descendants.

Khawlah (IRE) - great great granddaughter (X2)
Master of Hounds (US) great grandson (X3)
Mahbooba (Aus) great granddaughter

Image from Gulf news

Video of race
http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/popups/video.php?id=3a347d3d&width=640&height=512

Dubai World Cup - Godolphin Mile

2011-03-26T10:16:00.004-04:00

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Frankie Dettori wins the $1M Godolphin Mile for the Godolphin stable on Skysurfers and it's another 1-2-3 finish for Northern Dancer grandkids.

Skysurfers (GB) - great great grandson
Mufarrh (IRE) - great great grandson (X3)
Red Jazz (US) - great great great grandson

Image from racing post

Video of race
http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/popups/video.php?id=ee8b19d1&width=640&height=512

Dubai World Cup - Al Quoz Sprint

2011-03-26T10:02:00.005-04:00

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Favorite JJ The Jet Plane won the $1M Sprint for South Africa. It was a 1-2-3 finish for descendants of the Dancer.

JJ The Jet Plane (SAF) - great great grandson (X2)
War Artist (AUS) - great great grandson
Better Be The One (AUS) - great great great grandson (X2)

Image from Gulf News.

Video of race
http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/popups/video.php?id=6106ca1c&width=640&height=512

Dubai World Cup Day

2011-03-26T09:37:00.004-04:00

I am really looking forward to live streaming from our CBC of this great day of racing from a spectacular racing facility - Meydan - in Dubai. They claim the grandstand at Meydan is the largest building on the planet (looks like it).

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/Live_Streaming/1248955900/ID=1842524903

Commemorative Stamp Update

2011-03-17T19:27:00.006-04:00

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I received a very nice reply from Canada Post today in regards to my submission to the Stamp Selection Committee. The Director will ensure my request is brought to the attention of the committee who sound like they examine all requests and based on their "track" record do a pretty good job. He was kind enough to point out me that the Dancer was already on a stamp in 1999 as part of the "Horses Series". I was not aware of that but thrilled to hear it. He did not say anything about that disqualifying the idea so let's see what happens going forward. Above is a pic of the 1999 stamp designed by Pierr-Yves Pelletier of Montreal.

Here is the link to the Canada Post Archives site

http://data4.collectionscanada.ca/netacgi/nph-brs?s1=1702&l=20&d=POST&p=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collectionscanada.ca%2Farchivianet%2F020117%2F020117030415_e.html&r=1&f=G&SECT3=POST

Sandy Lane Barbados Cup 2011

2011-03-05T23:26:00.006-05:00

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It was a controversial finish to this year's Sandy Lane Barbados Cup. The apparent winner Show Me The Money was disqualified for interference in the stretch. It was a 1-2-3 finish for descendants of Northern Dancer regardless as another country is heard from.

1st Zoom great-great grandson
2nd Bird Watch great-great-great grandson
3rd Charge It great-great grandson

Show Me The Money was also a great-great grandson (x3)

Image from the Barbados Turf Club

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ewmaXKYhM

Campaign for a Commerative Stamp

2011-02-26T08:04:00.012-05:00

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Last week I sent a letter off to the Chairperson of the Canada Post, Stamp Advisory Committee suggesting Northern Dancer deserves consideration on the 50th anniversary of his winning the Kentucky Derby and becoming an instant Canadian hero. It takes a couple of years to process these requests so I wanted to submit it sometime this year for a 2014 stamp.

The above photo from The Toronto Star is one of my favourites and might make a good model for the stamp. It really captures the emotion of that historic event. There are many great portraits of the Dancer that could also be used including the one Trevor Jones did for the cover of my book in 2008. I will try to light a fire under this campaign as we get closer to a decision over the next couple of years and keep you posted here.

Could this be the 2011 Kentucky Derby Winner?

2011-02-13T19:39:00.013-05:00

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He has my early vote. Brethren romped to victory yesterday in the Sam F Davis Stakes at Tampay Bay Downs to remain undefeated. He is the half-brother of last year's Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. The WinStar colt is also trained by Todd Pletcher and is out of Distorted Humor and the mare Supercharger who happens to be the granddaughter of the incredible mare in my last post, Dance Number from Northern Dancer's 1979 crop of foals. Supercharger was under my radar in 2007 when I was finishing the book with her first foals just hitting the track but her outstanding dam Get Lucky certainly had established a presence already.

Pics from WinStar and Tom Cooley

Video of Brethren's victory in the 2011 Sam F Davis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH-D-XMDFQw

Thoroughbred Times article
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/racing-news/2011/02/09/road-to-the-triple-crown-brethren-winstar.aspx

Chapter 27 - A Dance Number with 'Rhythm'

2011-02-13T12:34:00.008-05:00

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Here is an excerpt from chapter 27 of The Dancer where I talked about his 1979 crop of foals including the brilliant mare Dance Number. I will explain why in my next post.

Dance Number was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps. In her 8 wins she captured the Dark Mirage Stakes and Beldame Stakes but really showed her form in winning the High Voltage Stakes in 1982 when she equaled Aqueducts track record for 6-1/2 furlongs. She equaled another track record for 1-1/16 when she won the Shuvee Handicap at Belmont Park in 1983.

Dance Number followed an outstanding racing career with a short but fantastic career as a broodmare. She only produce 6 foals before dying in 1991 but all 6 foals were winners and they included the Eclipse Champion Two Year Old Colt, Rhythm (1987) ($1,592,532 20-6-3-4) who won the 1989 Breeders Cup Juvenile.

Rhythm has sired 11 crops of racing age so far, over 700 foals with 50% of those winners, including the 2001 Melbourne Cup Champion, Ethereal. The New Zealand bred mare Ethereal (1997) ($2,450,827 21-8-1-3) also won the Caulfield Cup (A Cups Double) to be named Champion Stayer in Australia 2001-2 (over 2200m). Ethereal was trained by Sheila Laxon, the first “official” woman to train a Melbourne Cup winner. “Granny” McDonald was denied the honour in 1938 with her colt Catalogue because Victorian State Law prohibited women from holding a Trainer’s License. Rhythm has also produced two New Zealand Champion Stayers so far in daughter Upsetthym (1998) ($401,170 35-6-3-4) and the gelding Zabeat (1999) who was the 2005 Champion and still racking up stakes victories down under.

Dance Number’s son, Not For Love (1990) ($178,870 29-6-7-5) is a full brother to Rhythm and while he was not that successful on the track he has proven to be a very capable sire. He was Maryland’s leading sire in 2006 with 95 winners from 169 runners and progeny earnings of $4,664,217, which ranked him 25th nationally.

Not For Love stands at Maryland’s Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake, Maryland where there is another connection to his grandsire and our little Canadian hero. Northview Stallion Station opened in 1989 on the property that was formerly Windfields Farm, Maryland Division. The farm E. P. Taylor built from the ground up for Northern Dancer, thanks to the Dancer’s success became the largest operation of its kind in the state. The family of E. P. Taylor put the property up for sale in 1987 after the Dancer was pensioned and E. P. Taylor’s health was suffering. The farm ceased operation in 1988 and was eventually sold in 1989. Windfields, Maryland had grown to over 3,000 acres at its peak and was sold off in sections. Winbak Farm, a Standardbred farm occupies the largest chunk of acreage followed by Northview Stallion Station where the founders have carved their own success in Maryland’s breeding history. Richard Golden, Tom Bowman and the late Allaire duPoint wanted to preserve the lands and buildings of one of the most successful thoroughbred breeding businesses in North America. Not for Love now offers his services in the same hallowed building where Northern Dancer, The Minstrel and El Gran Senor offered theirs. Northview Stallion Station in Maryland and Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario, represent the historic homes of Northern Dancer. I hope they never lose their purpose as active breeding operations but if they do I hope they are preserved in some form for the their historical significance in the life of such a legend of the sport of kings.

Dance Number’s daughter, Get Lucky (1988) ($157,760) produced 5 winners from her 11 foals so far. They included Accelerator (1994) ($414,908 24-4-3-9) and the mare Daydreaming (2001) ($696,680 16-7-2-2). Daydreaming did not have any success as a broodmare. Accelerator has had some modest success as a sire. It was Get Lucky’s unraced daughter She’s A Winner (1996) out of AP Indy who had the most success in the breeding shed. She produced 2 stakes winners from her first four crops of foals in Bluegrass Cat (2003) ($1,761,280 11-5-4-0) and the gelding, Lord Of The Game (2001) ($539,920 13-8-2-1). Bluegrass Cat won the Haskell Invitational and finished second in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He now stands at WinStar Farms in Kentucky where his first crop of foals are just being born.

Dance Number’s daughter Oscillate (1986) was another modest runner winning just one non-stakes race but she was a solid broodmare. Son, Jet Around (1994) was a multiple stakes winner in Japan earning in excess of $1,000,000 $US. Son, Mutakddim (1991) was a stakes winner in England before retiring to a prosperous career as a stallion. In his 7 crops of racing age he has produced 56 stakes winners of more than $20,000,000 in career earnings.

Offbeat (1989) ($333,204 21-3-5-6) and Personal Escort (1991) ($58,760 15-2-2-2-) were the only two offspring of Dance Number who did not have significant success in the breeding shed.

Winstar's final naming contest for this season

2011-01-30T07:52:00.007-05:00

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This hansome young fellow is out of A.P. Indy and a great-great grandson of Danzig through his dam Awesome Humor. This has been a lot of fun. The last winning selection was "Gemologist" for the Crystal Shard - Tiznow colt. There have been hundreds and hundreds of names being suggested. My favourite for this guy is Vaudevillian. I would have preferred Letterman but there were already 3 or 4 of those in the books and some recently - only one Vaudevillian from 1966.

Winstar's facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/photo.php?fbid=499196013921&set=a.391534678921.174259.261791448921&pid=6424774&id=261791448921

'Tiz a small world' - the rest of my Chapter 30

2011-01-24T17:14:00.010-05:00

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Wow, 'Tiz a small world'. A few weeks ago I found a friend on facebook (and I only have 47) who must have found me off this blog. He hooked me into a great group (over 5000) of us who happened to be following this year's Eclipse award winning Farm - WinStar (before they were named the winners). Two weeks ago they ran a great contest to name a yearling. Golden Ticket (the winning name) was another great-grandson of our Dancer and I couldn't begin to count the number of names entered. This week they are running another contest and guess what? The 2nd dam of this colt was mentioned in the same Chapter 30 I posted the excerpt from last week. Here is the rest of that chapter 30 where I mention Sulemeif - Tiz Drizzt's grandmother (Tiz Drizzt is my suggestion and that's his yearling pic above). Drizzt is a character in the book Crystal Shard (his dam) which was part of the trilogy Icewind Dale. His sire is the great Tiznow (mentioned several times in my book and another descendant of Northern Dancer). Withallprobability mentioned here was a full sister to the unraced Crystal Shard. If you get a chance have a look at WinStar's facebook page. Such fun.

… Back to the rest from 1980 ...Chapter 30 continued

... I was describing the Dancer's crop of foals from 1980

Eskimo managed to win the Quaker Handicap and placed in several others before retiring to some modest success as a sire. His best runner was the colt Silent Eskimo (1995) ($1,039,485 31-9-4-9) while daughter Eskiway (1992) was a two-time champion in Puerto Rico.

Lomond was the only classic winner from the 1980 crop of foals. He won the Two Thousand Guineas in his brief racing career before retiring to a solid career in the breeding shed. He produced some outstanding fillies including Marling (1989) ($748,950 10-7-1-1) who was a high weight ranked filly in Europe at two and three winning several Grade 1 stakes including the Irish One Thousand Guineas, Cheveley Park stakes, Coronation Stakes and Sussex Stakes and the Irish Champion Two Year Old Filly, Flutter Away (1985). Several of Lamond’s daughters have gone on to solid careers as broodmares in Europe.

Sulemeif started her racing career in France where she placed in her three starts before coming back to the U.S. and Florida where she won a couple of G3 stakes as a four year old. She produced several good runners with the most notable being the filly Withallprobability (1988) ($643,438 27-9-4-5) out of Mr Prospector. A multiple G2 stakes winner she went on to be another good broodmare. While her best runner was the mare With Ability (1998) ($558,124 19-7-3-1) who died in 2004 before she could produce a foal, her unraced daughter Probable Colony (1994) was the dam of the great mare Summer Colony (1998) ($1,448,930 245-10-5-1) a multiple stakes winner.

Danzatore was a controversial character. Bred by E.P. Taylor and sold at the Keeneland Yearling sales in 1981 for $1,000,000 he became another Vincent O’Brien project. He was the Champion Two Year Old Colt in Ireland going undefeated in 3 stakes outings. He won his first start as a Three Year Old before his temperament got the better of him and cost him his next and last race. O’Brien was grooming him for the Two Thousand Guineas but he was just too much to handle and he was sent to New Zealand to breed instead of extending his racing career. The tough English columnist Tony Morris wrote “Fortunately for the British breeding industry Danzatore has been banished to the colonies.” Danzatore’s temperament continued to be an issue with his offspring but it didn’t stop him from producing a Breeders Cup winner in the gelding Reraise (1995) ($922,830 9-8-1-0) who won the 1998 Breeders Cup Sprint and was the Eclipse Champion Sprinter that year. Danzatore went on to produce over 400 foals, 145 winners and 122 producing daughters.

Salmon Leap won the G2 Nijinsky Stakes in Ireland and finished 4th in the 1983 Epsom Derby. He produced several crops of foals with no memorable runners but some useful broodmares.

Glenstal won the G2 National stakes in Ireland and went on to sire foals in Ireland, France, Hungary and the Czech Republic. His daughter Glen Kate raced in England, France, North America and Hong Kong winning the G1 Hong Kong International Bowl and amassing almost $700,000 in earnings. She produced an Irish stakes winner in Perfect Touch (1999) ($135,340 13-3-3-2) and through another daughter Tremkate (1995) the Santa Anita Handicap winning mare Katdogawn (2000) ($817,553 35-7-7-6). Glenstal’s daughter Las Meninas (1991) ($301,186 9-2-2-1) won the Thousand Guineas and is now producing offspring in Japan.

Night Shift was the last one worth mentioning from the 1980 crop of Northern Dancer foals and it was not because of his race record. In over 20 crops of foals, Night Shift has sired more than 70 stakes winners and has been in the top 10 of broodmare sires in Great Britain since 2002. His greatest runner so far has been Azamour (2001) ($2,414,362 12-6-1-3) the Champion Older Horse of Europe. Azamour had 4 G1 wins in his 6 victories including The Prince of Wales and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. He now stands at Gilltown Stud for his owner and breeder; the Aga Khan. Other notable runners from Night Shift were In The Groove (1987) ($1,250,000 21-7-4-4) winner of The Irish One Thousand Guineas, Coronation, International and Champion Stakes and the filly Daryaba (1996), winner of the Prix de Diane and Prix Vermeille. As a broodmare sire some of Night Shift’s most noticeable runners are Somnus (2000) ($1,069,608 19-9-3-0) out of Midnight’s Reward (1986), Majestic Desert (2001) ($684,715 17-3-6-3) out of Calcutta Queen (1989) and the Indian bred winner of the Indian Two Thousand Guineas, Berlioz (2001) out of Innocent Pleasures (1995).

Night Shift’s son Moon Solitaire (1997) ($474,115 23-5-1-9) has just launched his career as a sire in Barbados. At the Barbados Turf Club annual exhibition and awards one of Moon Solitaire’s first foals was named best weanling filly of the show (she still doesn’t have a name). It’s hardly an Eclipse award but I doubt her great grandfather could have pulled that one off, she does have two of his white stockings but she is a pretty chestnut.

