A colt is a young male horse , usually below the age of four years.
112-460: American Classics wins: Kentucky Derby ( 1964 ) Preakness Stakes ( 1964 ) Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred that, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby . After being retired from racing, he became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canadian icon and was inducted into
224-478: A yearling is a horse of either sex between the ages of one and two. A young female horse is called a filly , and a mare once she is an adult animal. In horse racing , particularly for Thoroughbreds in the United Kingdom, a colt is defined as an uncastrated male from the age of two up to and including the age of four. The term is derived from Proto-Germanic * kultaz ("lump, bundle, offspring") and
336-619: A 50th-anniversary tribute for Northern Dancer. Saxophone instrumentalist Matthew James performed his tribute song, entitled "Northern Dancer". In 2012, Breyer Animal Creations released a portrait model of Northern Dancer sculpted by Jeanne Mellin Herrick. In 2014, the Canadian Film Centre unveiled the Northern Dancer Pavilion on its Windfields Farms heritage campus. In 2018, the city of Oshawa announced that
448-520: A Native . After the Remsen, Luro gave Northern Dancer some time off to heal and had a vulcanized rubber patch applied to the quarter crack. Northern Dancer recovered quickly and reentered training in January. His first race at three was on February 10, 1964, in a six-furlong prep at Hialeah Park under a new jockey, Bobby Ussery , who was instructed to take it easy and not use the whip. Northern Dancer
560-487: A Triple Crown of Kentucky races to be held at Lexington, Louisville, and Latonia, then later a "Quadruple Stake" to include the Douglas Park racetrack. Neither of these appear to have materialized. The term "triple crown" in reference to the current three races was in use at least by 1923, although Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton is commonly credited with originating the term in 1930. The order in which
672-524: A brisk :35 3 ⁄ 5 to sharpen his speed. For the Preakness on May 16, Northern Dancer went off as the 2–1 second favourite to Hill Rise in a field of six that included the top five finishers from the Derby plus Quadrangle . Northern Dancer settled into third place with Hill Rise tracking just behind. Quadrangle moved to the lead down the backstretch and Northern Dancer started to make his move around
784-552: A buyer at his Can$ 25,000 reserve price. As a result, Northern Dancer stayed in the Windfields Farm racing stable. At maturity, Northern Dancer had powerful hindquarters along with excellent balance and agility. His stallion listings showed his height as 15.2 hands (62 inches, 157 cm), but most horsemen who had met him estimated his adult height as between 15 hands (60 inches, 152 cm) and 15.1 hands (61 inches, 155 cm). Shortly before
896-455: A combined margin of two lengths. His trainer John Veitch is the only trainer to have done this with one horse. In 1995, D. Wayne Lukas became the first and only major figure (owner, jockey, or trainer) to win all three Triple Crown races with different horses, Thunder Gulch in the Derby and Belmont, Timber Country in the Preakness. Lukas also is the only trainer to have won six consecutive Triple Crown races, adding his 1995 wins, having won
1008-409: A commanding lead. At the halfway mark, Northern Dancer was third on the rail, 15 lengths back, but gradually closed the gap on the far turn. Down the stretch, the two battled for the lead before Northern Dancer pulled away to win by 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths, with the rest of the field some twenty-five plus lengths behind Northern Flight. Five days later, Northern Dancer faced a field of 14 rivals in
1120-611: A crucial role in his developing reputation. His leading performer was Nijinsky, who was purchased by Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien at the Canadian yearling sale for $ 84,000. Nijinsky went on to win the 1970 English Triple Crown , the first horse to do so since 1935. Nijinsky was named Horse of the Year in England and Ireland. Meanwhile, Fanfreluche was named Canadian Horse of the Year and co-champion three year-old-filly in both Canada and
1232-490: A deal with Chrysler to pay $ 5 million to any horse that swept all three races, and $ 1 million each year there was no Triple Crown sweep to the horse with the highest combined Triple Crown finish . This sponsorship lasted until 1993. The end of the $ 1 million participation bonus was linked to the breakdown of Prairie Bayou at the Belmont Stakes that year and the uncomfortable situation that arose when
