Belmont Stakes 2016

What a finish in this year's Belmont. Creator beat Destin by a whisker at the wire with Lani finishing third. All 3 were descendants of Northern Dancer.

Creator - great great great grandson x2 through Nijinsky & Northfields
Destin - great great grandson through Storm Cat/Storm Bird
Lani - great great grandson x2 through Nijinsky & Sadlers Wells

images from www.belmontstakes.com

video of race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKxmvnqkXE4

141st Preakness Stakes

Exaggerator hands Nyquist his first career defeat winning the black-eyed susans (and the Preakness). The sloppy track may have helped but it was game efforts by each of the top three. Cherry Wine nosed out Nyquist for second. The entire field were descendants of Northern Dancer.

1) Exaggerator - great great great grandson x2 through Deputy Minister (Vice Regent)/The Minstrel
2) Cherry Wine - great great grandson through Sadlers Wells
3) Nyquist - great great great grandson x4 through Dixieland Band/Storm Bird

image from mdjonline(click on to enlarge)

Run for the Roses 2016 - The 142nd running of The Kentucky Derby

Let's start by saying all 20 horses entered were descendants of Northern Dancer. The winner was the undefeated favorite Nyquist with Exaggerator second and Gun Runner third.

1) Nyquist - great great great grandson x4 through Dixieland Band/Storm Bird
2) Exaggerator - great great great grandson x2 through Vice Regent/The Minstrel
3) Gun Runner - great great great grandson x3 through Storm Bird/Lyphard


Images from USA Today

video of race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZstnjDJjP0g

2000 Guineas 2016

The first leg of Britain's Triple Crown is in the books. This year's 2000 Guineas was won by 14-1 shot Galileo Gold, Massaat was second and Ribchester third. Of course, all 3 are descendants of The Dancer.

1) Galileo Gold (GB) - great great grandson x2 through Danzig/Sadlers Wells
2) Massaat (IRE) - great great grandson x2 through Sadlers Wells/Danzig
3) Ribchester (IRE) - great great grandson x3 through Nureyev/The Minstrel


video of race
http://www.racinguk.com/video/watch/2016-2000-guineas

"Not everybody can be a winner" - The Legend of Zippy Chippy

He is a grandson of Northern Dancer. No, he didn't win the Dubai World Cup or the Kentucky Derby, in fact he raced 100 times and won 0. He had to be banned from Finger Lakes Racetrack because of too many starts where he wouldn't leave the gate (he did seem to inherit his grandfather's stubborness, he just couldn't apply it in the same way). He liked pizza, ice cream, cupcakes and especially Doritos and beer. His owner traded his old Ford pickup to acquire him. He created such a following that his adoring fans would bet him down to favorite with little hope of finishing in the money, let alone winning. He is retired now and living on a farm in Greenfield, NY with 20 other horses who through the popularity of Zippy are kept in food and board. There is now a book about Zippy Chippy and you can read more about him here. There are also 2 interviews with the author below. I remember as a child going down to Fort Erie racetrack to see Annabel the wonder horse race, she was a similar story. Not everybody can be a winner ... but they can still be lovable and heroes in their own way.

NY Post article
http://nypost.com/2016/03/27/the-horse-that-lost-100-races-but-won-the-heart-of-a-family/

CTV News interview with author
http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=840592

CH CH interview with author
http://www.chch.com/horse-racings-lovable-loser/

Dubai World Cup 2016

The world's richest horse race is in the books for 2016. California Chrome took the Dubai World Cup going away to become the all-time leading US money maker at $12.5M. Mubtaahij was second and Hoppertunity was third. All 3 were descendants of Northern Dancer.

1) California Chrome (USA) - great great great grandson x2 through daughter Dance Number and Danzig
2) Mubtaahij (IRE) - great great great grandson x5 through Dubawi/Dubai Millennium
3) Hoppertunity (USA) - great great grandson x3 through Danzig and The Minstrel


Photo from Warren Little Getty Images

video of race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2ihAGhZ9K4

Hong Kong Cup 2015

The 25M HK$ 2015 Hong Kong Cup is in the books. It was the Japanese bred longshot A Shin Hikari going wire to wire to defeat the game filly Nuovo Record, Blazing Speed was third. All 3 were descendants of Northern Dancer.

1) A Shin Hikari (JPN) great great grandson x2 through Storm Bird/Lyphard
2) Nuovo Record (JPN) great great granddaughter x3 through Nuryev/Danzig/Lyphard
3) Blazing Speed (GB) great grandson x3 through Sadlers Wells/Danzig/Nijinsky


images from Sporting Life, Kyodo

video of race
http://racing.hkjc.com/racing/video/play.asp?type=replay-full&date=20151213&no=08&lang=eng

Japan Cup 2015

The 575,000,000 Yen ($5M) Japan Cup 2015 is in the books. It was the filly Shonan Pandora nosing out Last Impact with favorite Lovely Day third. All three were Japanese bred and all three were descendants of Northern Dancer.

1) Shonan Pandora - great great great granddaughter x3 through Vice Regent/Northern Taste/Lyphard
2) Last Impact - great grandson x2 through daughter Pacificus and Lyphard
3) Lovely Day - great great great grandson x5 through Nuryev/Nijinsky/Try My Best/Green Desert


image from Japan Racing Association

video of race - click replay on right bottom of screen
http://japanracing.jp/en/information/jai/japan-cup/

Melbourne Cup 2015

History was made today at Flemington in Australia as longshot Prince of Penzance (NZ) won the $3.6M Melbourne Cup ridden by Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Classic. French bred Max Dynamite was second and Criterion (NZ) was third. All three were descendants of Northern Dancer.

1) Prince of Penzance (NZ) - great grandson x2 through Be My Guest/Nijinsky
2) Max Dynamite (FR) - great great great grandson through Nuryev
3) Criterion (NZ) - great great great grandson through Danzig/Northern Sea(mare)/Fanfreluche(mare)

images from getty/theage/theherald

video of race with call from Greg Miles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO6OzXxiNUA

Breeders Cup 2015 The Classic

Well, American Pharoah didn't disappoint winning the $5M Classic going away. It capped off a brilliant career as a runner winning the first Triple Crown since 1978 and then the Classic. They are calling it a grand slam as it's the first time that combination has been accomplished. Effinex was second and Honor Code was third. That made it a clean sweep for the descendants of Northern Dancer. Of the 13 races in this year's Breeders Cup Festival - 39 of the top 39 were all descended from the little Canadian pony nobody wanted as a yearling for $25,000. The 39 took home the bulk of the $25 Million in purses offered up over the past two days adding to the billions earned by Northern Dancer descendants since that first crop of foals in 1966. It will be interesting to follow Pharoah's career as a stallion. I think it's fair to say he established himself as another National hero.

1) American Pharoah - great great great grandson x2 through El Gran Senor/Storm Bird
2) Effinex - great great great grandson through Danzig
3) Honor Code - great great grandson through Storm Bird

images from breederscup.com

video of race and photo gallery
http://www.breederscup.com/results/2015/classic