With each passing season, the Northern Dancer crops seem to get busier and busier generating more and more widespread success stories. It becomes difficult to research and discuss them all. I will do my best to hit the highlights, at least from my perspective.

WinStar's facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?fbid=496847263921&set=a.391534678921.174259.261791448921

Excerpts from Ch 30 of The Dancer - "No Ordinary Joe"

2011-01-08T09:26:00.022-05:00

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Dubai Millennium - another National Hero

Photo from Godolphin “This horse has great depth through his heart. Look at those eyes, you can see his heart through his eyes.”

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The pricey ($3,300,000) yearling Shareef Dancer lived up to his expectations winning the Irish Derby and being declared Champion 3 Year Old Colt of England and Ireland for Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Marktoum before being syndicated for $40,000,000. Shareef Dancer would have been considered a so, so stallion in Europe but for one exceptional grandson. Dubai Millennium started life as Yaazer, Arabic for ‘Ordinary Joe’ but he proved he was anything but. In 1998, the Sheik asked trainer David Loden, which of his two year olds had the best chance of winning the Dubai World Cup in 2000 and before he raced his first race, Yaazer was renamed Dubai Millennium. Dubai Millenium was out of Seeking The Gold and the Shareef Dancer mare, Colorado Dancer (1986) ($203,389 10-3-1-2). Colorado Dancer was a French Grade 2 stakes winner before retiring as a brood mare for the Sheik’s Godolphin Stables and providing the Sheik with his dream come true colt in Dubai Millennium (formerly Yaazer). It had become his number one priority to breed a winner of his own Dubai World Cup and Dubai Millennium looked like his best shot.

Dubai Millennium launched his racing career in style winning the South Norfolk Caterers Maiden Stakes at Yarmouth in England by 5 easy lengths on October 28,1998. Frankie Dettori who rode Dubai Millennium in all but his 10th and last race eased up at the finish in his maiden victory, his only race as a two year old. Dubai Millennium won his next two starts as a three year leading up to the 1999 Epsom Derby which would be his first big challenge. At Doncaster he won the Doncaster Racecourse Sponsorship Club Conditions Stakes by 9 lengths on March 5 and followed that with a 3 ½ length victory at Goodwood on May 18 in the Listed Compass UK Leisure Predominant Stakes. Dubai Millennium would suffer the only defeat of his career in his next start, the Epsom Derby, finishing ninth in his only race over 10 furlongs. The consensus was … the distance was just too much for him.

Dubai Millennium followed up the Derby loss with convincing victories in the French Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam at Maisons-Laffitte (by 3 lengths) on July 18 and the Group 1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jaques La Mrois at Deauville (by 2 ½ lengths) on August 15. Dubai Millennium finished his three-year-old campaign with a convincing 6-length victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on September 26, prompting the Sheik to say Dubai Millennium was the greatest Godolphin horse of all time, ahead of the likes of Lammtarra, Daylami and Swain.

In his first start at four, Dubai Millennium won on the dirt in the Listed Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum Challenge Round III at Dubai’s Nad Al Sheba (by 4 ½ lengths) on March 2,2000. All his victories before that had been on the turf. It was a track record for the distance but it was just a tune up race for the upcoming Dubai World Cup.

On March 25 Dubai Millennium lived up to his name, not only winning the world’s richest race but, winning it in such convincing fashion (by 6 lengths) he was being compared to Nijinsky and even Secretariat. It was another new course record for Nad Al Sheba and a new world’s record time for the distance. It might be as tempting to compare him to the only once beaten Man O’ War who set many track and world records on his way to annihilating his competition. Just like Man O’ War, Dubai Millennium not only won easy (a combined 48 lengths in his 9 victories), setting track and world records along the way but he also won on both dirt and turf racing in both clockwise and counter clockwise directions.

The plan, that was two years in the making, for the four year old (much longer for the Sheik) had been realized. Dubai Millennium won his last race on June 21, 2000 at Ascot in the Prince of Wales Stakes. Once again, Dubai Millennium won in convincing fashion by 8 lengths, defeating the horse he shared International Champion miler status with the year before, the French Sendawar. Sendawar actually went off as the favorite in the race. Jerry Bailey was in the saddle for the Prince of Wales, substituting for the Dettori who was injured in an aircraft crash. Dettori made a surprise visit to Ascot to witness the race and had this to say after it “He’s unbelievable, here you have a champion miler (Sendawar) trying to follow Dubai Millennium and he hasn’t got the speed to keep up with him. It brings tears to my eyes – I have never been so nervous in my life. Dubai Millennium is the best horse I’ve ridden – he’s exceptional”. You wonder how Dettori would have felt if he was in the saddle on not just a spectator.

There was only one challenge left for Dubai Millennium and that was to face the European Champion Montjeu who was winning everything else in Europe. There was even talk of a match race but certainly the two would hook up somewhere before their racing careers were over. When asked about Montjeu the Sheik said “Why didn’t he come to Ascot last month? Montjeu is most welcome to take us on in the Breeders Cup and I will even pay his entry fee”. It never happened, on a workout in August at Newmarket, Dubai Millennium fractured a bone in a hind leg that would end his brilliant racing career.

Dubai Millennium won 9 of his 10 starts earning 2,752,610 pounds or approximately $4,300,000 US. He was the Co-Champion Three-Year-Old Miler of Europe. At four he was the Timeform Horse of the Year, Champion Older Horse of Europe and Best Middle Distance Horse. He was the Emirates Racing Association Nashwan award winning Horse of the Year and Dirt Horse of the Year.

Dubai Millennium retired to Stallion duty for Godolphin and covered 65 mares in his first season before tragedy struck the Champion. After a weeklong battle with Grass Sickness and complications from two emergency surgeries, he had to be put down. It was a devastating blow for the Sheik, Godolphin and the entire sport of thoroughbred racing.

There is a life size statue of Dubai Millennium winning the Dubai World Cup at the Godolphin Gallery in Dubai. It was modeled by, Madame Tussauds. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum had an incredible love for the horse and had many quotes to describe him but this was my favorite “This horse has great depth through his heart. Look at those eyes, you can see his heart through his eyes.”

In his all too brief career as a stallion Dubai Millennium had success. With the 65 mares he covered he produced 16 winners and several stakes winners. His most successful progeny was the colt Dubawi ($1,256,932 8-5-1-0) who was forced into retirement early after suffering an injury to a hind ligament. He was undefeated as a two-year-old, winning the Dunnes Stores National Stakes in Ireland (G1). At three he won the Prix Jaques Le Marois like his sire and the Irish Two Thousand Guineas and placed in the Epsom Derby and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Dubawi now stands at the Sheik’s Darley Farm in Newmarket for a fee of 25,000 pounds. It will be interesting to follow his offspring.

Link to great photos and videos of Dubai Millennium from Godolphin
http://www.godolphin.com/HorseDetail.aspx?id=257&cid=1_2_2

World Rankings IFHA to November 7, 2010

2011-01-08T08:39:00.005-05:00

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In looking for some year-end rankings for 2010 this was all I could get for now from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. A few interesting things to point out. First, there is a 4 way tie for 10th so there are 13 horses represented here and all but Zenyatta who is tied for 10th are descendants of Northern Dancer. That's 12 out of the top 13 thoroughbreds in the world. Secondly, there are 5 different countries represented on the list and four different continents, once again displaying the international influence of the Dancer's bloodlines. The last thing worth mentioning is the number 3 ranked Makfi out of Dubawi, son of Dubai Millennium. In Chapter 30 of my book I try to describe the incredible story of Dubai Millennium (no ordinary joe). He died tragically after servicing only 65 mares in his first season as a stallion. One of his sons was Dubawi. Dubai Millennium was the grandson of Shareef Dancer, purchased in 1981 by Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai for $3,300,000 at the Keeneland sale after bidding wars that were about to set record prices for yearlings (Northern Dancer yearlings) in excess of $10,000,000 by 1983. Two of the top three ranked horses here are descendants of Shareef Dancer. Number one ranked Harbinger is out of Penang Pearl, daughter of the Shareef Dancer mare Guapa.

1) Harbinger (GB) great-great grandson x4
2) Blame (US) great-great grandson x2
3) Makfi (GB) great-great grandson x3
3) Quality Road (US) great-great-great grandson x2
3) Workforce (GB) great grandson x2
6) Canford Cliffs (IRE) great-great grandson
6) Cape Blanco (IRE) great grandson
6) Nakayam Festa (JPN) great-great-great grandson x3
9) Rip Van Winkle (IRE) great grandson x3
10) Goldikova (IRE) great-great granddaughter x2
10) So You Think (NZ) great grandson x2
10) Twice Over (GB) great-great grandson
10) Zenyatta (USA) no connection

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup 2010

2010-12-12T07:25:00.006-05:00

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Wow, this year's Cup is in the books and it was a clean sweep for descendants of Northern Dancer taking top 3 honours in all 4 races adding another 60 million HK$'s to the earnings of our little Dancer's offspring.

It was the three-year-old British filly Snow Fairy coming from second to last at the top of the stretch to win over Irian and Packing Winner in the Cup. That meant the four races were won by four different geographic regions Britain, Hong Kong, South Africa and the UAE. What can we say - Northern Dancer got around.

Snow Fairy - great great great granddaughter x2
Irian - great great great great grandson x2
Packing Winner - great great grandson x2

thanks to CXHKIR for the photos and great coverage - click on any of the beautiful photos to enlarge them.

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

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile 2010

2010-12-12T07:07:00.005-05:00

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It's been a pretty good day for Northern Dancer descendants with another 1-2-3 finish in the Mile. Favourite Able One was a late scratch but it was another New Zealand bred - the handsome chestnut Beauty Flash winning the Mile with Gerald Bosse aboard.

Beauty Flash - great great great grandson x4
Royal Bench - great great great grandson x2
Sahpresa - great great granddaughter

video of the race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgtEMM4AQzU

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase 2010

2010-12-12T06:51:00.006-05:00

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Just another 1-2-3 finish for the Dancer's lines. Frankie Dettori rode the Godolpin Colt Mastery to an easy victory in this year's Vase with Redwood second and Melbourne Cup winner Americain third.

Mastery - great great great grandson x4
Redwood - great grandson x2
Americain - great great great grandson x2

video of the race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob5kE9kzATE

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint 2010

2010-12-12T06:34:00.009-05:00

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It was a 1-2-3 finish for descendants of Northern Dancer in an exciting Sprint this year featuring the fastest horses on the planet. South African bred JJ The Jet Planet nosed out Rocket Man at the wire with Sacred Kingdom a game third.

JJ The Jet Plane - great great grandson x2
Rocket Man - great great great great grandson
Sacred Kingdom - great grandson

video of the race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iEyE-odNDQ

Hong Kong Internationals 2010 go Sunday

2010-12-11T00:03:00.009-05:00

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Usually great coverage from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Here is Rocket Man warming up Friday morning. This Australian bred great-great-great-great grandson of Northen Dancer will be running in the Hong Kong Sprint - the first of four classic races.
The top photo is Hong Kong Sprint favourite Sacred Kingdom warming up on Saturday, he is a great grandson of the Dancer. Thanks to Hong Kong Jockey Club for pics. (click on photos to enlarge).

Japan Cup 2010 1-2 or 2-1 finish for the Grandkids

2010-11-28T08:52:00.016-05:00

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It was a controversial 30th running of the Japan Cup with descendants of our hero finishing 1-2 (or 2-1 after the stewards ruling). Winner Buena Vista came from way off the pace to clearly win the race but was demoted to second after stewards ruled her jockey interfered with runner-up Rose Kingdom. So Rose Kingdom was handed the 250,000,000 yen first place money.

Rose Kingdom - great great great grandson x3
Buena Vista - great great grandaughter x2
Victoire Pisa

That's the jockey aboard Buena Vista celebrating after the win but before the stewards took him down. Photos from AP and yahoo sports.

English video of the race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6bZphmBBpEU

Breeders Cup 2010 - In the books

2010-11-07T08:48:00.003-05:00

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Well the 2010 Breeders Cup is in the books and it was a great 2 days of thoroughbred racing and drama. I am hoping our deer friend Ted Beare made it down to Louisville for his annual adventure. ESPN did an outstanding job with the coverage. There were plenty of highlights you can read about below or on any of the sports pages. Europe and the rest of the world certainly took a back seat to the Americans this year running on the two surfaces at Churchill Downs but once again it didn’t alter the performance of our little Dancer’s descendants. They won over 20 million in purses and had 35 of the 42 top 3 finishers in the 14 races. You can start to see AP Indy and Mr Prospector having a bigger presence but Northern Dancer remains the most influential sire over the past century. His offsprings’ earnings on and off the track are in the billions and all this from the little runt of a thoroughbred nobody wanted in 1962 for $25,000 with his crooked white star, three white legs and oversized heart. I am just as proud of what he has accomplished this weekend as I was that first Saturday in May of 1964. It is getting a little harder to do this research as I had to dig down 7 generations to determine the Juvenile runner-up Boys at Tosconova was a descendant of the Dancer.

The individual race results and video links follow.

That's the climax of the two days with Blame holding off the hard charging Zenyatta in the dramatic Breeders Cup Classic 2010. Thanks to Getty Images, AP and yahoo sports for the images.

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 2 - The Classic

2010-11-07T06:22:00.006-05:00

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

What is there left to say, everyones heroine came up a nose short on her bid to end her career undefeated. It was the toughest field of males she had ever faced and she gave them a 20 length head start. She ran out of track (distance and room) or she could have put a punctuation mark on one of the greatest thoroughbred stories of all time. We were all rooting for her (I think even our little hero would have been rooting for her to beat his great-grandson Blame). She gave us a thrill as promised and as always but it wasn't meant to be. She was beaten by a great horse and probable Eclipse winner in Blame (not his fault he was just doing his job) but there were 114,000 sad (not disappointed) people in the stands at Churchill this Saturday evening. From the time she left barn #41 until she came through the tunnel to enter the paddock, thousands of people greeted her while she did her usual Zenyatta dance (what a ham). I think she will miss the stage she has made for herself over the past two years and thoroughbred racing will certainly miss her. Farewell Zenyatta it has been an incredible run.

1) Blame - great-great grandson (x2)
2) Zenyatta
3) Fly Down

No one felt worse than jockey Mike Smith who had been with his best friend for her entire 19-1 career but like he said before the race "she is the only girl in my life who has never disappointed me" and she didn't again Mike. Thanks to Getty Images and yahoo sports for the photo).

Video Link to race
http://www.breederscup.com/content.aspx?id=46152

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 2 - The Turf

2010-11-07T06:10:00.005-05:00

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It was not the European everyone expected to win this race. Behkabad finished third to the upset winner Dangerous Midge with Champ Pegasus wedged between them. All three were great-grandsons of our little Dancer.

1) Dangerous Midge - great-great-great grandson
2) Champ Pegasus - great-great grandson (x2)
3) Behkabad - great-great grandson

That's Lanfranco Dettori in the saddle of Dangerous Midge winning the Breeders Cup Turf (photo from Getty Images and yahoo sports).

Video Link to race
http://www.breederscup.com/content.aspx?id=46153

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 2 - The Dirt Mile

2010-11-06T20:58:00.006-04:00

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Dakota Phone came from far off the pace to just nose out Morning Line to win the dirt mile making it a 1-2 finish for the Dancer's grandsons.

1) Dakota Phone - great-great grandson
2) Morning Line - great-great-fgreat grandson
3) Gayego

That's Dakota Phone on the outside with Joel Rosario in the irons nosing out Morning Line with Javier Castellano up. (thanks to AP and yahoo sports for the image).