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#17327873901651344-451: A distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles, Northern Dancer drew post position 7 in a field of 12. He was the second betting choice at odds of 7–2 behind Hill Rise at 7–5. In the high pressure environment leading up to the race, Luro kept the press away from the colt, even substituting a stable pony for Northern Dancer during photo sessions. Northern Dancer responded by training eagerly, with a final workout of 1:00 2 ⁄ 5 on April 20. On
1456-593: A few days earlier in which Northern Dancer had fought restraint by the exercise rider. Shortly after the race, Luro asked Shoemaker to commit to riding Northern Dancer in the Kentucky Derby . But Shoemaker instead chose Hill Rise , who had won the San Felipe Stakes and the Santa Anita Derby in California. Shoemaker had never ridden Hill Rise but campaigned hard to get the mount, believing
1568-507: A few days later; the colt promptly ate it. On June 25, Northern Dancer was the heavy betting favourite in the Queen's Plate at odds of 1–7 in a field of eight. He raced from well off the pace, trailing the field around the first turn and still in sixth down the backstretch. Hartack relaxed his hold entering the far turn, and Northern Dancer "zoomed" past the early leaders, then drew off to win by 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths. Hartack never needed
1680-462: A gap of 37 years. Between 1979 and 2014, thirteen horses won both the Derby and Preakness, but not the Belmont. Of those, Real Quiet came the closest, losing the Belmont Stakes by a nose in 1998. Another dramatic near-miss was Charismatic , who led the Belmont Stakes in the final furlong in 1999, but fractured his left front leg in the final stretch and fell back to third. Five other horses lost
1792-436: A half lengths. Hill Rise finished third, caught at the wire by The Scoundrel who claimed second. Northern Dancer celebrated his actual third birthday on May 27 and was presented with a cake of carrots adorned by Canadian flags. He also received hundreds of cards wishing him success in the upcoming Belmont Stakes . Taylor felt that the horse would not mind the distance of 12 furlongs, believing that Hartack would be able to judge
1904-467: A length. Shoemaker said later that the colt was improving. However, his time was a disappointing 1:50 4 ⁄ 5 , the slowest Florida Derby since 1955. Joe Hirsch of the Daily Racing Form commented, "It did not appear that Shoemaker had a lot of horse left at the wire." Luro was satisfied with the performance though, feeling that the slow time of the race was the result of a fast workout
2016-631: A length. Turcotte believed the horse had still not recovered from the effort in the Summer Stakes and was favouring his left foreleg. "He kept wanting to bear left, and I couldn't get him on his right lead at all." On October 7, he returned in the Bloordale Purse at 1 mile and 70 yards where he was again the top weight at 122 pounds. His main rival Northern Flight carried 117 pounds while other horses carried as little as 112 pounds. Northern Dancer broke well but allowed Northern Flight to take
2128-501: A little leg weary in the last sixteenth of a mile," he said, "but that was natural. He wasn't quite so seasoned as some of the other horses." He then entered a seven-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 28 as a prep for the Florida Derby . Shoemaker was unable to ride due to a previous commitment, so Ycaza got the ride. Northern Dancer won easily by four lengths, equaling the track record of 1:22 2 ⁄ 5 . In
2240-402: A live foal would result, then started a rapid increase: $ 100,000 in 1980, $ 150,000 in 1981, $ 250,000 in 1982, $ 300,000 in 1983 and $ 500,000 in 1984. For his final years at stud (1985–1987), his breeding rights were privately negotiated, with one season selling at auction for $ 1 million, an amount four to five times that of his closest rivals. By contrast, the highest North American stud fee in 2016
2352-529: A new elementary school , located near what used to be Windfields Farm at the corner of Northern Dancer Drive and Bridle Road, would be named after the horse. Northern Dancer's Kentucky Derby trophy is on permanent exhibit at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Québec . In 1990, The New York Times called Northern Dancer "the dominant progenitor of his breed" because his own success at stud
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#17327873901652464-522: A number of exceptions: jockey Johnny Longden was born in England and raised in Canada; Ron Turcotte was Canadian. French-born jockey Jean Cruguet ; and jockey Victor Espinoza , from Mexico. Jockey Willie Saunders is considered a Canadian jockey because he spent part of his childhood there, but was born in Montana . Laz Barrera , trainer of Affirmed, was from Cuba; Secretariat's trainer, Lucien Laurin
