Breeders Cup 2014 - Distaff

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

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

photos from breederscup.com

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

Breeders Cup 2014 - Sprint

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

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

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

The Race That Stops a Nation - Melbourne Cup 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

photo from AP

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

Kingston Hill wins 2014 St Leger Stakes

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

Photo from BBC

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

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

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2014

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

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

image from Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

Two Continents - Two G1 Classics - Japan's Takarazuka Kinen and the Irish Derby

Heading into Queen's Plate weekend I am playing catch up from last weekend when two Group 1 classics were run on two continents. In the $3 Million Takarazuka Kinen from Japan it was the grey Gold Ship winning it for the second year in a row. The top 3 finishers all bred in Japan were descendants of Northern Dancer. In the $1.7 Million Irish Derby it was Australia completing the rare double winning the Epsom and Irish Derbies. Once again the top 3 finishers all bred in Europe were descendants of our little Canadian sire.

Images - Gold Ship on top Australia on bottom from BBC and JRA

Japan's Takarazuka Kinen

1) Gold Ship (JPN) - great great great grandson x2 through Northern Taste and The Minstrel
2) Curren Mirotic (JPN) - great great great grandson x2 through Lyphard and Nijinsky
3) Verxina (JPN) - great great granddaughter through Nuryev

video of race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlZm7vrhEPU

Irish Derby

1) Australia (GB) grandson x2 through Sadlers Wells/Galileo
2) Kingfisher (IRE) grandson x3 through Sadlers Wells/Galileo
3) Orchestra (IRE) grandson x2 through Sadlers Wells/Galileo
video of race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAQ-X964d1k

Belmont Stakes 2014 - No Triple Chrome

Tonalist wins the 2014 Belmont Stakes denying California Chrome the Triple Crown. Commissioner finished second with Medal Count in third, California Chrome was in a dead heat for fourth. The top three were all descendants of our Northern Dancer.

Tonalist - great great grandson x2 through Topsider and Nijinsky
Commissioner - great great great grandson x2 through Vice Regent/Deputy Minister
Medal Count - great great grandson through daughter Radiant Glow


image from Carlo Allegri Reuters

video of race
http://www.nbcsports.com/horse-racing/tonalist-wins-belmont-stakes-california-chrome-fourth

Epsom Derby 2014 goes to Australia

In the second jewel of Britain's Triple Crown it was favourite Australia "born to win the Derby" over Kingston Hill and Romsdal finishing third. It was the third Epsom Derby in a row for trainer Aidan O'Brien and that's the first time that has happened since 1780 (a bit of history with this Classic Race). All three were descendants of Northern Dancer.

Australia - great grandson x2 through Sadlers Wells/Galileo
Kingston Hill - great great great grandson x3 through Danzig/Danehill
Romsdal - great great great grandson through Nijinski/Sadlers Wells/Danzig


images from BBC

video of race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDVcFys0F2k