Video Link to race
http://www.breederscup.com/content.aspx?id=46151

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 2 - The Mile

2010-11-06T20:19:00.008-04:00

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The incredible mare Goldikova became the first ever three-time winner of a Breeders Cup race beating the best boys again (shades of Makybe Diva). It was yet another 1-2-3 for the Dancer's descendants.

1) Goldikova - great granddaughter (x2)
2) Gio Ponti - great-great grandson (x2)
3) The Usual Q T - great grandson (x2)

That's Olivier Peslier celebrating aboard the amazing mare Goldikova after she wins her 3rd Breeders Cup mile in three years (thaks again to AP and yahoo sports for the pic).

Video Link to race
http://www.breederscup.com/content.aspx?id=46147

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 2 - The Juvenile

2010-11-06T20:09:00.007-04:00

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Uncle Mo automatically becomes the favorite for next year's Kentucky Derby by winning the Breeders Cup Juvenile convincingly and it's another 1-2-3 finish for our Dancer's grandsons.

1) Uncle Mo - great-great grandson (x2)
2) Boys At Tosconova - great-great-great-great-great grandson
3) Rogue Romance - great-great-great grandson (x2)

That's John Velazquez aboard Uncle Mo winning the Juvenile (thanks to Getty Images and yahoo sports for the pic).

Video Link to race
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=juvenile

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 2 - The Turf Sprint

2010-11-06T19:54:00.005-04:00

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It was Chamberlain Bridge winning the Turf Sprint and a 1-2-3 finish for the grandkids.

1) Chamberlain Bridge - great grandson (x2)
2) Central City - great-great grandson (x2)
3) Unzip Me - great-great granddaughter (x3)

That's Chamberlain Bridge with Jamie Theriot aboard winning the Turf Sprint (thanks to Getty Images and yahoo sports for the pic).

Video Link to race
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=turfsprint

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 2 - The Sprint

2010-11-06T19:39:00.007-04:00

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It was Big Drama winning the exciting Sprint and a 2-3 finish for Northern Dancer's grandsons.

1) Big Drama
2) Hamazing Destiny - great-great grandson
3) Smiling Tiger - great-great grandson

That's Big Drama with Eibar Coa in the saddle winning the Sprint. (thanks AP and yahoo sports for the image)

Video Link to race
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=sprint

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 2 - The Juvenile Turf

2010-11-06T19:25:00.005-04:00

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Pluck went from last to first to win the Juvenile Turf. It was another 1-2-3 for the Dancer's grandsons.

1) Pluck - great-great grandson (x3)
2) Soldat - great grandson (x2)
3) Willcox Inn - great-great-great grandson (x2)

That's Pluck with jockey Garrett Gomez on board. Gomez was injured in a spill on Thursday but wouldn't give up his Breeders Cup mounts. He wasn't finished yet. (thanks to Getty Images and yahoo sports for the pic)

Video Link to race
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=juvenileturf

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 1 - Ladies' Classic

2010-11-06T08:12:00.005-04:00

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Day 1 wrapped up with the Ladies' Classic. It was just another 2-3 finish for the Dancer's granddaughters but after the first 6 races of Breeders Cup 2010 it was 15 out of 18 top 3 finishes for Northern Dancer descendants.

1) Unrivaled Belle
2) Blind Luck - great-great granddaughter (x3)
3) Havre de Grace - great-great granddaughter (x3)

That's Unrivaled Belle with Kent Desormeaux aboard winning the Ladies' Classic (photo from Getty and yahoo sports)

Video Link to race
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=lclassic

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 1 - Filly and Mare Turf

2010-11-06T08:00:00.006-04:00

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It was the first ever Breeders Cup under the lights but not the first ever 1-2-3 finish for Northern Dancer granddaughters. Winner Shared Account is owned by another relative newcomer in Kevin Plank of Under Armour fame.

1) Shared Account - great-great granddaughter (x2)
2) Midday - great-great granddaughter (x3)
3) Keertana - great-great granddaughter

That's Edgar Prado and Shared Account upsetting last year's winner Midday in the Filly and Mare Turf (photo from AP and yahoo sports)

Video Link for race
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=fmturf

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 1 - Juvenile Fillies

2010-11-06T07:40:00.006-04:00

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Could this be the next Zenyatta? Awesome Feather remains undefeated to take the Juvenile Fillies and it's a 1-2-3 finish for our Dancer's granddaughters.

1) Awesome Feather - great-great granddaughter (x2)
2) R Heat Lightning - great-great-great granddaughter
3) Delightful Mary - great-great granddaughter (x3)

That's Jeffrey Sanchez riding Awesome Feather to victory in the Juvenile Fillies (photo from Andy Lyons/Getty Images and yahoo sports)

Video Link for Race
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=juvenilefillies

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 1 - Filly and Mare Sprint

2010-11-06T07:29:00.006-04:00

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Finally things are settling down. This time it's only a 2-3 finish for the Dancer's granddaughters as the non-descendant Dubai Majesty pulls off the victory.

1) Dubai Majesty
2) Switch - great-great granddaughter
3) Evening Jewel - great-great granddaughter (x3)

That's Switch chasing Dubai Majesty in the stretch of the Filly and Mare Sprint (courtesy of AP and yahoo sports)

Video Link for Race
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=fmsprint

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 1 - Juvenile Fillies Turf

2010-11-06T07:14:00.008-04:00

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Day 1 continued with some unusual happenings as the horses were loaded in the wrong gate positions and all had to be reloaded but it was a 1-2-3 finish this time for Northern Dancer granddaughters. The winner More Than Real is owned by celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

1) More Than Real - great-great granddaughter (x2)
2) Winter Memories - great grandaughter
3) Kathmanblu - great-great granddaughter (x2)

That's More Than Real with Garrett Gomez on board - well back early in the race and then crossing the finish line (photos from Getty Images and yahoo sports)

Video Link
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=jfturf

Breeders Cup 2010 - Day 1 - The Marathon

2010-11-06T06:51:00.013-04:00

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The Breeders Cup got off to a rowdy start with a DQ and a jockey brawl but it was a typical 1-2 finish for grandkids of our Dancer.

1) Eldaafer - great-great-great grandson
2) Gabriel's Hill - great grandson
3) A U Miner

That's Eldaafer with John Velasquez aboard after crossing the finish line in the Breeders Cup Marathon. (phoyo from Gette images and Yahoo sports)

Video link for the race
http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=dirtmarathon
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Melbourne Cup 2010

2010-11-06T05:40:00.026-04:00

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It was another 1-2-3 finish for descendants of Northern Dancer in this year's 150 th running of Australia's Melbourne Cup.

1) Americain great-great grandson (x2)
2) Maluckyday great-great grandson
3) So You Think great-grandson

Gerrald Mosse abaord Americain celebrates crossing the finish line.

Link to the race video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3QxFt6AA8Q

It truly was a Queen's Plate

2010-07-08T19:46:00.006-04:00

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.... with her majesty Queen Elizabeth II on hand to give away the winner's trophy to the connections of Big Red Mike. It was another 1-2-3 finish for descendants of Northern Dancer - more specifically Vice Regent with Big Red Mike, Hotep and Roan Irish finishing in that order.

Great Great Grandson X3 Drosselmeyer wins Belmont

2010-07-08T19:32:00.005-04:00

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Sorry, I have been out of touch for a while. Drosselmeyer took this year's Belmont. His sire Distorted Humor is out of the Danzig mare Danzig's Beauty and his dam Golden Ballet was California horse-of-the-year in 2001 out of Nijinsky's son Moscow Ballet. There was also some Storm Bird blood on the dam's side. Second place finisher Fly Down and third place First Dude are not descendants of our Dancer.

Two out of three ain't bad

2010-05-16T07:34:00.008-04:00

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Lookin at Lucky wins the 2010 Preakness over First Dude. Jackson Bend finished third. Lookin at Lucky is a great-great-grandson of the Dancer through his dam Private Feeling a daughter of a son of Danzig, Belong To Me. Private Feeling's fourth dam was Northern Dancer's daughter Sleek Dancer from his third crop of foals in 1968. First Dude was not a descendant of Northern Dancer but he does have some Nearco blood to go along with some Native Dancer. Jackson Bend is a great-great-great grandson through his dam Sexy Stockings (Storm Cat and Storm Bird line). That's a Reuters image above.

Kentucky Derby 2010 Descendants 1-2-3

2010-05-02T00:45:00.014-04:00

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It was another 1-2-3 finish for descendants of our little Dancer. Before I hear it from someone else - yes probably more than 75% of the entries were descendants - I didn't check them all this year. The winner, Super Saver was a Great-Great Grandson through the Dancer's amazing daughter Dance Number who has done a lot to carry on the Dancer's lines. Second place finisher, Ice Box was a Great-Grandson through Sadler's Wells and the third place finisher, Paddy O'Prado was a Great-Great-Great Grandson through Storm Cat and Storm Bird. The emotion of this race is still there for me and I too thought Calvin Borel was crying along with me when the band struck up "My Old Kentucky Home". The photo is from AP.

The mare Dance Number made the title in chapter 27 of my book. She was the leading money winner of the Dancer's 1979 crop of foals and set track records at Belmont and Aqueduct when she won stakes there. She only produced 6 foals before her death in 1991 but they were all winners including the 1989 Eclipse Champion two-year-old Rhythm. Dance Number's daughter Get Lucky (1988) was a full sister to Rhythm and the grand-dam of Super Saver through daughter Supercharger. There are descendants of those 6 foals of Dance Number having success all around the world and now there is a Kentucky derby winner in their midst.

Ajdal influences in 2010 out of just 35 foals in 1989

2010-02-07T11:49:00.018-05:00

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From just 35 foals in 1989 Ajdal is still having an influence on today's international racing scene. Sir Percy's first crop of foals have just gone to market with a lot of fan fair and anticipation. I don't think we have heard the last of the 2007 pensioned Mark of Esteem and Daggers Drawn is still producing. The world number 10 ranked runner Youmzain is the grandson of another Ajdal mare in Anima through her winning daughter Sadima (1998) who has produced 3 winners out of her first 4 foals. Youmzain was the winner of almost 3 million pounds and had three second place finishes in the Prix de L'arc behind three pretty good horses in Sea the Stars (2009) Zarkava (2008) and Dylan Thomas (2007). It will be interesting to follow his career as a stallion.

Something I just found out about Ajdal this week was that he held the record for highest price paid for a buy back at the Keeneland Sales for 23 years. Ralph Wilson (Buffalo Bills owner) declined a 7.4 million bid for him in 1985 and opted to buy him back for 7.5 million. That record was broken in 2008 by the Allen E Paulson estate for their yearling Vallenzeri out AP Indy and the 2002 horse of the year in the Dancer's great great granddaughter Azeri. Vallenzeri was later sold for 1.9 million as a two-year-old in training and just won his debut race at Santa Anita on Dec 30, 2009 under his new name Take Control.

Youmzain's gutsy second place finish to Dylan Thomas in the 2007 Prix de L'arc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCFYgnlD6ao

Youmzain's second place finish to Zarkava in 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYR8vaj_fk0

Chapter 34

2010-02-06T09:08:00.012-05:00

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What Might Have Been ... Ajdal

Chapel of Dreams led the 1984 crop in earnings and possibly in extending the Dancer’s lines. She was a 3/4 sister to Storm Cat. As a three year old she only managed to place in 4 stakes but as a four year old she won several including the Palomar and Wilshire Handicaps (G2s).

She produced six winners in all but none of them had any stakes success. Seeking The Dream (1995) ($201,034 37-6-5-2), If Angels Sang (1994) ($108,715 20-4-1-3) and Goldkeeper (1990) ($75,916 13-4-2-1) were her best runners. Neither Seeking The Dream nor If Angels Sang had any significant offspring but Goldkeeper stands at stud in South Africa where he was ranked 4th on the general list of sires for 2006 thanks in large part to his stakes winning, gelding son Goldsmith (2001) ($70,000 22-6-9-0). His Zimbabwe bred daughter Battle Maiden was named Champion South African Older Filly in 2004 after winning the 2004 Garden Province Stakes. Goldkeeper had to be moved from Zimbabwe to South Africa in 2000 because of the political unrest at the time.

Chapel of Dreams’ daughter Bridal Tea (1991) managed only one win on the track but she produced Postponed (1997) ($312,332 22-4-5-2) a G2 stakes winner at Belmont. Postponed is now standing at stud in New Zealand where he was the number one sire of second crop foals in 2006. His daughter Dorabella (2003) won the New Zealand classic One Thousand Guineas. He has a few other stakes winners to his credit also in just his first 2 crops of foals.

Chapel of Dreams’ winless daughter Weiner Wald (1992) produced the French stakes winner On Reflection (1999) ($110,805 35-4-6-6) who in turn produced the winless mare Agent Du Bois (1996), dam of Ticker Tape (2001) ($1,452,396 31-8-9-5). Ticker Tape was born in Great Britain but raced in the U.S. winning the American Oaks at Hollywood Park and the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland amongst her many stakes wins.

Chapel Of Dreams’ bloodlines are extending widely in terms of generations and geography and like fine wine they seem to be improving with age.

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Northern Dancer’s son Ajdal did not earn as much money as Chapel Of Dreams but he had a much more successful career on the track racing in Europe. As a two year old he won the William Dewhurst Stakes. At three he won the William Hill Sprint Championship and Norcros July Cup both G1s amongst his stakes victories. He was Europe’s Champion Sprinter in 1987.

Ajdal would stand at owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Dalham Hall Stud for his one and only season. His story could be one of the most tragic of all the Dancer’s direct offspring. On August 8, 1988 at the end of his first season in the breeding shed, Ajdal had to be put down after fracturing a hind leg. In just one crop of foals, let’s see what he produced.

Cezanne (1989) ($311,593 14-5-3-3) won the Spreti-Rennen in Germany before winning the Champion stakes in Ireland. Little Bean (1989) ($200,000 13-4-4-0) won the Suffolk Stakes, Tnt Aviation Handicap and Schweppes Golden Mile. Both Cezanne and Little Bean were geldings. Little Bean’s racing career ended when he fractured a coffin bone but it didn’t end his life. With a Canadian twist to his story “Beanie” was sent to the University of Guelph where they repaired the bone and he started a new career in hunting, jumping and dressage.

Garah (1989) ($68,951 16-4-3-3) was the third leading money winner of Ajdal’s only crop. She placed in several stakes before retiring to produce Olden Times (1998) ($350,000 13-3-0-3) winner of the Prix Jean Prat. He also finished third in the Lockinge and St James’s Palace Stakes.

Ajdal’s daughter Ahbab was a winner on the track before she retired to produce the gelding New Seeker (2000) ($313,031 13-3-3-2), winner of the Brittania Handicap at Royal Ascot.

Ajdal’s unraced daughter Homage perhaps had the biggest impact on the sport and emphasizes the tragic loss of her sire at such a young age. Homage produced 6 foals of which 2 were winners. One winner was Mark Of Esteem (1994) ($564,007 7-4-1-0) out of Darshaan. He was declared European Champion Miler in 1997 after winning the Two Thousand Guineas and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and earning a Timeform rating of 137. Mark of Esteem had already proven himself as a very capable sire when he suffered the loss of a testicle following colic surgery in 2004. He still covered over 90 mares in the 2005/6 seasons before being pensioned in 2007 due to low fertility. He produced over 500 foals with 75% runners and 53% winners and of those, a respectable 7% stakes winners. His most successful runner was the 2006 Epsom Derby winner and Two Thousand Guineas runner up, Sir Percy (2003) ($1,874,096 7-5-1-0) who was Champion Two Year Old of England after he also won the Darley Dewhurst Stakes. Sir Percy’s acceleration in the Derby was described as “Swashbuckling” (we haven’t seen that one before). He will be an outstanding stallion prospect when he does retire from racing. Mark Of Esteem’s gelding son Reverence (2001) was European Champion Sprinter in 2006 after winning the Northorpe Stakes and Sprint Cup despite suffering a broken pelvis at a young age while daughter Ameerat (1998) ($324,192 7-2-2-1) won the One Thousand Guineas. The list of Mark Of Esteem’s stakes winners is long and it is not complete yet.