2576-583: A period of 22 years, the top 174 Northern Dancer offspring at the Keeneland Sales sold for a total $ 160 million. The bidding duels between John Magnier and Robert Sangster of Coolmore Stud and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Darley Stud helped drive up the prices as both sought future breeding prospects. Three of the most expensive colts ever sold at public auction were sired by Northern Dancer: Snaafi Dancer , who became
2688-492: A public workout over seven furlongs at Hialeah. Northern Dancer broke slowly but soon took the lead and won by seven lengths in a time of 1:23 2 ⁄ 5 . He continued to gallop out past the wire, completing one mile in 1:36 2 ⁄ 5 and nine furlongs in 1:50 4 ⁄ 5 . For his next start in the Flamingo Stakes on March 3, Northern Dancer was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker and went off as
2800-476: A purse of $ 2,100. Turcotte later recalled, "We won that race by eight lengths . He was a bold horse. Brave. He could handle anything. The grass. The mud. Anything." Wearing blinkers for the first time, Northern Dancer made his next start on August 17 in the Vandal Stakes . Paul Bohenko was his jockey since Turcotte was committed to another horse, Ramblin' Man. Northern Dancer entered into a speed duel at
2912-462: A record for a Canadian-bred horse. In The Blood-Horse listing of the top 100 American Thoroughbred racehorses of the 20th century , he was ranked number 43. An asterisk after the odds means Northern Dancer was the post-time favourite. Northern Dancer retired to stud in 1965 at Taylor's Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario , for an initial fee of $ 10,000. Due to his small size, a ramp was built in
3024-407: A third martini." On August 2, 1963, Northern Dancer made his debut at Fort Erie Race Track in a maiden race for Canadian foaled two-year-olds over a distance of 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 furlongs . He was ridden by apprentice jockey Ron Turcotte , who was instructed not to use the whip but gave the colt a tap at the sixteenth pole anyway, whereupon Northern Dancer "exploded". He beat seven horses for
3136-546: A tough little man – and you never can tell when one of those things may start stinging. This time, he had developed a bowed tendon . It did not respond to treatment, and this ended his racing career. Northern Dancer was named the Champion Three-Year-Old Colt of 1964 in the United States. He was also named the three-year-old champion in Canada and Canadian Horse of the Year . In addition, he
3248-496: A very fast 11 seconds. He had a lead of about two lengths, but Hill Rise had gotten in the clear and started to make up ground. Author Kevin Chong later wrote of Northern Dancer's "short, powerful legs making like a hummingbird's wings" as he ran down the stretch. Hill Rise closed with giant strides, but Northern Dancer prevailed by a neck in a new race record of two minutes flat that stood until Secretariat broke it in 1973. He became
3360-450: A workout at Belmont in July. According to Luro, Northern Dancer had run with a splint on the inside of his left front leg since age two but had never before shown visible evidence of injury. The earlier symptoms of lameness noticed by Turcotte and Hartack had only manifested at full racing speed. Assistant trainer Norman Bowles later said the horse "would probably run through anything – he was
3472-427: Is etymologically related to "child." An adult male horse, if left intact, is called either a " stallion " if used for breeding, or a horse (sometimes full horse); if castrated , it is called a gelding . In some cases, particularly informal nomenclature, a gelding under four years is still called a colt. A rig or ridgling is a male equine with a retained testicle or one which has been incompletely castrated. In
Northern Dancer - Misplaced Pages Continue
3584-538: Is said to have almost fallen. Despite struggling with the ground, he led from the start and hung on for the win. After a brief layoff, Northern Dancer was entered in the 1 + 1 ⁄ 16 mile Cup and Saucer Stakes on September 28 over the Woodbine turf course, where he was assigned the top weight of 124 pounds. Ron Turcotte was back as his jockey and took him to an early lead, but Northern Dancer tired and fell second to long-shot Grand Garcon by three-quarters of
3696-483: Is the only other owner with two Triple Crown horses, 1941 winner Whirlaway and 1948 winner Citation . Eddie Arcaro is the only jockey to ride two horses to the Triple Crown, both for Calumet: Whirlaway and Citation. Those two horses' trainers, Ben Jones and Jimmy Jones, were father and son. All 13 horses were foaled in the United States. Most owners, trainers, and jockeys were American-born, though there were
3808-473: The Los Angeles Times wrote: "Northern Dancer is the kind of colt who, if you saw him in your living room, you'd send for a trap and put cheese in it. He's so little, a cat would chase him. But he's so plucky there's barely room in him for his heart. His legs are barely long enough to keep his tail off the ground. He probably takes a hundred more strides than anyone else, but he's harder to pass than
