Dunaden wins $2.5M Caulfield Cup

It was a stunning come from behind victory for last year's Melbourne Cup winner as he won carrying top weight and leaving from barrier 18. The French bred was 3rd from last with 500 meters to go when Craig Williams wound him up to pass the field in a yellow blur. Will he be able to repeat in Melbourne on the first Tuesday in November? It was a another 1-2-3 international finish for Northern Dancer descendants bred in three different countries.

1) Dunaden (FR) great great great grandson (x2)
2) Alcopop (AUS) great great great grandson (x2)
3) Lights of Heaven (NZ) great great granddaughter

Images from Getty
Watch the exciting video of the race http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=potHTg4DZ5E

Camelot denied Triple Crown by outsider Encke

Camelot just had too much ground to make up in the stretch and ran into some heavy traffic to finish second behind Encke in this year's St Leger Stakes at Doncaster. Michelangelo was third - all 3 were great grandsons of Northern Dancer.

Encke - great great grandson x3
Camelot - great grandson x3
Michelangelo - great grandson x2

image from Alan Crowhurst Getty Images

video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37TedwNa4fg

Queen's Plate 2012 - Strait of Dover

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He lead from start to finish to take this year's running of the $1M Plate. It was a pair of fillies in second and third and of course all 3 were great grandkids of our 1964 Queen's Plate winner Northern Dancer.

1) Strait of Dover - great grandson x2
2) Irish Mission - great great granddaughter x2
3) Dixie Strike - great granddaughter x2

photo from Michel Burns photography and Bloodhorse

Video of Race
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/horseracing/video/#id=2249783814

Well she did it - but she didn't curtsey

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It wasn't the dominance that everyone expected but she got the job done despite a brain fart by her regular jock Luke Nolen. Everything looked normal until he seemed to ease up with about 50 metres to go. Some great horses were not able to overcome those kinds of mistakes but she proved again she is probably the greatest sprinter alive and maybe the greatest of all time. I was afraid she was going to bump the queen never mind not curtseying. It was a pair of Queens at Ascot today. Twenty-two straight victories - what an accomplishment. She came out of the race with a couple of minor injuries so she will be heading home but connections think she might be ready for the Melbourne festivities in November.
Images from Getty
Video of race and celebrations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5464q326fY

Black Caviar

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It's time to introduce you to this young lady. She is a 6 year-old Australian bred mare who on Saturday about 10:45 am EST will be attempting to set yet another record at Ascot in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. She will be trying to keep her undefeated streak alive at 22 wins after travelling half way around the world to take on the best sprinters Europe has to offer. Her sire is the grandson of Nijinsky. Her dam is the great-granddaughter of Danzig. She is considered the best sprinter in the world and a cult hero in Australia. She is big and she is beautiful. You don't have to look far to see her story - it seems to be everywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5JEYXrqo84
Win number 17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMahxL0tSTM
Win number 18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL-IkDGjn-Y&feature=relmfu
Win number 19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wID6-p68gtc
Win number 20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q10Hfp7EPlE
Win number 21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJn2VWMtEio
Telegraph Article
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/superracing/black-caviar-racing-to-immortality-and-12m-in-prizemoney/story-fn67r1j3-1226405974808?sv=bcb176a0e58857f51dd07445bca2f25a

Union Rags wins the 144th Belmont

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A nice finish to a disappointing week with the scratch of I'll Have Another. Union Rags came through on the rail to defeat Paynter at the wire, Atigun finished third. Of course all 3 are great grandsons of Northern Dancer.
1) Union Rags great grandson x2
2) Paynter great great grandson x3
3) Atigun great great great grandson
Images from Getty Images

Camelot wins Epsom Derby 2012

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Oh Oh the Queen looks like she might have had her 50 bob on Bonfire
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As part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations Camelot wins his second leg of Britain's Triple Crown - the Epsom Derby and of course it was another 1-2-3 finish for the grandkids of Northern Dancer. Queen Elizabeth II was on hand for the race. This sets up 2 potential triple Crown winners on both sides of the Atlantic.

1) Camelot - great grandson x3
2) Main Sequence - great great great grandson x4
3) Astrology - great grandson x2

Images from Getty Images

Video of race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkwjmGYGgy8

I'll Have Another does just that winning the Preakness

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Image from Patrick Smith Getty Images

Image from Rob Carr Getty Images

------------------------------------image from Baltimore Sun--------------------------------- Wow, what a big finish for I'll have Another to run down Bodemeister at the wire to win the Preakness despite the slower fractions and shorter distance than the Derby. Creative Cause finished third to make it another 1-2-3 finish for Northern Dancer grandkids.

1) I'll Have Another - great great great grandson x5
2) Bodemeister - great great grandson x3
3) Creative Cause - great great grandson

2000 Guineas - first of Britain's Triple crown

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While the Kentucky Derby was running in the US it was another 1-2-3 finish for the great grandkids of Northern Dancer in the first of Britain's triple crown the 2000 Guineas. The top three were bred in three different countries in Europe.

1) Camelot (GB) great grandson x3
2) French Fifteen (FR) great great grandson
3) Hermival (IRE) great great grandson x2

images from Nigel French - Empics Sports Photography
video of race http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnVsIxUjR3Y

138th Kentucky Derby in the books

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No surprise it was a 1-2-3 finish for the Dancer's grandkids in this year's Run for the Roses.

1) I'll have Another great great great grandson x5 (through Danzig, Sadlers Wells, Nijinsky, Lyphard)
2) Bodemeister great great grandson x3
3) Dullahan great great grandson

Congrats to the mexican jockey Mario Gutierrez based out of Hastings in Vancouver, BC. Gutsy performance by Bodemeister but he just couldn't hang on.
Images from Getty - yahoo sports