Ajdal’s daughter Sun And Shade managed 4 wins before retiring to produce 7 winners including multiple stakes winner Daggers Drawn (1995) ($141,057 6-3-0-0) who is off to a great start as a young stallion in Ireland.

It would be difficult to find another Northern Dancer son who has had as much impact with such few foals as Ajdal. What a tragic loss for the sport.

Getting back to the rest of Northern Dancer’s 1984 crop, we have Rambo Dancer, winner of the Red Smith Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park. The race is named in honor of the Pulitzer Prize winning sports columnist. Rambo Dancer had a fairly successful career as a stallion that started in the U.S. before moving to England in 1990 and South Africa in 1997 where he had been a perennial top 10 sire until his death. He died after covering a mare in 2004, how appropriate. Among his best runners was Ramooz (1993) ($585,000 52-10-10-7), winner of the G3 Minstrel and Criterion Stakes. He has retired to stud in Cyprus.

Rambo Dancer’s daughter Lambent (1991) ($80,287 23-3-3-3) won in England and the U.S. finishing third in the Songstress Breeders Cup Stakes. She produced 2 stakes winners out of 3 foals. The gelding Cozy Guy (2001) ($418,104 18-7-3-3) won the Cal Cup Classic and Crystal Water Handicap at Santa Anita before being euthanized June 28, 2006 due to a myriad of illnesses (his Pedigree Online epitaph reads “Rest in Peace Cozy Guy, you were truly loved”. Lambent’s daughter Soup N Crackers (1999) ($114,373 33-9-0-1) was a three-time stakes winner.

The Dancer’s son, Alwasmi placed in several European stakes and won the G3 Lanes End John Porter Stakes. He had some modest success as a sire and broodmare sire in the U.S. and eventually West Germany. Daughter Bursting Forth (1994) ($524,474 26-10-3-4) was a multiple G3 stakes winner in the US. Alwasmi has strong Canadian connections, his Canadian bred daughter Easy Lover (1994) ($110,000 24-13-6-1) won the Premio Dorama in Chile and placed in several Chilean stakes before retiring to Japan where she is being bred to some quality stallions. Alwasmi’s daughters Oh Tee and Ivastar (1994) were both stakes winners in Canada; Ivastar won the Flaming Page Stakes. Many of Alwasmi’s daughters were producers but one in particular was Promiseville (1991), herself a stakes winner, produced Small Promises (1998) ($361,456 15-7-0-1) the Champion Older Female in Canada in 2002 and winner of the Shady Well and Algoma Stakes at Woodbine. Promiseville is also the grand dam of another Canadian stakes winner, Dancer’s Bajan (2004) through her daughter Thoughtful Deed (1996).

Sense Of Unity was another daughter of the Dancer who had some success as a broodmare. Her top runner was Family Calling (1994) ($250,297 32-7-4-7) who won the Edmond Handicap at Remington Park. He now stands at stud in West Virginia where he has already had some early success. In his first 4 crops he has produced 94 winners (3 stakes winners) of over $4,000,000 and the Champion Imported Mare of the Dominican Republic in No More Drinks (2002).

Northern Dancer had two more French stakes winners in the colt Manshood, winner of the Prix du Petit Tellier Saint-Cloud and the mare, Arctic Eclipse, winner of the Prix le Fabuleux. Neither had much of an impact in the breeding shed.

Incinderator on the other hand could only manage a second in the Feilden Stakes in England but he had a decent career as a stallion in the US. His leading money winner was the gelding Adminniestrator (1997) ($762,061 43-9-9-4) winner of the Quicken and Sunshine Million Turf Stakes. Daughter, Watch Rachel (1990) ($419,750 47-12-12-10) won the Pacific Heights Handicap among her stakes wins. Gelding son, Smoky Cinder (1994) ($389,472 57-18-10-11) won the Canadian Derby among his many stakes wins. Son, Renteria (1994) ($296,225 21-3-6-3) won the Carry Back Stakes and is off to a fairly good start to his career as a stallion producing Idaho’s Horse of The Year in Free Rent (2001) ($150,070 32-5-5-5) among his stakes winners. Incinderator’s daughter Native Wind Dancer managed to place in 4 of her 5 starts before retiring to produce among others, Summer Wind Dancer (2000) ($898,762 18-5-5-4) a multiple stakes winner in California.

The mare Yaqut produced some interesting grandchildren for the Dancer. The gelding Harik (1994) has earned in excess of 100,000 pounds with his record of 16-18-13 in 103 starts on the flat and over hurdles. Full sister to Harik, Anam (1992) has produced Annosh (2003) ($190,000 13-2-5-2) a stakes winner in Turkey and Yaqut’s son Asakir (1995) finished second in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud in France before starting his career as a stallion in Turkey.

The last member of the 1984 crop of foals we will examine is the mare Kamkova. She was lightly raced before retiring as a broodmare and producing Kirkwall (1994) ($633,356 22-8-0-2). A multiple stakes winner in France at three, he was shipped to the U.S. where he was a multiple stakes winner at five. He is standing at stud in Europe, where his first crop of foals are just starting to show some promise. Most of Kamkova’s daughters are producers but nothing of significance yet.

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Great site from Lanwades Stud featuring Sir Percy and these videos - have a look at the promo video and the Epsom Derby - swashbuckling performance by Sir Percy

http://www.sirpercy.co.uk/sirpercy_videos.html

Gloria De Campeo wins Al Maktoum Challenge Rd 1

2010-01-31T09:23:00.014-05:00

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This seven-year-old Brazilian-bred great, great, great grandson of our Dancer winning the G1 in Dubai last week is not the main story here. It was the first big race at the $2 billion Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The official opening is scheduled for March during their International Racing Carnival featuring the Dubai World Cup. The country that now boasts the world's tallest building is about to claim the world's newest, state-of-the-art and most extravagant racecourse. To call it impressive would be an understatement. Have a look for yourself.

Video of the race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXj2t6GbJrQ

Meydan Racecourse web page

http://www.meydan.ae/racecourse/

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Video about the facility
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLdGj4hn5SE

Picture above and article from Thoroughbred Times

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/international-news/2010/January/28/Gloria-de-Campeao-grabs-glory-in-Meydan-opener.aspx

Let's not forget Yeats - perhaps the last great son of Sadler's Wells

2010-01-27T22:09:00.007-05:00

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Yeats was ranked #25 on the world rankings for 2009 when he finally retired to stud at Coolmore at the age of eight. Some call him the greatest stayer of all time. He made my chart back in 2006 when he won his first Ascot Gold Cup. He would repeat that feat in each of the next three years to capture the hearts of many UK race fans. In addition to his record four Ascot Gold Cups he was Europe's Cartier Champion Stayer in 2006 and 2007. This photo and following article are from the telegraph. What a beautiful animal. Have a look at this video tribute as well - you can feel the emotion of Johnny Murtagh and the Yeats' connections after the fourth Ascot Gold Cup.

Article from the telegraph after Yeats' fourth straight Ascot Gold Cup

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/5571531/Yeats-is-the-greatest-Horse-Racing.html

Great video tribute to Yeats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWFRDNtfuFE

Lines of the 1981 crop in 2010

2010-01-23T09:25:00.010-05:00

Sadler's Wells descendants represent four of the top ten in world rankings including two direct male descendants in number 3 ranked Rip Van Winkle and number 4 ranked Fame and Glory. Number 7 ranked Conduit won back to back Breeders Cup Turfs in 2008 and 2009 and the St Leger in 2008 and is a great grandson of Sadler's Wells. Number 9 ranked Rachel Alexandra (also 2009 Eclipse Horse of the Year) is not only a descendant of Sadler's Wells, her maternal great grandmother was Wild Applause from this same 1981 crop.

Four of Sadler's Wells descendants had top three finishes in the 2009 Breeders Cup while three could be traced back to El Gran Senor. Solar City is still having an impact thanks to his grandson Cloudy's Knight. The great gelding was just nosed out of the Breeders Cup Marathon at 9 years of age after a gutsy stretch drive. As a 7 year-old Cloudy's Knight was Champion Turf Horse in Canada after winning the Canadian International.

Tributes to Rachel Alexandra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZKfqvbgoag&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAy2zTR3Dzs&feature=related

Chapter 29

2010-01-16T07:01:00.016-05:00

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Sadler's Wells

The 1981 crop of foals provides lots of stories and perhaps the most prolific sire of the sons of Northern Dancer.

Sadler’s Wells raced entirely in Europe and retired to stud at Robert Sangster’s Coolmore Stud in Ireland but he was bred and born in the United States to Sangster’s mare Fairy Bridge out of Bold Reason. While Sadler’s Wells was the leading money winner from the 1981 crop his racing performance was overshadowed slightly by two other 1981 sons of the Dancer in El Gran Senor and Secreto. El Gran Senor was the two-year-old Champion and winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and Irish Derby. Secreto won the 1984 Epsom Derby edging out El Gran Senor. Meanwhile Sadler’s Wells had 6 wins and 4 seconds in his 11 starts winning the Irish Two Thousand Guineas, Eclipse Stakes and Phoenix Champion Stakes. He finished second in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes as well as the Prix du Jockey Club and was the French Champion miler in 1984.

After an impressive racing career Sadler’s Wells retired to stud where he became the foundation of the Coolmore breeding empire. Sadler’s Wells numbers as a sire are staggering and could fill a book on their own. Leading General Sire in Britain in 1990 and from 1992-2004 when, he was finally dethroned by Danehill. He is still going strong covering almost 200 mares per year. He has sired 895 winners (65%), 253 stakes winners (18.4%) of more than $100 million. His offspring have dominated the European classics where his strength seems to lie in middle distance and beyond on the turf but he is second to Storm Cat in all time Breeders Cup earnings ($6,982,900 38-6-2-5-2-4-3).

A chart of Sadler’s Wells’ principal runners will follow but let’s examine one of them here. Montjeu ($2,062,822 16-11-2-0) came from the 1996 crop of foals. His victories included the 1999 Irish Derby, Prix du Jockey Club, L’Arc de Triomphe and the 2000 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Tattersalls Gold Cup and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. He was 1999 International 3 year-old Champion and Champion European Colt and top International 4 year-old in 2000 and earned a speed rating of 137 putting him in an elite class of runners.

Montjeu now stands at Coolmore stud beside his father. Here are some of the stars coming from Montjeu’s first crop of foals in 2002 ... Hurricane Run ($4,155,280 14-8-3-1) World Champion of 2005 and winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe … Epsom Derby winner, Motivator ($2,152,000 7-4-2-0) and St Leger winner, Scorpion ($1,175,116 9-3-3-0).

Let’s take a look at a few of the other sons of Sadler’s Wells and how they are influencing the sport around the world. We will start with In The Wings who passed away in 2004 at the fairly young age of 16. In The Wings was ranked in the top 21 of European Sires for 7 of the past 9 years. His leading runner was the Eclipse Champion Singspiel (1992) ($5,952,825 20-9-8-0), winner of the Japan Cup, Dubai World Cup and Canadian International to name a few. Singspiel was ranked in the top 5 of young European sires with his 2nd and 3rd crops; his leading money earner so far is Asakusa Denen (1999) ($3,001,082 26-8-3-5), winner of the Yasuda Kinen in Japan.

El Prado (1989) was a top 5 sire in the USA from 2002 to 2005 and sired 20 or more stakes horses for 6 consecutive years. His leading money earner so far is Medaglia d’Ora (1999) ($5,754,720 17-8-7-0) winner of the Travers stakes and runner up in the Belmont Stakes, Dubai World Cup and the Breeders Cup Classic twice.

Galileo was the leading 2nd crop sire of Europe in 2006. Among his young superstars is the top 2 year old in the world for 2006, Teofilo (2004) ($645,596 5-5-0-0). The undefeated colt won the Dewhurst, Futurity, National and Tyros stakes. Galileo has already produced a Breeders Cup Turf winner in Red Rocks (2003) ($2,042,018 10-3-4-2), a St Leger winner in Sixties Icon (2003) ($608,158 7-3-0-1) and an Irish One Thousand Guineas winner in Nightime (2003) ($304,301 3-2-0-0). Five of Galileo’s yearlings sold for over 500,000 pounds in 2006.

Opera House is a classic sire in Japan. His son T M Opera O (1996) ($14,100,000 26-14-6-3) is now considered the world’s all-time career money earner. He won the Japan Cup in 2000 and was runner up in 2001. He also won the Tenno Sho three times (two springs and one autumn) and the 1999 Satsuki Sho (Two Thousand Guineas).
Scenic (1986) was a top ten sire in Australia on several occasions, his top two performers, Universal Prince (1997) ($2,978,291 30-7-7-3) and Blevic (1991) ($1,364,360 26-8-2-10) are now carrying on Northern Dancer’s genes through Sadler’s Wells and Scenic. Scenic died of a heart attack in 2005.

Carnegie is one of the leading young sires shuttling between Japan and Australia. King of Kings has had success shuttling between New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the USA. Victoria Dance has had success as a sire in New Zealand while Fort Wood and Braashee have been impact sires in South Africa.

As a broodmare sire, Sadler’s Wells has been at or near the top of the European list for the past decade, leading in 2006, 2005 and 2001. Here are just some of his daughters’ most notable runners. Sakhee (1997) ($3,253,253 14-8-3-1) was winner of l’Arc de Triomphe. He was out of the mare, Thawakib (1990). El Condor Pasa (1995) ($3,567,444 11-8-3-0) was Japan’s Horse of the Year in 1998 winning the Japan Cup and as a 4 year old winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and runner up in l’Arc de Triomphe, he was out of the mare Sadler’s Gal (1989). Silic (1995) ($1,422,299 15-8-2-0) was the winner of the 1999 Breeders Cup Mile out of the mare Balletomane (1988). The brilliant European champion filly (twice), Divine Proportions (2002) ($1,553,790 10-9-0-0) won 5 G1 stakes in France including the Prix de Diane before suffering an injury in the Prix Jaques Le Marois as a 4 year old, her only career defeat, she finished fourth. Divine Proportions was bred to Giant’s Causeway in 2006. She was out of the mare Myth To Reality (1986) who was also the dam of 9 other winners including French G1 winner, Whipper (2001) ($1,190,292 19-6-2-2). American Post (2001) ($826,417 9-6-1-0) had 3 G1 stakes victories in his 6 wins including the Grand Criterium; he was out of the mare, Wells Fargo (1996). The list of quality broodmares produced by Sadler’s Wells goes on and on and we probably have not come close to hearing the end of that story.

Sadler’s Wells probably comes closest to all of the sons of Northern Dancer to having a similar impact on the sport as did his sire but when you couple the career of Sadler’s Wells with the likes of Danzig, Storm Cat, Nijinsky, Nureyev and the rest of his sons, there is no argument on who had the greatest impact … it was dad.