3920-551: The 1945 Kentucky Derby was moved from May 5 to June 9, with the Preakness and Belmont following on June 16 and 23, respectively. In 2020, the Triple Crown was altered from its usual sequence due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic . The adjusted schedule started with the Belmont Stakes on June 20, at the shortened distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 miles (9 furlongs). The Kentucky Derby ran on September 5, and finally
4032-546: The 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes , is inbred 4 × 5 to Northern Dancer on his dam's side. Northern Dancer appears at least once in the pedigree of every contestant in the 2018 Kentucky Derby . American Classic Races In the United States , the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing , commonly known as the Triple Crown , is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds , consisting of
4144-409: The 2023 Belmont Stakes , making Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race. After the first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton , in 1919, there was not another winner until Gallant Fox in 1930, a gap of 11 years. Between 1930 and 1948, seven horses won the Triple Crown, with five years being the longest gap between winners. However, following the 1948 win of Citation , there
4256-577: The Belmont Futurity . However, the quarter crack became more pronounced, so he was fitted with a bar shoe on his left front hoof to stabilize the foot. On November 27, Northern Dancer was the odds-on favourite in a field of six horses entered in the Remsen Stakes , despite carrying top weight of 124 pounds. Ycaza sent him to the lead early and he won by two lengths in wire-to-wire fashion. His time of 1:35 3 ⁄ 5 for one mile
4368-478: The Belmont Stakes . Returning to Canada for a hero's welcome, he won the Queen's Plate in what proved to be his last race. Northern Dancer was retired to stud in 1965 at Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He was an immediate success when his first crop reached racing age in 1968. The success of his second crop, led by English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky , gave him international renown. Northern Dancer
4480-654: The Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1965. Induction into the Racing Hall of Fame in both Canada and the United States followed in 1976. As a competitor, The Blood-Horse ranked him as one of the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred racehorses of the 20th century . As a sire of sires, his influence on the breed is still felt worldwide. At age two, Northern Dancer was named the Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Colt after winning both
4592-498: The Coronation Futurity Stakes , the richest race for Canadian two-year-olds. He settled in fourth at the start, then took over the lead at the halfway point, drawing away to win by 6 + 1 ⁄ 4 lengths. It was Turcotte's last ride on Northern Dancer, as Luro feared he could not maintain sufficient control of the headstrong colt. "God knows how good [Northern Dancer] really was," recalled Turcotte, "for he
Northern Dancer - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-694: The Kentucky Derby , Preakness Stakes , and Belmont Stakes . The three races were inaugurated in different years, the last being the Kentucky Derby in 1875. The Triple Crown Trophy , commissioned in 1950 but awarded to all previous winners as well as those after 1950, is awarded to a horse who wins all three races and is thereafter designated as a Triple Crown winner. The races are traditionally run in May and early June of each year, although global events have resulted in schedule adjustments, such as in 1945 and 2020. The first winner of all three Triple Crown races
4816-668: The Summer Stakes and Coronation Futurity in Canada, plus the Remsen Stakes in New York. At three, he became a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby with wins in the Flamingo Stakes , Florida Derby , and Blue Grass Stakes . Northern Dancer followed up a record-setting victory in the Kentucky Derby by winning the Preakness Stakes . With a chance at the American Triple Crown , he finished third in
4928-663: The 1941 Triple Crown, also won the Travers Stakes that year, the first and only horse to date to accomplish that feat. American Pharoah , in addition to winning the 2015 Triple Crown, also won the Breeders' Cup Classic that year. As the Breeders' Cup was not established until 1984, American Pharoah was the first (and currently only) horse to sweep those four races, a feat now known as the Grand Slam . Arcangelo won
5040-458: The 1994 Preakness and Belmont with Tabasco Cat and the 1996 Derby with Grindstone . Like Veitch, only with two different horses, Bob Baffert also had second-place finishes in all three legs of the Triple Crown, both owned by Ahmed Zayat : in 2012, Bodemeister finished second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness stakes to I'll Have Another , then Paynter was entered and finished second to Union Rags . Baffert and Zayat teamed up again for
