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Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred thoroughbred racehorse, a bay colt born May 27, 1961, by Nearctic-Natalma, by Native Dancer.
In 1952, Edward P. Taylor, Canadian business magnate and owner of Windfields Farm,
had attended the December sale at Newmarket, England where he
purchased Lady Angela, a mare in foal to Nearco. Two years later she was bred again
with Nearco, producing a colt named Nearctic. From Nearctic and the mare Natalma, a daughter of the
great Native Dancer, came Northern Dancer.
- Breeder: E.P. Taylor
- Owner: E.P. Taylor
- Trainer: Horatio Luro
Northern Dancer was ridden by Ron Turcotte in his first victory as a
two-year-old. Before the running of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in
Lexington, Kentucky, trainer Horatio Luro asked jockey Bill Shoemaker to
make a commitment to ride either Northern Dancer or the more promising colt, Hill Rise. Shoemaker went with the unbeaten
Hill Rise, believing the colt represented his best chance for a win at the prestigious Kentucky Derby. Bill Hartack became Northern
Dancer’s permanent jockey, guiding him to his best season in 1964 at age 3 when he
won the Flamingo, Florida Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Kentucky Derby, the
Preakness Stakes, and the Queen's Plate. He was also named champion 3-year-old of 1964.
Northern Dancer stood at Taylor's stud farm in Maryland until his retirement and
was the most successful sire in thoroughbred horse-racing history. His offspring have earned more money and won more major stakes races than those of
any other sire, including North American and European champions. He sired 146 stakes winners including the great Nijinsky II, winner of England's Triple Crown, as well as The Minstrel, Shareef Dancer, El Gran Senor, Secreto,
Fanfreluche and multiple champion
sire Sadler's Wells. He was also an exceptionally prepotent sire (a sire of sires of stakes winners). In the 1983 Keeneland auction, one of Northern Dancer's colts named Snaafi Dancer became the first
$10 million yearling.
Northern Dancer was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1976. He was retired from stud
(breeding) on April 15, 1987 at the age of
26. He died on November 16, 1990 and is memorialized at Windfields
Farm in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
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