‘El Gran Senor’

El Gran Senor was the nickname of Northern Dancer’s trainer Huratio Luro, hence the name of this colt out of the mare, Sex Appeal (1970) by Buckpasser. E.P. Taylor and Robert Sangster jointly owned the mare so for the record El Gran Senor was bred by Windfields (Maryland) but raced for the partnership of Taylor, Sangster, Magnier and Vincent O’Brien with O’Brien doing the training. El Gran Senor was undefeated as a two-year-old winning the Dewhurst, National and Railway Stakes and was declared Ireland and United Kingdom Two Year Old Champion. He was also declared Champion Three Year Old the following year. He won the Two Thousand Guineas (first of the Triple Crown races) before the only loss of his career in the Epsom Derby. El Gran Senor was the odds on favorite but with a quarter mile to go he failed to accelerate in his usual fashion and lost a stretch battle by a nose to his old paddock mate (and son of Northern Dancer), Secreto (trained by Vincent O’Brien’s son, David). El Gran Senor redeemed himself in the Irish Derby showing he could go the distance of 12 furlongs. After suffering a career ending injury in 1984 he was retired to stud.

El Gran Senor had a fertility problem that prevented him from siring more than 40 foals per year. He sired less than 400 foals in his 14 crops of foals but produced 55 stakes winners for a very impressive 14% ratio. El Gran Senor was euthanized on October 18, 2006 due to old age. As a sire of sire he was not spectacular but some of his sons have had success in the breeding shed. His son Helmsman (1992) has already sired 14 stakes winners of almost $9,000,000. George Agustus (1988) was the Leading sire in Venezuela 2001, 2002 and 2003.

El Gran Senor’s biggest success came as a Broodmare sire with already over 40 stakes winners of $40,000,000. His daughter Toussaud (1989) has already foaled 4 G1 winners of $6,000,000 including Chester House (1995) ($1,944,545 21-6-4-4), winner of the Arlington Million and Empire Maker (2000) ($1,985,800 8-4-3-1) winner of the 2003 Belmont Stakes. Escrow Agent (1986) was the dam of 4 stakes winners including Florida Derby winner Vicar (1996) ($835,142 17-4-2-3). Italian Champions Le Vie Dei Colori (2000) ($781,362 15-12-2-1) and Ramonti (2002) ($900,000 9-5-2-1) are out of Senor’s daughters Mystic Tempo (1993) and Fosca (1995) respectively. Gran Premio Jockey Club (Argentina) winner Ice Point (1998) was out of daughter, Ice the Champagne (1989) and Grand Slam (1995) ($901,292 15-4-5-2) was out of Bright Candles (1987). The genes of El Gran Senor and Northern Dancer are being passed on very successfully through the daughters of the Senor from Australia (Ice Point) to South Korea (Vicar) and in the U.S. where Grand Slam has been a top 25 sire since 2003.

A list of El Gran Senor’s first generation of principal runners follows.

… the rest of the class of ‘81’

Secreto was the third in the triumvirate of Northern Dancer sons from 1981 who had an impact. Upsetting El Gran Senor in the 1984 Epsom Derby was his main claim to fame but he also won the Tetrarch Stakes in Ireland and finished 3rd in the Irish Derby, his only defeat in four starts. He was forced to retire after an injury in 2004 and never had much of an impact in the breeding shed although he did sire the Two Thousand Guineas winner from 1991, Mystiko (1988) ($311,914 9-4-2-1).

Northern Trick was another outstanding racing daughter of Northern Dancer. In just 6 starts she managed 4 wins including Le Prix de Diane and Prix Vermeille (G1s) and 2nd in Le Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Saint-Alary (G1s). As a broodmare she was the dam of 7 winners but her most significant breeding progeny was the filly Lingerie (1988) who placed in stakes at 2 and 3. She was the dam of 7 winners including Shiva (1995 Japan) who won the 1999 Tattersalls Gold Cup defeating Daylami and was 2nd in the Dubai Champion Stakes and Limnos (1994 Japan) ($185,000 9-4-3-0) a multiple stakes winner in France before retiring to a successful career as a stallion. He was France’s leading sire of 3 year olds over jump in 2004.

The Dancer’s daughter Wild Applause had a so-so career as a runner winning the Diana Handicap (G2) and Comely Stakes (G3) but she had a great career as a broodmare. She produced 9 winners out of 10 foals including Roar (1993) ($487,507 12-4-1-4) who won the Jim Beam Stakes (G2) before retiring to what looks like a promising career as a stallion.

In 2005 Roar was the leading sire of Argentina and the leading sire of stakes winners in California for 2004 and 2005. In 6 racing crops he has produced 7 champions and 42 stakes winners of over $18,000,000. Among Roar’s progeny are two Argentinean breds, Little Jim (2000) ($472,793 14-4-2-3) and the undefeated two-year-old Forty Greeta (2001) ($169,200 4-4-0-0). Both were purchased by Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed al Maktoum of Dubai. Little Jim was Champion 2 year old and Champion horse of Argentina winning the UAE Two Thousand Guineas. Forty Greeta was Champion 2-year old filly of Argentina before heading off to Dubai.

Wild Applause also produced the filly Yell (2000) ($598,903 17-4-3-3) a multiple stakes winner who is just launching her broodmare career and the undefeated Futurity Stakes winner Eastern Echo (1988) ($93,960 3-3-0-0). Wild Applause died giving birth to Hurrah in 2003 and even he managed to go on and win a race.

Concordene had 6 wins in 15 starts before being shipped off to India.

Lucky North raced in the UK as a 2 year old with 2 wins. He won the Hot Springs and Phoenix Handicaps back in the U.S. as a 5 year old. He stands at stud in Manitoba where he has sired 16 crops of 390 foals, 241 winners and 17 stakes winners. Some of his mares carry on the Dancer’s genes with the most significant descendant, Lady Tak (2000) ($1,160,782 19-10-4-2) out of Star Of My Eye (1990) a winner of some G1 stakes.

South Sea Dancer is an interesting story. She was a full sister to Northernette and Storm Bird and as a result set a then world record price of $1,800,000 at the 1982 Keeneland Yearling Sales. Her racing career was unspectacular, just placing in a couple of stakes. She produced 16 foals, nine of them winners but they fetched over $5,000,000 at auction. The only significant runner she produced was Signal Tap (1991) ($429,108 24-7-5-6) a G3 winner. That doesn’t sound like a spectacular broodmare career, considering the money that was involved but if you look at her next generation, things are looking up.

Signal Tap got off to a solid start to his breeding career before being shipped off to Brazil in 2005. His daughter Got Koko (1999) ($939,946 14-7-1-3), raced in California where she swept the La Canada Series before defeating Champion Azeri in the Lady’s Secret Handicap (G1). Daughter Kate Winslet (not the actress, the filly) (2001) ($249,554 24-5-2-2) was a stakes winner in Italy at two and a stakes winner in France at three.

Destiny Calls (2000) ($634,620 23-14-4-2) out of South Sea Dancer’s daughter Longue Vue (1994) was a multiple stakes winner in California where she was still winning stakes at the age of six.

South sea Dancer’s son Sijjaal (1988) only had a maiden win in 6 starts but he has had a modestly successful career as a stallion in Venezuela. Most of South Sea Dancer’s offspring are breeding despite some poor performances on the track. The thin line of Northern Dancer through South Sea Dancer may live on for quite a while.

There is nothing spectacular about Ragtime from the Dancer’s 1981 crop but she produced several mares who have gone on to produce more mares and the beat goes on. While there have been no notable descendants yet, the female lines continue.

Nordico never got to show much on the track but he went on to a decent career as a broodmare sire. He has been a regular in the top 100 of broodmare sires in Great Britain and Ireland since 2001. Two of his notable grandchildren were Imperial Dancer (1998) ($781,356 62-11-5-12) out of Gorgeous Dancer (1989), winner of the Premio Roma and Red Evie (2003) ($367,685 9-7-0-0) out of Malafemmena (1992) winner of the Matron Stakes.

Ballet De France produced 7 winners out of 10 foals including the Irish and Italian Champion Muhtarram (1989) ($858,038 20-8-3-2), winner of the Irish Champion Stakes over Opera House, the Premio Presidente della Republica and twice winner of the Prince of Wales Stakes. Muhtarram has shown some promise as a young stallion in Britain where he has already sired winners of over 300 races and $5,000,000. Ballet De France’s daughter Profit Column (1993) ($148,957 11-6-0-1) has already produced a stakes winner in Final Round (2000) ($385,512 17-5-3-5) in her young career as a broodmare.

Carnivalay deserves some mention. He broke his maiden in his last of 4 starts before retiring to be one of Maryland’s leading sires through the 90’s. Mike Pons of Country Life Farm where Carnivalay stood from 1985 to 2003 called him “ a poor man’s Danzig … Carnivalay provided a genetic bank whose offspring helped Maryland horsemen step up to the plate in a big way and have a little fun.” He sired 38 stakes winners of upwards of $30,000,000. Eighty-one percent of his foals started and 65% were winners. Josh Pons described him as “the spitting image of his daddy”. Among his top performers were Aggadan (1999) ($860,306 42-12-14-5), Valay Maid (1989) ($641,442 20-9-4-3) and Ameri Valay (1989) ($742,779 68-16-10-10). Ameri Valay is showing promise as a young stallion and could be another extension of the Dancer’s male line. Among Ameri Valay’s early success stories was the gelding Magic Weisner (1999) ($888,830 15-7-4-0), runner up in the 2002 Preakness. West Nile Virus shortened Magic Weisner’s racing career. Carnivalay died in January 2007.

Jugah did not show much on the track nor did his offspring show much in Australia with one notable exception. The gelding Juggler (1991) ($2,442,088 59-15-16-10) had a reputation as a “Giant Killer” upsetting favorites to win several graded stakes. As a broodmare sire Jugah’s daughter Bright Gleam (1993) produced Innovation Girl (1999) ($500,000 15-10-3-1).

Solar City had a mediocre career as a stallion but did produce some decent broodmares, most notably Cloudy Spot (1987) who produced 5 winners out of her 7 foals including Stormy Impact (1999) ($405,631 47-8-10-10) and Cloudy’s Knight (2000) ($317,635 24-7-5-4).

Northern Legend in Venezuela, Pink in France and Tridessus in the U.S. all sired some runners but nothing very notable in their lines to this point.

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Sadler's Wells winning 2000 Guineas in 1984 over Secreto

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=MrUsachan#p/u/11/B5QwkNsapZ0

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Sadler's Wells winning Phoenix Champion Stakes in 1984

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9EN9f8t9HE

Danzig and Nureyev Lines in 2009

2010-01-09T10:03:00.002-05:00

These two continue to have an influence on the elite of the sport in 2009. Danzig lines contributed to seven of the top 3 finishers in the Breeders Cup while Nureyev contributed four.

In the world rankings there are 4 direct male descendants of Danzig in the top 10 males in the world including number one ranked Sea The Stars. The number one ranked female (second overall) Goldikova is a also great-granddaughter of Danzig. Nureyev has two descendants in the top 13 in the world rankings including number 3 ranked Rip Van Winkle and a direct male descendant in Presious Passion.

Chapter 25

2009-12-24T08:31:00.021-05:00

Danzig and Nureyev (What a one-two punch)

The 1977 crop of Northern Dancer foals have probably done more to carry on the Dancer’s line than any other crop. The 1977 crop featured two of the best sires Northern Dancer would produce in Danzig and Nuryev.

Danzig was undefeated as a runner but he only raced three times before a chronic knee injury ended his racing career. Danzig was bred in Pennsylvania by William S. Farish, of Marshall Jenney’s Derry Meeting Farm before being sold at the Saratoga Yearling Sales to Henryk de Kwiatkowski for $310,000. Henryk (de Kwiatkowski) was a Polish immigrant who made his fortune buying and selling used airplanes. Woody Stephens would train Danzig for his brief racing career and be instrumental in convincing Kwiatkowski that this horse was something special and worth a shot as a stallion despite his resume missing any big stakes wins. Woody was right and by 1985 Danzig’s stud fees had risen to $250,000.

Danzig was euthanized on Jan 3,2006 at Claiborne Farm near Paris Kentucky where he was suffering from the infirmities of old age. He was 29 years old. Danzig is buried at Claiborne where he stood for his entire career as a stallion. Danzig sired 23 crops of more than 1,000 foals and is second all time to Dancer’s other son Nureyev in percentage of stakes winners. Danzig stands third in number of stakes winners behind his own son Danehill (1986) who died before his sire after a fluke paddock accident in 2003 and another Northern Dancer son Sadler’s Wells. Danzig led the American Sires List three years in a row from 1991-1993, it was only the third time in the past 100 years a horse had led the sires list three years in a row. He also led the Sires list in the United Arab Emirates and Spain. Danzig produced 4 Breeders Cup winners including Canada’s 1991 champion and Triple Crown winner Dance Smartly. He was also the grandsire of another Canadian Triple Crown winner in Wando through his Sovereign Award winning son Langfuhr. Danzig’s runners won over $100 million including a Preakness Stakes (Pine Bluff) and Belmont (Danzig Connection). A grandson, Sea Hero out of another son Polish Navy won the 1993 Kentucky Derby.

Danzig was also a leading broodmare sire and amongst his daughters was Angel Fever, dam of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus.

Danzig’s last crop of foals (approximately 30), are just two year olds so his immediate legacy to the sport is still a work in progress but his grandchildren are already making as much noise as their grandfather and great grandfather in the breeding shed.

The accomplishments of Danzig’s sons and daughters could fill another book, as could the accomplishments of his grandchildren through Danehill alone. Danehill was the first sire to top 300 stakes winners despite dying in the prime of his breeding life at the age of 17. Both Northern Dancer and Danzig produced crops of foals past the age of 25 (to put Danehill’s record in perspective).

Danehill was shuttled between Australia and Ireland for Coolmore. He led the Australian Sires List for 11 years since 1993/1994 and when he finally was unseated it was by one of his sons, Redoute’s Choice in 2005/2006 who appears to be the heir apparent. Danehill finally ended Sadler’s Wells streak at 14 claiming Britain’s Leading Sire status in 2005. Danehill finished 5th on the Australian leading general sires list in 2005/2006 where he was joined by 4 of his sons who finished in the top 8. In addition to the leader Redoute’s Choice (1996), there was Desert King (1994) in 4th, Flying Spur (1992) in 6th, Commands (1996) in 7th and Lion Hunter (1992) in 8th.

I have tried to describe the incredible Makybe Diva, three-time Melbourne Cup winner who was a granddaughter of Danehill through his son Desert King. While she was about to capture the hearts of a Nation (Australia), another horse, a 7-year old gelding son of Danehill, Fairy King Prawn was being inducted into Hong Kong’s Racing Hall of Fame. He was the “peoples horse” as he paraded in front of his thousands of fans at Sha Tin Racecourse in February 2003. He gave the people of Hong Kong a great deal of excitement and pride culminating in his victory in the Yasuda Kinen in Japan. He followed that victory with one more convincing win in Hong Kong’s National Day Cup before being retired to the tribute at Sha Tin. His owner, Philip Lau Sakhong said, “He could have raced again but … he is a champion horse and that’s how we want to remember him”. Trainer Ivan Allan said, “ I was lucky to get him. He was a real racehorse and a trainer’s dream … I will never forget him” (sound familiar). While Fairy King Prawn was not the first horse in the Hong Kong Racing Hall of Fame he was the first to achieve International recognition for Hong Kong racing. In addition to the Yasuda Kinen win he also had a 2nd place finish in the Dubai Duty Free and was instrumental in putting Hong Kong Racing on the map.

The following charts list some of the top runners of Danzig and Danehill. There are just too many outstanding performers to list in any other way and this is still a work in progress for both sires. This could be the strongest branch of Northern Dancer’s line.