5152-418: The 2015 Triple Crown victory of American Pharoah. Gallant Fox is the only Triple Crown winner to sire another U.S. Triple Crown winner, Omaha . Affirmed sired Peteski , winner of the 1993 Canadian Triple Crown . Jockey Julie Krone became the first (and currently only ) woman to win a Triple Crown race when she won the 1993 Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair . Whirlaway , in addition to winning
5264-496: The 2026 Preakness Stakes is expected to be run at Maryland's Laurel Park while Pimlico Race Course undergoes planned renovations. At completion of the 2016 season, the three Triple Crown races have attracted 4,224 entrants. Of these, 292 horses have won a single leg of the Triple Crown, 52 horses have won two of the races (23 the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, 18 the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, and 11
5376-473: The 4–5 favourite in a field of eight, with Hill Rise the second choice at 2–1 and Quadrangle at 13–2. With Northern Dancer under a tight hold, he and Hill Rise tracked each other for the first mile behind a slow pace set by outsider Orientalist. Quadrangle was in second, relaxed and saving ground with excellent position on the rail. After a mile in 1:39 1 ⁄ 5 , Quadrangle's jockey, Manuel Ycaza, made his move, confident his horse had enough stamina to outlast
5488-463: The Belmont after winning only one of the first two legs. The first live national television broadcast of a Triple Crown race occurred with the 1947 Belmont Stakes on CBS. The following year, the Preakness Stakes was broadcast live and the Kentucky Derby was filmed to be broadcast the following day. Originally, the three races largely organized their own nominations procedure, marketing and television broadcast rights. In 1985, Triple Crown Productions
5600-479: The Belmont was 7 million when the Triple Crown was not at stake, whereas viewership averaged 13 million when it was. With the contract term ending, the NYRA went to ESPN on ABC for the 2006 Belmont, while the broadcasts of the Derby and Preakness remained with NBC. Visa chose to remain as a sponsor of only Kentucky Derby for the next five years. As a result of the divided broadcast, Triple Crown Productions
5712-410: The Belmont. By 2014, six of the previous eight Belmont winners had not competed in either of the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Additionally, from 2006 to 2014, the Belmont winner was a horse who had not competed in the Preakness. Since all three events were inaugurated, as of 2023, 23 horses have won the Derby and Preakness but not the Belmont (ten of which placed): Another 30 horses have won
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#17327873901655824-498: The Florida Derby on April 4, Northern Dancer was the 3–10 favourite in a field of eight. With Shoemaker back up, Northern Dancer raced in mid-pack behind a slow pace, then started to make up ground on the rail. Shoemaker waited until the half mile pole then urged the colt on without using the whip. Northern Dancer quickly took the lead at the head of the stretch and then held off a challenge by The Scoundrel, eventually winning by
5936-414: The Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes), and 13 horses have won all three races. Pillory won both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1922, a year when it was impossible to win the Triple Crown because the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes were run on the same day. 10 of the 13 winners have been "homebreds", owned at the time of their win by their breeders. Jim Fitzsimmons and Bob Baffert are
6048-421: The Kentucky Derby at age three, he weighed 940 pounds (430 kg). Like his sire Nearctic and grandsire Nearco before him, Northern Dancer had a dominant and sometimes unruly temperament. "He wasn't mean, but he would wheel and do some tricks", said Joe Thomas, who later managed the horse's stud career. Trainer Horatio Luro originally wanted to geld the colt , but Taylor refused. Sportswriter Jim Murray of
6160-476: The Kentucky Derby but won the Preakness and the Belmont, and three won the Derby and the Belmont, but not the Preakness. The 37-year gap between the Triple Crown wins of Affirmed and American Pharoah drew criticism of the system. As far back as 1986, reporters noted that horses who were fresh for the Belmont had an advantage. In 2003, Gary Stevens stated in an interview with Charlie Rose that he did not believe there would be another Triple Crown winner because of
6272-404: The Kentucky Derby through 2025. NBC then renewed its rights to the Preakness and Belmont through 2022. In January 2022, Fox Sports acquired the broadcast rights to the Belmont Stakes for eight years beginning in 2023. Colt (horse) The term "colt" only describes young male horses and is not to be confused with foal , which is a horse of either sex less than one year of age. Similarly,