Claiborne Farms in Kentucky bred Nureyev. Nureyev’s dam Special (1969) had already produced an Irish Champion two year old filly in Fairy Bridge (1975) from her royal genes that traced back to the great mare Rough Shod (1944). Nureyev was expected to bring a healthy price at the July Keeneland yearling sales but no one expected the final price of $1,300,000 paid by Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos. Nureyev was sent to Europe for training where he won his only start as a two year old in the Prix Thomas Byron by six lengths. As a three year old he won his next start in the Prix Djebel before being shipped to England for the Two Thousand Guineas. Nureyev blasted his way through a wall of horses to win the Two Thousand Guineas but for the first time in the long history of the race, he was disqualified and placed last. The Epsom Derby was next on Nureyev’s schedule but a virus kept him out of that race and he would never race again. He was still declared French Champion three year old that year.

Nureyev started his career as a stallion in France before being syndicated for $14,000,000 and sent to Walmac-Warnerton Farm in Kentucky. Walmac-Warnerton would eventually split and Nureyev spent the rest of his days at Walmac International in Lexington Kentucky where he is buried today. John T. L. Jones Jr., the president of Walmac described Nureyev as “a very courageous horse”. He had fertility problems throughout his career as a stallion and almost died after an accident during the 1987 breeding season. A fracture in his right hind leg required surgery and complications left him with just a 10% chance of survival. Not only did he survive but he thrived producing another 15 crops of foals until he death Oct 29,2001 from a cancerous tumor in his right hind hoof. Jones said, “This time, there wasn’t anything we could do for him. Like great friends and great people you know, you’re going to miss them.”

Nureyev sired 135 stakes winners (17% of his foals) with over 20 of those Champions and has almost 100 active sons at stud who have produced over 16,000 foals (71% of those starters). Son Theatrical came from his first full crop in 1982. Theatrical won the 1987 Breeders Cup Turf, to cap off a long and illustrious career as Irish and American Champion. Theatrical is one of the top turf stallions in the world today with over 50 stakes winners to his credit including the three-time Japanese Champion Mare, Hishi Amazon (1991) ($6,981,902 20-10-5-0) and Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle (1997) ($2,592,706 20-6-1-6) who was put down after shattering a leg at the finish line of the 2006 Ascot Cup. Media Puzzle was another one of those horses who was an emotional magnet. When he won the Melbourne Cup in 2002 there was barely a dry eye in the house as jockey Damien Oliver saluted the heavens crossing the finish line (his brother and fellow jockey Jason died a week earlier after a spill on the track). When Media Puzzle went down at Ascot it was in front of a huge crowd that included members of the royal family. Trainer Dermot Weld said after Media Puzzle was put down “He was a wonderful servant. He overcame chronic tendon problems in the past. This was very different and sadly he is gone.”

The year Theatrical won the Breeders Cup Turf; Nureyev’s amazing daughter Miesque (1984) ($2,096,517 16-12-3-1) won her first of two back-to-back Breeders Cup Miles in record time. Miesque was a Champion mare in America, England and France over her stellar racing career and as a broodmare has already produced a Champion in the mare East of the Moon (1991) ($790,844 8-4-2-0) and an outstanding young stallion in Kingmambo (1990) ($734,804 13-5-4-2-) who has already produced many Champions and millionaires. East of the Moon died in 2006 after being struck by lightning. She had already produced 3 stakes winners.

Nureyev’s son Spinning World (1993) ($1,734,477 14-8-3-1) was a champion in France and Ireland and won the 1997 Breeders Cup Mile. Peintre Celebre (1994) ($1,496,000 7-5-1-1) was French Champion three year old winning the 1997 Arc de Triomphe in record time. Nureyev’s other principal runners (too many to list here) are listed on the following chart.

The rest of the 1977 crop of Northern Dancer’s foals were so overshadowed by the breeding success of Danzig and Nureyev that they hardly seem worth mentioning but there were some success stories. Swift Bird was a dependable race mare, placing in several stakes but most of her wins were ungraded and she had no successful offspring. Norwegian had modest success in Brazil and Venezuela as a stallion. Disconiz, Stephanie Leigh, Gold Treasure, Katsura and Tiddleypom were all successful broodmares producing several generations of winners and stakes winners. The sons Magesterial, Voodoo Rhythm, North Pole, Kick and Northern Horizon all had varying degrees of success as stallions.

Northern Dancer’s 1977 crop of foals provided a one-two punch of classic stallions in Danzig and Nureyev who have in turn provided a three-four punch in classic stallions with Danehill and Theatrical among many others who will ensure the Dancer’s bloodlines survive well into the 21st century. It’s exciting times for the Dancer offspring but there is plenty of excitement left.

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Danzig - what might have been video (3 for 3 starts)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIXV-mHds5w

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Nureyev winning 2000 Guineas before being DQ'd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4urs_h4MeLs

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Leading Sire Danzig dead at 29 - article from BloodHorse

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/31576/leading-sire-danzig-dead-at-29

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Great article from DRF and Matt Hegarty on Danzig from NBC site

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/10685396/

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Nureyev Obituary from the BloodHorse - David Schmitz

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/6632/from-the-blood-horse-magazine-remembering-nureyev?id=6632

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Saving Nureyev in 1987 by Kimberly Brown - the BloodHorse

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/6788/a-look-back-saving-nureyev

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Danehill Article from Max Presnell

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/26/1056449369802.html

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Article on Danehill's death from the Age

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/13/1052591796077.html

The 1969 crop's descendants in 2009

2009-12-24T07:14:00.006-05:00

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Four of the top finishers in this year's Breeders Cup trace back to Lyphard (all through female lines) including the number 2 world ranked mare Goldikova.

Tiznow is sitting in fourth spot on the US General Sires List with over $9,000,000 in winnings so far in 2009.

Invasor's first crop of foals was just born in 2009. We will have to wait a while to see how he does as a stallion.

Chapter 14

2009-12-17T20:33:00.038-05:00

Lyphard and a South American Hero

... Invasor

Invasor (from drf.com)

(as always click on charts to enlarge them)

Lyphard was considered by many to be the first “great” sire of Northern Dancer’s sons and in similar fashion to the Dancer he was passed over as a yearling by of all people, Vincent O’Brien. O’Brien thought the colt was too small. He was the “spitting image” of his sire. Lyphard won a handful of significant stake races in France before retiring to stud in 1973.

Lyphard was the Leading sire in North America in 1986, the Leading Sire in France in 1978, 1979 and the Leading Broodmare Sire in France in 1985,1986. He sired 9 Champions in his 115 stakes winners (or14% of his 800 plus foals). Here is a brief summary of some of Lyphard’s best runners. The Champion Grass Horse, Manila (1983) ($2,692,799 18-12-5-0) who won the Breeders Cup Turf and Arlington Million. England’s Champion Three-Year-Old, Dancing Brave (1983) ($1,776,723 10-8-1-0) won the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe. The filly, Three Troikas (1976) (3,540,000 francs) was Champion Horse of the Year in France and also won the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe. Rainbows For Life (1988) ($1,105,926 36-15-7-7) was Champion Two-Year-Old, Champion Older Horse and Champion Grass horse in Canada, winning the Coronation Futurity and Cup and Saucer amongst his stakes victories. Rainbows For Life was also the Champion Sire of the Czech Republic in 1999, 2004 and 2005.

Lyphard was the broodmare sire of 11 Champions and 205 stakes winners. Here is a brief summary of some of those champion grand children and their dams out of Lyphard. The filly Hatoof (1989) ($1,841,063 21-9-4-1) was the Eclipse Champion Turf Mare counting The Thousand Guineas, The Beverly D and the E.P. Taylor Stakes amongst her wins. She was the daughter of Cadeaux D’Amie (1984) who was also the dam of Irish Prize (1996) ($1,242,380 27-10-4-2). Tight Spot (1987) ($1,556,500 21-12-3-1) was the Champion Grass Horse winning the Arlington Million. Tight Spot was out of the dam Premium Win (1981) who was also the dam of Valiant Nature (1991) ($466,500 8-2-1-3).

Perhaps the most significant broodmare from Lyphard was Bubble Company (1977). She was the dam of Bubble Gum Fellow (1993) (554,430,000 yen 13-7-2-3), Champion Two-Year-Old Colt in Japan, winning several stake races and finishing third in the Japan Cup. She was also the dam of Intimiste (1987) ($256,628) and Air Notorious (1995) but her most famous son was the lightly raced Candy Stripes (1982) ($41,738 6-2-1-0).

Candy Stripes was out of Blushing Groom (1974), bred in Kentucky by Allen Cowen, he raced in France winning two of his six starts and finishing second in the Poule d’Essaie des Poulains. He returned to the U.S. for stallion duty before being shipped off
to Argentina in 1988 where he became an International star as a stallion and Argentina’s leading sire twice. From 1,010 foals of racing age, he has produced 465 winners and 59 stakes winners of almost $30,000,000 and ten Champions in Argentina, Canada, United States and South Africa. Two of his most famous sons are Leroidesanimaux (2000) ($1,658,377 13-9-2-0), Champion Turf Male and winner of 8 consecutive races including the Frank E Kilroe Mile, Atto Mile and Citation Handicap and the very special Invasor (2002) ($4,204,070 11-10-0-0).

The story of Invasor sends shivers down my spine and has some interesting similarities to the story of his great, great grandfather (our Dancer). Invasor was bred in Argentina by Haras Clausan. He is described as a black-pointed bay with a small white star. He was bought as a two year old by two brothers and a friend from Uruguay. Jaun Luis and Luis Alberto Vio Bado along with Pablo Hernandez flew to Argentina to see some horses. When a smaller plane had engine failure they were forced to visit some local farms near Buenos Aires by car. Eighty colts and fillies later they were “hit with Cupid’s arrow” when they saw Invasor. The asking price was $25,000 (sound familiar) but they were able to negotiate that down to $20,000 before they closed the deal and shipped him home to Uruguay. Invasor won his maiden race by over 6 lengths in February 2005 but fractured his right hind sesamoid bone and needed surgery. He reappeared in August 2005 to win the Ensayo stakes by over 7 lengths. What Invasor accomplished after that was truly incredible. He won the first leg of Uruguay’s Triple Crown, the Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos in September 2005 by almost 6 lengths. In October he won the second leg, the Gran Premio Jockey Club by over 3 lengths before completing the Triple Crown with a 6-length victory in the Gran Premio Nacional.

It was at that point Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum made the brothers and Pablo an offer they couldn’t refuse … $1,400,000. Invasor had only won the equivalent of $113,866 in winning the Uruguay Triple Crown. Invasor was on his way to Dubai via Florida for some training. His next start in the UAE Derby was Invasor’s only loss in his career. He was caught in traffic but still managed a respectable fourth only a half-length out of second but well behind the winner, Discreet Cat. Invasor went back to the U.S. where he won his next three starts, the Pimlico Special, Suburban and Whitney Handicaps. He developed a fever that took him out of the Jockey Club Gold Cup but his next start would be the Breeders Cup Classic.

Invasor had become a National hero in Uruguay, despite being sold to the Sheikh and racing in the U.S. he had a following that ranked him with Uruguay’s National soccer team. The simulcast locations in Uruguay are packed whenever Invasor is racing. On November 4, 2006 Invasor sent the Uruguayans into a frenzy upsetting Bernardini, Lava Man and European Champion George Washington to win the Breeders Cup Classic with 18-year-old jockey Fernando Jara in the irons. Invasor was named the Eclipse Horse of the Year for 2006. From those humble beginnings in Argentina, Invasor had risen to the pinnacle of his sport, carrying the weight of three Nations on his back. Invasor has already won his first start in 2007 and may never see Uruguay or Argentina again. It will be fun to watch his career as a stallion unfold. Leroisdesanimaux is already standing at stud at Stonewall Farm in Kentucky.

Candy Stripes died Feb 28, 2007 at Haras Carampagne in San Antonio de Areco, Argentina because of colic; his dam Bubble Company passed away May 24, 1996. This chapter in Northern dancer’s history is a long way from over.

Lyphard’s foals were spread over 23 crops from 1974 to 1996. He lived to the ripe old age of 36 and was euthanized June 10, 2005. Lyphard’s most successful sons to carry on his and the Dancer’s line were Lypheor (1975), Bellypha (1976), Lyphard’s Wish (1976) and Pharly (1974)

Lypheor only produced 8 crops, he had to be euthanized in 1985 at the young age of eleven but in that short span he was one of the leading sires in Japan with 3 Champions and 24 stakes winners. Lypheor was the sire of broodmares who produced 20 stakes winners.

Bellypha sired many stakes winners but the one who is most responsible for carrying on his and the Dancer’s male line is the French bred Mendez (1981) who is the sire of Linamix (1987) (543,705 pounds 10-4-4-0), the beautiful gray French bred who was the Leading Sire in France 1998 and 2004. Linamix has sired 20 winners of more than 200,000 British pounds already since his first crop in 1992 and 18 of those 20 are males. The future of this branch of the Dancer’s male line looks very safe. Lyphard’s Wish on the other hand produced several good runners but it seems to be the mares who had the most success in the breeding shed.

Pharly had a short but outstanding racing career (1,547,500 francs 13-5-5-1) winning 3 Grade 1 stakes in France. Pharly fractured his pelvis and was euthanized in 2002 after siring 44 stakes winners in 22 crops of foals.

The above chart summarizes Lyphard’s principal runners.

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Nice Dancer was the second leading money winner from the Dancer’s crop of 1969. He was the Champion Three-Year-Old in Canada, winning the Manitoba Derby and Breeder’s Stakes amongst his stakes victories. He was also a fairly successful sire in Canada before moving to Japan in 1979. He sired 1981 Queen’s Plate winner Fiddle Dancer Boy and several solid broodmares including Jolly Polka, the dam of Glide Path, winner of Sweden’s biggest race, The Stockholm Cup. The jewel of Nice Dancer’s family was the lightly raced mare Lonely Dancer, a prolific Canadian bred mare who produced 11 winners out of her 15 foals including Cee’s Song. Cee’s Song was the dam of the 2000 Eclipse Champion Three-Year-Old Colt and Horse of the Year, Tiznow (1997) ($6,427,830 15-8-4-2) and the rags to riches gelding Budroyale who was claimed for $50,000 before going on to win $2,840,810. While Lyphard was considered the first great sire of the Dancer’s sons, it might be Nice Dancer through his female line who has the best chance of extending the Dancer’s line. Tiznow topped off a brilliant racing career with one of the greatest stretch battles in Breeders Cup history, winning the 2000 Classic over another Northern Dancer great-grandson in Giant’s Causeway. Now those two descendants of our Dancer (Giant’s Causeway through male lines) are “duking it out” for young sire honours in 2005. Tiznow was the leading sire of first crop sires while Giant’s Causeway was the leading sire of second crop sires and they were first and third in leading sires of two-year-olds with Giant’s Causeway on top.

Barachois was the third leading money winner from the Dancer’s 1969 crop. His record did not look that impressive with only 4 wins and 2 seconds but one of those wins was in the Queen’s Plate Trials and he finished second in the Queen’s Plate. Barachois was fairly successful as a sire with his leading money winner Win (1980) ($1,407,210 44-14-10-3) another rags to riches gelding. He won many stakes including the Man ‘O War Stakes at the age of five and the Manhattan Handicap twice. He was purchased for $8,000 in 1982 and Win was the first NY bred millionaire. He retired at the age of five and came out of retirement to race at the age of nine when he had a first and third in five starts. Barachois’s next group of money earners were all durable runners, racking up almost 400 starts between the five of them. They were Bara Lass (1979) ($542,362 60-17-9-11), Georgie’s Doctor (1986) ($205,181 37-5-8-4), Gallery Miss (1974) ($198,754 124-16-22-17), Fort Prevel (1974) ($198,327 83-8-14-13) and Casino Action (1984) ($106,358 89-21-17-11), a pretty strong statement about durability.

Gay Northerner was an outstanding broodmare producing 10 winners out of 12 foals.

The Dancer’s lightly raced daughter Royal Statute is a key to future generations and was an outstanding broodmare. She was the dam of Akureyri (1978) ($226,668 12-5-4-1), a stakes winner with a second in the Florida Derby and a respectable sire in his own rite.

Royal Statute’s daughter, Awaasif (1979) was the Champion Three-Year-Old in Britain, winning stakes in England, Italy and finished 3rd in the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe. Awaasif was the dam of a few good runners including the mare Snow Bride (1986) (170,881 pounds 7-5-0-0), winner of the Oaks amongst other stakes and the dam of several great runners including the incredible, undefeated Lammtarra (1992) ($1,983,527 4-4-0-0) out of distant cousin Nijinsky. We talked about him earlier.

The Dancer’s 1969 crop of foals was certainly an interesting one and one that looks like it has secured his bloodlines for a very long time but it may not have been his best.

Great article from Steve Haskins about Invasor

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/39500/steve-haskin-commentary-invasor-a-horse-to-remember
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Breeders Cup 2006 - Invasor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvzZJzgk1d4&feature=related
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Dubai World Cup 2007 - Invasor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVbN3MLqa9Y&feature=related
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The Donn Handicap - impressive performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2WkqdxHWbU&feature=related

Tiznow in a great stretch battle with Giant's Causeway - Breeders Cup Classic 2000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdIKDulp-YE

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Tiznow winning Breeders Cup Classic 2001 (only double winner)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdYsb0tUD5s&feature=related

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races - - (amazing stuff)

2009-12-13T03:03:00.025-05:00

----------------------------------------------------------------------

(click on photo to enlarge - it's breathtaking)

Vision D'Etat winning the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup

Photo from Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Race site where there are dozens of gorgeous photos to go along with beautiful high def videos

It was a perfect 12 for 12 in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races for descendants of our little Dancer as the top 3 in these four events took home over 50 million Hong Kong dollars on the day (that's over $6 million US).

Hong Kong Cup

Vision D'Etat 11,000,000 HK$ Great Great Grandson
Collection 4,000,000 Great Grandson
Presvis 2,000,000 Great Great Great Grandson

Video Link - great quality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vnb-PVMrvo

Hong Kong Mile

Good Ba Ba 8,800,000 HK$ Great Great Grandson
Happy Zero 3,200,000 Great Great Grandson
Fellowship 1,600,000 Great Great Grandson

This was Good Ba Ba's third consecutive Hong Kong Mile victory. It earned him Horse of the Year honours in Hong Kong.

Video Link - great quality again - great finish by BA BA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R34mu7AW0Rs

Hong Kong Vase

Daryakana 7,700,000 HK$ Great Granddaughter
Spanish Moon 2,800,000 Great Grandson
Kasbah Bliss 1,400,000 Great Great Grandson

Video link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ZDZVl__w4

Hong Kong Sprint

Sacred Kingdom 6,600,000 HK$ Great Grandson
One World 2,400,000 Great Grandson
Joy And Fun 1,200,000 Great Grandson

Video link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5-rdqaln8E

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races Link

(I can't say enough great things about this site. This event has become one of my favorites every year and it's mainly because of their website - incredible stuff and amazing multimedia)
http://www.cxhkir.com/english/hkir2009/race_cup_selection.asp

Argentina's Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini is in the books

2009-12-12T20:23:00.022-05:00

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Marcelo Sarachi Photo

It's another 1-2-3 finish for Northern Dancer descendants in the 121st running of Argentina's classic Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini at San Isidro.

Interaction (Arg) 1st 840,000 al Great Great Grandson
Life of Victory (Arg) 2nd 210,000 al Great Great Great Grandson
Jeune-Turc (Brz) 3rd 126,000 al Great Grandson

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In just a few hours it will be time for the Hong Kong Cup and a full day of classics in Hong Kong.

Video of this year's race
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmYr_ZMMF40

My previous post about this year's Major International races

http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/lets-jump-ahead-to-today-nov-12-2009.html

Nijinsky, Fanfreluche & Vice Regent - 2009

2009-12-05T15:05:00.021-05:00

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It's easy to see the impact of Nijinsky and Vice Regent on today's thoroughbred scene. In this year's Breeders Cup over 1/3 of the Dancer's descendants came through Nijinsky lines (11 female and 2 male lines). There were 3 decendants of Vice Regent (all females).

Understandably, you have to look a little harder to see the impact of one of my favorite mares of all time - Fanfreluche - but for a mare she is still having quite an impact. She was represented in this year's Breeders Cup by her great great great grandsons Cannonball who finished 3rd in the Turf Sprint and Justenuffhumor who finished 3rd in the Mile. Both those boys were out of mares from her champion firstborn L'Enjoleur's line.

She has 2 descendants in the top 30 world rankings this year. Great great great grandsons Sacred Kingdom ranked #18 and Viewed ranked #23. Sacred Kingdom won the Hong Kong Sprint above which should move him up the ladder a bit.

Australia's leading sire in 2007/8 was Fanny's great great grandson Encosta de Lago. Flying Spur is another solid Australian sire and great great grandson. It looks like these two will make sure she still has an impact for a few years to come.

I overlooked one more of the characters from that 1967 crop back in 2005 but she might be worth mentioning now. As a runner Christmas Wishes was in the money in almost 80% of her 23 starts. She was also a pretty successful broodmare but I don't think her most significant descendant showed up until 2006 or so and we will not know what kind of sire he is for a few more years. Her great great grandson Discreet Cat was born in 2003. He won the UAE Derby and Cigar Mile and earned over $1.5 million. He was undefeated until he ran into Invasor in the Dubai World Cup but who knows what would have happened if he was not diagnosed with a tumour on his throat after the race. He had a couple of 3rd place finishes to end his career and now stands at the Godolphin farm. His first crop is just hitting the track. Let's keep an eye out for Discreet Cat and Christmas Wishes going forward as well. What a second crop the Dancer produced.

Chapter 12

2009-12-05T07:30:00.036-05:00

Fanny, get your gun

(Tales of kidnapping and murder)

The Dancer's second crop of foals in 1967 produced some pretty special horses.

(click on charts to enlarge them)

Nijinsky’s race record has been well documented but as a sire he surpassed his father, producing 155 stakes winners (18% of his total foals) and broodmare sire to more than 240 stakes winners. He was the leading sire in England in 1986 and leading broodmare sire in 1993 and 1994. He produced many champions and winners of the Epsom Derby, Kentucky Derby and three Breeders Cups. His most notable runners appear on the chart that follows.

Ferdinand ($3,777,978 29-8-9-6) was the leading money winner of the Nijinsky crops. The handsome chestnut won the 1986 Kentucky Derby and followed that up in 1987 winning the Breeders Cup Classic nosing out the 1987 Kentucky Derby winner Alysheba. The victory in the Classic earned Ferdinand Horse of the Year honours in 1987. The rest of Ferdinand’s story is sad. He had no success as a stallion and in 1994 was shipped off to Japan for another shot as a sire. It was discovered some time later that he probably met his end in a slaughterhouse in Japan. Despite his regal breeding and great success on the track he was not immune from the fate that meets many less talented thoroughbreds. New York owners and breeders introduced a “Ferdinand Fee” in 2006 to funnel money into charities involved in the rescue and retirement of thoroughbreds and a he was instrumental in legislation changes that are pending in the US.

Sky Classic ($3,320,398 29-15-6-1) was Nijinsky’s next leading money winner and a member of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. He was a Sovereign award winner at two and double Sovereign award winner at four when he won several stakes including the Rothmans where he established a turf record for 1-1/2 miles. He was injured for most of his three-year old campaign. As a five-year old he won the Arlington and Manhattan Handicaps (he set a Belmont track record for 1-1/2 miles in the Manhattan) and finished second in the Arlington Million and Breeders cup Turf. Sky Classic went on to a very successful career as a stallion where he had 317 winners from his first 11 crops. His most successful progeny to date was the 2006 Sovereign award winner Sky Conqueror ($1,688,534 17-7-2-3).

One of Nijinsky’s top producing daughters was the lightly raced Jood (1989). Among her 5 winners was the World Champion Fantastic Light (1996) ($8,486,957 25-12-5-3) winner of the Breeders Cup Turf, Hong Kong Cup and the Dubai Sheema Classic.

Lammtarra

Undefeated Lammtarra’s ($1,983,527 4-4-0-0) story is another amazing tale that is stranger than fiction. The son of Nijinsky raced only once as a two-year-old and won but injured himself shortly thereafter. His trainer Alex Scott (age 34) was shot dead on Sept 30, 1994. A disgruntled employee was later convicted of the murder. Lammtarra (Arabic for “invisible”) was sent to Dubai to heal for his owner Saeed Maktoum Al Maktoum and get acquainted with his new trainer. Lammtarra fell ill with an abscess on a lung and almost died himself.

Lammtarra entered England’s Classic, the Epsom Derby coming off his illness without a prep race. Lammtarra won, breaking a 60 year-old record in the process.

Before he was shot, Alex Scott placed a wager of 1,600 pounds on Lammtarra to win the Derby (some 10 months before the event). The win would have earned 54,000 pounds for Scott but bets like this, according to British law, die with the bettor. In this case, the law was ignored and the bookie paid the widow in full.

From there it was on to Ascot and the King George VI – Queen Elizabeth Stakes where in scary but typical fashion, Lammtarra came from behind to win again. On his tribute website they described his ability to accelerate as “sprouting wings to power past the field”. People have been at a loss for words to describe the same ability to accelerate in Nijinsky and the Dancer … this one fits them all.

In his final race (the race his sire could not win), Lammtarra won the French Classic, Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. That would be Lammtarra`s last race. He was sold for 4,400,000,000 yen ($30 million US) and stands at stud today in Dubai for his Japanese owners where he carries on both male lines (through Nijinsky) and female lines of the Dancer (through daughter Royal Statute (1969)).

“Fanny”

The Dancer’s daughter, Fanfreluche (Fanny) had an outstanding racing career. She was Canadian horse of the year in 1970 and Champion 3 year old filly in the United States. She won 9 stakes including the Manitoba Derby, Quebec Derby, Alabama Stakes at Saratoga and Benson and Hedges where she set a track record. She was 2nd in the Queen’s Plate, Canadian Oaks and Spinster Stakes at Keeneland. After a stellar racing career she was destined for the famous Claiborne farms where she started her career as a broodmare for owner Jean-Louis Levesque, the prominent Quebec industrialist and outspoken political supporter of a united Canada.

Fanny’s first born was the outstanding colt L’Enjoleur (1972) out of Buckpasser. L’Enjoleur ($546,079 30-15-4-2) was two-time, Canadian Horse of the Year, winning many stakes including the Laurel Futurity and the Queen’s Plate (the Queen’s Plate victory fulfilled a life long dream for Levesque). In 1975 Fanny delivered the filly, La Voyageuse ($524,393 56-26-10-7) sired by Ten Tam and in 1977 the Secretariat sired colt Medaille D’or ($148,750 17-3-5-4).

On June 25, 1977 Fanny was in foal to Secretariat for the second time and grazing in her paddock on the lush 3,200 acres of Claiborne’s nursery when she disappeared. It didn’t take long for police and the staff to determine she had been kidnapped in broad daylight just after 5 pm in the afternoon. There was an intense search and a reward offered but nothing turned up and to make matters worse Fanny was on medication to prevent a miscarriage.

Why Fanfreluche? There were so many other mares, yearlings and weanlings to pick from, many of them pegged at a higher value than her $500,000 insurance value not to mention the multi-million dollar syndicated stallions like Nijinsky and Secretariat on the property. It was a story worthy of a mystery novel, her disappearance happened at the exact time the Queen’s Plate was going to post in Canada where Levesque had another horse entered. When Fanfreluche finished second in the 1970 Queen’s Plate separatist terrorists bombed Levesque’s home. They did not take kindly to his participation in an event honoring the British monarch. It was looking like her kidnapping may have been politically motivated. There was never a ransom demand and almost everyone had given up hope of finding her when in December the FBI stumbled on Brandy, a pregnant mare being used as a riding horse on an old farm in Tomkinsville, Kentucky. It was Fanny.

In July, a neighbor of the farmer found the mare running loose near the side of a road, roped her and took her to the farmer assuming it was one of the farmer’s horses. The farmer reported her to the local sheriff but the connection was never made. When no one claimed the mare he thought his wife could enjoy her as a saddle horse and they named her Brandy. Ron Turcotte, Canada’s hall of fame jockey would have been impressed to see the farmer’s wife ride Brandy, considering he was the only jockey who could handle the mare who had inherited her sire’s ornery disposition. The police feel the kidnappers just turned her loose in the backwoods of Kentucky over 100 miles from the scene of the crime where she would have to fend for herself. Not only was she alive, she was still in foal and gave birth to “Sain et Sauf” (Safe and Sound) in 1978. Sain et Sauf did race and won but otherwise was not very successful. Fanny went on to deliver 12 more foals including D’accord (1979) ($163,368 10-5-2-1) another Secretariat colt and her last foal born in 1991, Red Alydar ($544,227 21-4-3-2) by Alydar.

Fanfreluche, Jean-Louis Levesque and Ron Turcotte are all members of the Canadian Horse Racing hall of fame along with the Dancer, of course.

Swinging Apache from that 2nd Dancer crop raced 6 times winning all 6 including the Ascot Sophomore Stakes, Canadian Derby and Harbour Handicap. I have not been able to determine what happened to Swinging Apache, he did not race again nor did he breed (in fact he may have been a gelding but I could not confirm that).

Vice Regent was a full brother to the Canadian Champion Viceregal from Dancer’s first crop. Vice Regent would only race 5 times winning twice and earning a paltry $6,215 but as a sire he was by far, the most successful brother and still keeps the Dancer’s bloodlines alive today. Vice Regent was Canada’s leading sire for 13 years, siring over 400 foals with 60 of them being stakes winners and 16 of them earning in excess of $400,000 including the fillies Twice The Vice (1991) ($1,447,064 23-12-6-1) and Bessarabian (1982) ($1,032,640 37-18-5-4), colts Regal Intention (1985) ($1,083,103 41-14-7-10) Regal Classic (1985) ($1,056,584 27-8-8-3) and Deputy Minister (1979) ($606,964 22-12-2-2) who would go on to be the leading sire in the U.S. in 1997, 1998 and a top 10 broodmare sire since 2001.

Deputy Minister sired over 1000 foals in 20 crops from 1985 until his death in September 2004. He sired over 81 stakes winners so far who have tallied over $70,000,000 in earnings. A chart of Deputy Minister’s best performers follows.