6384-475: The Kentucky Derby winner, Sea Hero, was given the bonus following a seventh-place finish. In 1995, Visa took over the sponsorship with a 10-year contract, naming the series the Visa Triple Crown and offering only the $ 5 million bonus to a horse that could sweep the Triple Crown. Along with sponsorship by Visa, NBC Sports paid $ 51.5 million for broadcast rights to all three races, with
6496-456: The Preakness on October 3. 2020 also marked the first time for the Belmont Stakes to be run as the opening leg of the Triple Crown. Each Triple Crown race is open to both colts and fillies . Although fillies have won each of the individual Triple Crown races, none has won the Triple Crown itself. Despite attempts to develop a "Filly Triple Crown" or a " Triple Tiara " for fillies only, no set series of three races has consistently remained in
6608-444: The Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5 ) the Preakness Stakes (1:53), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24). At 18, Steve Cauthen became the youngest jockey to win the Triple Crown, riding Affirmed in 1978. At 52, Mike Smith became the oldest jockey to win the Triple Crown, riding Justify in 2018. Only one horse, Alydar , placed (finished second) in all three races. He was defeated each time by Affirmed in 1978 by
6720-604: The United States. As the result of his success, Northern Dancer was relocated to the Maryland division of Windfields Farm in December 1968 and was syndicated in August 1970 for $ 2.4 million. Taylor retained several shares in the stallion, while other members included Claiborne Farm , Allaire du Pont , Greentree Stud , J. Louis Levesque , Paul Mellon , Spendthrift Farm , Tartan Farm and Alfred G. Vanderbilt . Each share in
6832-575: The breeding shed to allow Northern Dancer to service mares who were taller than him. He was bred to 35 mares, with 21 live foals being produced in 1966. The first crop reached racing age in 1968 and was an immediate success, including Viceregal , who was named Canadian Horse of the Year. Nine others also became stakes winners , an "astounding" 47.6% of the crop. "His first foals ran so well," said Ed Bowen, former editor of The Blood-Horse . "Northern Dancer had that aura about him right away." Although his second crop produced only four stakes winners, it played
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#17327873901656944-406: The colt represented his best chance for a Derby win. Ycaza was also unable to commit to Northern Dancer as another trainer had first call on his services. Ultimately, Luro settled on Bill Hartack , who had ridden Luro's previous Kentucky Derby winner, Decidedly . "I'm not upset about it at all," said Luro. "I guess Shoemaker must not have been impressed with my horse's race Saturday, but I believe it
7056-401: The day of the race, May 2, Northern Dancer was on edge. As the field reached the track, he "bounced like a rubber ball" and gave a huge buck when the band started to play " My Old Kentucky Home ". He settled during the warm up, only to balk when asked to enter the starting gate. After a few tense moments, Northern Dancer relaxed and loaded quietly. After the break, he settled into good position on
7168-434: The even-money favourite in a field of eleven. He settled into second and moved to the lead in the stretch after some gentle urging by Shoemaker, winning by two lengths over Mr. Brick, with Quadrangle a further eight lengths back in third. His time of 1:47 4 ⁄ 5 was the second fastest in the history of the race, behind only Bold Ruler 's time of 1:47 flat. Shoemaker was pleased with the performance. "My little horse got
7280-615: The exception. They were also generally known for their balance and acceleration. When Northern Dancer was 20 years old (an advanced age for a stallion), his owners turned down an offer of US$ 40 million from a European syndicate for him. Northern Dancer's entry into stud service was ranked number 28 in "Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments", a 2006 review of American racing in the 20th century by The Blood-Horse magazine. Northern Dancer's major stakes winners include: c = colt , f = filly , g = gelding Former Keeneland chairman Ted Bassett wrote in his autobiography that between 1974 and 1988,
7392-458: The far turn. Hartack had yet to ask Northern Dancer for his run, while the jockeys of both Hill Rise and Quadrangle were working hard to maintain their position. Turning into the stretch, Hartack hit Northern Dancer once and he surged to a commanding lead. Near the finish line, Northern Dancer started to tire but Hartack was not overly worried. "If he was tired, the horses behind us would be even more tired," he explained. Northern Dancer won by two and