Great story about Fanny from Barbara Livingston with a couple pics
http://www.barbaralivingston.com/Stories_Fanfreluche.html

Fanfreluche - Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/thoroughbred/1981/Fanfreluche.html
Deputy Minister - Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/thoroughbred/1988/Deputy_Minister.html
Vice Regent - Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/thoroughbred/1989/Vice_Regent.html
Nijinsky - Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famehttp://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/thoroughbred/1976/Nijinsky_II.html

Japan Cup 2009 in the books

2009-11-29T07:17:00.012-05:00

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(Vodka on right - chestnut Oken Bruce Lee on left from Reuters)

The year of the mare continues as the mare Vodka won the 2009 Japan Cup by a whisker over the fast closing Oken Bruce Lee who had to come from dead last at the top of the stretch in the eighteen horse field. What a finish as another filly Red Desire finished third. The five-year-old Vodka becomes the first Japanese female to top the $10 million mark in career earnings and will most likely retire. It's always exciting watching the Japan Cup in Japanese. The crowd at one point looks an American football crowd waving their little souvenirs. One of the owners of Vodka breaks down when the photo finally comes up (it took an eternity according to some). You will never be able to convince me this is not an emotional sport (in any language). Jockey Christophe Lemaire thought he had lost it at the wire but the photo proved otherwise. Vodka was not a descendant of the Dancer but Oken Bruce Lee and Red Desire were. I will leave their earnings for the race in Yen and let you do the conversion - staggering purses in Japan.

1) Vodka 293,000,000 yen
2) Oken Bruce Lee 106,000,000 yen Great Great Grandson (X3)
3) Red Desire 53,000,000 yen Great Great Granddaughter (X2)

Great Japanese HQ video of the race
http://www.videohighlights.net/29112009-japan-cup-2009-horse-racing/

My previous post about the Dancer's International Impact by classic race (before Japan Cup run)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/lets-jump-ahead-to-today-nov-12-2009.html

The Dancer - Review

2009-11-27T17:22:00.019-05:00

This is a quick review of the blog so far in terms of my original book published in 2008 but started in 2005. I wanted to put the chapters in their original order with links back to their position in the blog. The blog has just built on the original data from 2005 and I think continues to show the impact Northern Dancer has had on his sport. This year has been a good one to come in for a snapshot of the sport as we head into a new decade and to celebrate the anniversary of his death by revisiting Windfields Farm before it becomes another subdivision. From any of these links you can just keep hitting the newer links to get the 2009 perspective and home to get back here. You can always click on the blog archive on the bottom right of the blog which have the blog posts listed in the order they were posted.

Chapter 1
A New National Hero (May 2, 1964)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-1.html

Chapter 2
Our Hero Has Become A Legend (Oct 29, 2005)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-2.html

Chapter 3
Nijinsky (Sept 12, 1970)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-3.html

Chapter 4
The Dancer's International Impact (Dec 31,2005)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-4.html

Chapter 6
The Dancer's Place In History
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-6.html

Chapter 8
A Champion Becomes A Legend - Makybe Diva (Nov 1, 2005)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-8.html

Chapter 9
Inaugural World Rankings (Nov 2005)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-9_22.html

Chapter 39
A Sentimental Journey to Windfields Farm (Feb, 2006)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-39.html

This year's special horse

2009-11-23T12:13:00.019-05:00

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Sea the Stars winning le Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe

(photo from the Times - Boris Horvat)

In prepping for the posts surrounding my old chapter 9, I thought I would look for this year’s Makybe Diva type of story. In this year, which could have easily been described as the year of the filly and mare after the Breeders Cup, I didn’t have to look past the year’s world number one ranked thoroughbred for my story.

Sea the Stars did not cross the ocean to make one last start in the Breeders Cup. He retired to stud on a winning note after winning le prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 4, 2009. It was his eighth straight victory after finishing 4th in his maiden start as a two-year-old in 2008 and what a stretch of great victories in 2009. The 2000 Guineas followed by the Epsom Derby and the Eclipse Stakes then the Juddmonte International followed by the Irish Champion Stakes and finally the Arc. As if that list was not impressive enough it was the way he did it. I watched a few of these races as I researched the races themselves without putting together the big picture until now. Every one of these wins was dramatic and breathtaking. He has been described as “pure box-office, with a timing and delivery to match Hollywood's finest” and by some “one of the greatest thoroughbreds of all time”. You have to watch the videos linked here to understand this “super” star. His trademark is to come from behind and thread the needle with his ears pinned back to find a seam to attack the leaders and wear them down. He is amazing to watch and has become a fan favorite even in France.

He is the son of Cape Cross out of Green Desert out of Danzig so it could be another strong male line for our Dancer. There are some, saying his value could be in excess of $100 million as a stallion. But in this the year of the mare we may want to look at his dam, Urban Sea. Urban Sea won the Arc herself in 1993 (one of only 5 fillies to accomplish that feat). She is also one of only two mares to produce Epsom and Eclipse double winners. She was also the dam of Galileo, the other Epsom/Eclipse double winner and already a leading sire in Britain. Tragically, Urban Sea died this year giving birth to her last foal. The foal survived the birth.

The owner of Sea the Stars is the 27 year-old nightclub owner, with his trademark Ipod ear buds stuck in his ears, Christopher Tsui. His parents, the Hong Kong based, David and Ling Tsui wanted their son to get more involved in their racing business so he was installed as the owner of Sea the Stars. In one of his early assignments as owner, the young man passed out from excitement after his horse won the Eclipse stakes in July. He will not make the same mistake as his parents who sold their interest in half brother Galileo before he reached the track and now he looks like he could be the heir apparent to Sadler’s Wells as Britain’s top stallion. Tsui has turned down the offers from Sheikh Mohammed who will probably end up with a partial interest in the breeding rights of this latest superstar.

The trainer and jockey of Sea the Stars are just as interesting as those of Makybe Diva (or maybe even Seabiscuit). Veterinarian, John Oxx has trained in the shadow of Ballydoyle’s dynamic duo of Vincent and Aidan O’Brien (no relation) ever since he started training in 1979. In fact in this year’s Juddmonte International it was just a four-horse field with Sea the Stars and three Aidan O’Brien trained horses but John Oxx doesn’t have to take a back seat to anyone when it comes to his training record and it looks like Sea the Stars will “see” to that.

Jockey, Michael (Mick) Kinane was aboard Sea the Stars in all 9 of his starts. He has been Ireland’s leading jockey thirteen times. He has won the Epsom Derby three times as well as the 2000 Guineas, Melbourne Cup in Australia and the Belmont Stakes in the US. He may retire shortly and would certainly go out a winner after the season he had with Sea the Stars. Once again, you have to watch the videos to appreciate not only Sea the Stars but also the performances of Mick. Mick also bred the 2007 Epsom Derby winner and Northern Dancer great-grandson Authorized.

Despite the amazing performances of the mares this year it’s Sea the Stars who gets my vote as horse of the year in this the Chinese year of the Ox(x).

Great little tribute to Sea the Stars after the Arc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQCzwsr_-1k

1) Link to 2000 Guineas Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7hAEcSUBrM&feature=PlayList&p=1AC9956FF022DEF5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17

2) Link to the Epsom Derby Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0kSu_M0qEM

3) Link to the Eclipse Stakes Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Ur9CVtQOA

4) Link to the Juddmonte International Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QZW0j4jOrU&feature=PlayList&p=00B0F241A735B846&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5

5) Link to the Irish Champion Stakes Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6YSZ_eIfPY

6) Link to the Prix l'Arc de Triomphe Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f824CU-F3rc

The Latest World Rankings

2009-11-22T19:28:00.015-05:00

Here are the latest world rankings from the International Federation of Horse Racing. Just as it was in 2005 - all but one of the top 30 are direct descendants of Northern Dancer. I added the lifetime earnings for each horse - they are approximate. Eighteen of the thirty are direct male descendants.

Link to World Rankings
http://www.horseracingintfed.com/resources/2009Rankings/2009_1108_WTR.asp

Chapter 9

2009-11-22T18:36:00.012-05:00

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Inaugural World Rankings

Rewind to November 2005

Makybe Diva was ranked as the 10th best thoroughbred in the world in November 2005.

In 2005, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities published their inaugural world rankings. The International Federation was officially formed in 1983 to protect the integrity of the sport and its breeding. The Federation’s roots went back to 1961 when the major international players met for the first time and now in 2005 they had developed a system to rank their best International performers. It’s shades of golf and its world rankings versus the PGA of America earnings, which used to be Golf’s primary standard for performance.

Like the sport of golf, thoroughbred racing owes a lot of its International success to the American development of the sport (despite having its roots in Europe) but also like golf, thoroughbred racing has become a “truly” International sport and the IFHA have done a great job in compiling statistics to rank the best thoroughbreds of 2005.

Here are the top thirty performers as of November 2, 2005. Twenty-nine of the thirty are direct descendants of our Dancer. The only horse who is not a direct descendant is Silent Witness, tied for thirteenth in the rankings. Ironically, Silent Witness is the only gelding in the top thirty and therefore the only horse on the list who will not be extending his or her breeding line. Silent Witness does have a strong connection to our Dancer through his sire El Moxie who is out of the Dancer’s half sister, Raise The Standard out of the Dancer’s dam Natalma.

The list represents breeding from seven different countries and the winners of every major International race in the federation’s 55 different countries. In addition to having that one common thread of our Dancer’s bloodline, the twenty-nine horses on the list share in their ability to excel at the highest level of their sport. The top 16 on the list, down to Silent Witness have a combined record of (213-112-38-21) and lifetime earnings to this point of almost $33,000,000. That is a winning percentage over 50% and top 3 finishes of over 80% against the best thoroughbreds in the world.

The ratio of direct male descendants to descendants through female lines is fairly evenly split with 55% of the descendants, direct males. Six of the twenty-nine are through the Danzig line with five of those six, direct males. Sadlers Wells, Nureyev and Lyphard have four descendants each. There are many on the list with multiple genetic links to the Dancer, I only included the first link in each case. Danehill is the most successful grandson on the list with four descendants in the top 30 but Montjeu has 2 in the top 5.

(these charts were not the greatest in my book either - click to enlarge and you should get the idea - when I update with this years rankings I will improve the charts)

Quick Link back to Chapter 8 for original book flow - hit home to return to here
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-8.html

Latest Numbers on Leading Sires of 2009

2009-11-21T13:31:00.013-05:00

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Here are the latest numbers on International Sires earnings up to November 20,2009 for only descendants of our little Dancer. As always these days the Japanese purses tend to dominate the International earnings list with their huge prize money but there are several countries represented here. I had to use a staggered year to bring in the Australian and New Zealand numbers since their season runs July to June.

I used the top 100 according to bloodhorse.com and found 75% were descendants of Northern Dancer and added another 10 from the Australian/New Zealand list. In just these 86 sires we have over 640 million dollars in earnings in less than one year of racing.

Notice who is sitting on the list with $5.4 million in offspring earnings - the Dancer's retired son, Sadler's Wells. All Sadler's Wells has done over his stallion career is lead Britain's sires list 14 times since 1990 with 13 of those years in a row from 1992-2004 (he finished 2nd in 1991). He also led the French list 3 times and the North American list once. (click on them to enlarge a chart)

Bloodhorse Leading International Sires
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/thoroughbred-breeding/sire-lists/international

Let's refresh that 2005 leading sires chart

2009-11-20T17:12:00.005-05:00

I will not have complete data for 2009 for a while so here is the chart for 2008. Click on the chart to enlarge it - you may have to click it twice.

International Cataloguing Standards from the Jockey Club Information Systems

http://www.tjcis.com/pdf/icsc00/frontmaterial.pdf

Chapter 6

2009-11-18T17:57:00.005-05:00

The Dancer's Place in History

The history of thoroughbreds in North America dates back to the early 1700’s. A British colony for the better part of the next century, the United States was dominated in those early years by imported sires, primarily from Britain.

American leading sires lists (by earnings) date back to 1860 when the stallion, Revenue, led the earnings list for sires with $49,450 to his credit. For the next 14 years that list would be led by the great sire Lexington, an American record that will probably never be broken. Lexington also led the list two more years in 1876 and 1878 and was very instrumental in Kentucky’s prominence as a thoroughbred breeding state. While Kentucky’s rich soil and perfect climate provided the ideal setting for the grazing thoroughbred it was the presence of the dominant sire Lexington that would attract breeders to the area and establish the blue grass state’s tradition as the hub of thoroughbred breeding in North America.

Despite his dominance as a sire, no direct male offspring of Lexington would ever lead the sires list. Lexington’s male line of descendants would eventually vanish but his genes would survive through his female descendants where almost 75% of the leading sires since Himyar (1893) carried the genes of Lexington, including our Northern Dancer. Through the Dancer’s sire Nearctic and his sire Nearco, you can trace the lines to Lexington. Nearco’s 3rd dam Sibola (1896) won the 1899 One Thousand Guineas and was the granddaughter of Lexington through his daughter Maiden (1862).

It is interesting to look back on the history of the American thoroughbred to see how its roots are traced to Europe and how some 275 years later, America is now an exporter and leading producer of thoroughbreds in the world. In the early 1900’s however, America was still an importer and what makes Nearco a bit of an oddity is that small trace of American blood through Lexington. Nearco was Italian bred with three generations of European breeding except for his 3rd dam Sibola, the American bred granddaughter of Lexington. It is fascinating today, to follow the flow of breeding from Europe to America and back again and to see the influence Northern Dancer had on that flow. Before him, his great, great grandmother Sibola was setting the trend.

Northern Dancer only led the American leading sire’s list once in 1971 but he did lead England’s sire list four times in 1970, 1977, 1983 and 1984. Some sources have Northern Dancer on top of the North American list in 1977 also but Dr Fager had more North American earnings (The Dancer had more international earnings). What has preserved Northern Dancer’s place in history has been his success as a sire of sires with what has become the most dominant male line of thoroughbreds in the world today.

Lexington’s record of 14 straight years atop the leading sires list in America may never be touched but Northern Dancer’s son Sadler’s Wells has led England’s sire list for the past 13 years straight (1992-2004), he also led the American list in 1995. Lyphard was the first of Dancer’s sons to lead the American sires list in 1986. The Dancer’s son, Danzig led the American sire’s list three straight years from 1991-1993 while another son, Storm Cat led the list in 1999 and 2000 and sandwiched in between are grandsons Deputy Minister in 1997, 1998 and Palace Music in 1996. In fact, since 1991 only two of America’s leading sires do not have Northern Dancer’s genes (Broad Brush 1994 and Kris S. 2003). The Dancer’s son, Vice Regent was Canada’s leading sire for thirteen years.

France’s leading sire list has been occupied by sons of Northern Dancer 9 times. Lyphard (1978, 1979), Nureyev (1987, 1997), Sadler’s Wells (1993, 1994, 1999), Fabulous Dancer (1992) and Fairy King (1996). The next generations, Montjeu and Linamix have led the French sire’s list 2 of the past 3 years.

The Dancer’s offspring were also successful breeding outside North America and Europe. Son Northern Taste led the Japanese sire’s list 10 times (eight years in a row 1985-1992). Grandson Danehill led the Australian sire’s list 9 of the past 11 years.
In Argentina, grandson Southern Halo from daughter Northern Sea led the sires’ list 8 years in a row from 1994-2001 and again in 2003. In New Zealand it’s great grandson Volksraad leading sires for the past 3 years (2002-2004) and before him grandson Zabeel led 4 years in a row from 1998-2001. India’s leading sire for 6 of the past 8 years has been Northern dancer’s son Razeen. Venezuela’s leading sire from 2001-2003 was grandson George Augustus. South Africa’s leading sire for 2 of the past 3 years has been great grandson Western Winter and before him, grandson Fort Wood (1998) and son Northern Guest in 1989.

Northern Dancer’s line will survive well into the 21st century and he has solidified his place in the history of thoroughbred racing.

Every year countries have various ways of recognizing their thoroughbred champions. Here is a compiled list of Leading International sires by country or region for 2005 where Northern Dancer’s bloodlines are present. There are 23 countries or regions represented here from Argentina to Zimbabwe.