7504-483: The final turn but the stewards disallowed the claim. The time of 2:28 2 ⁄ 5 was just two-fifths of a second off the track record. Hartack said he had been worried about several horses, including Quadrangle, before the race and felt the distance was the decisive factor. Asked if he felt disappointed by the result, he replied, "How can it be a disappointment when a horse runs his heart out for you? He certainly didn't disgrace himself – not to me, anyway." In spite of
7616-561: The first $ 10-million yearling when sold to Sheikh Mohammed for $ 10.2 million in 1983; a colt out of Ballade later named Imperial Falcon, who sold for $ 8.25 million to Sangster in 1984; and a colt out of Fabuleux Jane later named Jareer, who sold for $ 7.1 million to Darley Stud. Although none of these three colts was a major winner on the racetrack, the success of other high-priced yearlings like Shareef Dancer (auctioned for $ 3.3 million), Nureyev (auctioned for $ 1.3 million) and Lomond (privately sold for 1.5 million) kept demand high. Northern Dancer
7728-418: The first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby, making front-page headlines across Canada. Hartack, known for a somewhat adversarial relationship with the press, was full of praise after the race. "[Northern Dancer] is a game, hard trying little horse," he said. "He was always in good position and he ran real strong on the turns. He really did some running from the quarter pole to the eighth pole, and he
7840-611: The horse with his image placed on a postage stamp . A residential street was named after Northern Dancer on the former site of the Greenwood Race Track in east-end Toronto. Also, a life-sized bronze statue of the horse was placed outside Woodbine Racetrack. Over the decades, a number of books have been written about Northern Dancer. In 1995, Muriel Lennox, who had worked for Taylor, published Northern Dancer: The Legend and His Legacy . In 2003, Avalyn Hunter's book American Classic Pedigrees (1914–2002) , extensively covered
7952-487: The influence of Northern Dancer on North America classic winners around the end of the 20th century. Her later book, The Kingmaker: How Northern Dancer Founded a Racing Dynasty covers Northern Dancer's international legacy. In 2015, Kevin Chong wrote Northern Dancer: The Legendary Horse That Inspired A Nation . In 2011, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame held an induction ceremony that included
8064-403: The loss in the Belmont, the mayor of Toronto declared June 8, 1964, to be "Northern Dancer Day", which included a ceremony held at city hall. (The idea of a ticker-tape parade down Bay Street was nixed due to the colt's high-strung temperament.) E. P. Taylor was presented with a key to the city—carved out of a carrot. Taylor presented the key to Northern Dancer when the horse arrived at Woodbine
8176-407: The most Triple Crown victories with two apiece; Calumet's winners were Whirlaway and Citation. Eddie Arcaro rode both of Calumet's Triple Crown champions and is the only jockey to win more than one Triple Crown. Willie Simms is the only African-American jockey to win all three races that would compose the triple crown. During the 1898 Preakness Stakes he rode a different horse, Sly Fox and won
8288-518: The only living Triple Crown winners. James E. "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons was the first trainer to win the Triple Crown more than once; he trained both Gallant Fox and Omaha for the Belair Stud . Gallant Fox and Omaha are also the only father-son pair to each win the Triple Crown. Bob Baffert became the second trainer to win the Triple Crown more than once, training American Pharoah and Justify. Belair Stud and Calumet Farm are tied as owners with
8400-430: The only two trainers to have two horses win the Triple Crown, with Fitzsimmons training the sire/son combination of 1930 winner Gallant Fox and 1935 winner Omaha and Baffert training 2015 winner American Pharoah and 2018 winner Justify . The wins by Fitzsimmons were also the first time that an owner and the first time that a breeder, Belair Stud holding both duties, had a repeat win of the Triple Crown. Calumet Farm
8512-515: The others. Hartack on Northern Dancer and Shoemaker on Hill Rise appeared to underestimate Quadrangle and did not at first respond, allowing Quadrangle to build a substantial lead into the stretch. When finally asked to run, Northern Dancer closed the gap to within half a length in midstretch. However, he then tired and was passed by Roman Brother to finish third, some six lengths behind the winner. Bill Shoemaker on Hill Rise, who finished fourth, lodged an objection against Hartack for being squeezed off on
8624-413: The pace and conserve energy. Luro was more worried, believing that Northern Dancer's best distance was between eight and nine furlongs, but hoped the horse's class would be enough to carry him the extra distance. With a Triple Crown at stake, a then-record crowd of 61,215 showed up for the Belmont Stakes on June 6, run that year at Aqueduct due to renovations at Belmont Park. Northern Dancer went off as
8736-779: The public eye, and at least four different types of races have been used. Two fillies won the series of the Kentucky Oaks , the Pimlico Oaks (now the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes ), and the Coaching Club American Oaks , in 1949 and 1952, but the racing press did not designate either accomplishment as a "Triple Crown". In 1961, the New York Racing Association created a filly Triple Crown of in-state races only, but
8848-445: The race. Secretariat holds the stakes record time for each of the three races. His time of 2:24 for 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles in the 1973 Belmont Stakes also set a world record that still stands. The three Triple Crown races had existed long before the series received its name: the Belmont Stakes was first run in 1867, the Preakness in 1873, and the Kentucky Derby in 1875. On December 31, 1912, Johnson N. Camden Jr. proposed
8960-476: The races are run has varied. From 1932 through 2019, the Kentucky Derby was run first, followed by the Preakness, and then the Belmont. Running the three races in a five-week span was instituted in 1969. The Preakness was run before the Kentucky Derby 11 times, most recently in 1931. Two times— May 12, 1917, and May 13, 1922 — the Kentucky Derby and Preakness were run on the same day. Scheduling has occasionally been affected by global events. During World War II,
9072-494: The races changed over the years. Eight fillies won the NYRA Triple Tiara between 1968 and 1993. Gelded colts may run in any of the three races today, but they were prohibited from entering the Belmont between 1919 and 1957. Geldings have won each of the individual races, but like fillies, no gelding has ever won the Triple Crown. The closest was Funny Cide , who won the Derby and the Preakness in 2003. Each of
9184-426: The races is held on a dirt track, rather than the turf surfaces commonly used for important races elsewhere in the world. In 2024, the Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga Race Course at the shorter distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles due to the construction of a new grandstand and racing surface at Belmont Park . The final leg of the Triple Crown is also expected to be moved to Saratoga in 2025. Meanwhile,
9296-415: The rail around the first turn behind the early pacemakers Mr. Brick and Royal. Down the backstretch, Hartack guided him through a narrow hole into the clear and started to make up ground on the leaders. He got the jump on Hill Rise, who became tangled up in traffic as the front-runners started to fade. With a quarter mile to go, Hartack urged his colt on; Northern Dancer responded by running the next furlong in
9408-433: The revenue split giving 50% of the total to Churchill Downs and 25% each to Pimlico and to the New York Racing Association (NYRA). The Visa deal—and the cooperative effort—ended after 2005. The NYRA felt that they did not get a fair share of the revenue, particularly when the Belmont had the highest ratings of all three races in the years where a Triple Crown was on the line. From 2001 through 2013, average viewership for
9520-556: The sons and daughters of Northern Dancer fetched the highest prices of all sires at the yearling sales 12 times, "and that constitutes a record that may last forever." Northern Dancer's yearlings also led the Keeneland July Selected Yearling Sale by average price 12 times in the same period. In 1984, 12 yearlings by Northern Dancer sold for an unrivaled sale-record average price of US$ 3,446,666 (about $ 10.1 million adjusted for inflation). Combined over
9632-455: The start of the race, setting up the race for Ramblin' Man to come from behind and win. After the race, Turcotte is quoted as having told Luro, "the Dancer was definitely the best two year old in Canada, maybe in the world." He next entered the Summer Stakes on August 24, then at a distance of 1 mile on the turf at Fort Erie . The track condition was described as 'bog-like', and Northern Dancer
9744-408: The stretch so Hartack released his grip and Northern Dancer crossed the finish line in front by half a length. He completed the nine furlongs in a time of 1:49 4 ⁄ 5 and galloped out the Derby distance of ten furlongs in 2:03. Hartack was satisfied with the colt's abilities. "He is a small horse," said Hartack, "but he has lots of brawn and lots of guts." For the 1964 Kentucky Derby , run at
9856-485: The syndicate provided an annual breeding right to Northern Dancer, and relatively few other breeding rights were publicly available. As a result of the scarcity of his services and his continued success, Northern Dancer's stud fee rose, slowly at first: from $ 10,000 (live foal) in 1965, to $ 15,000 (live foal) in 1969, to $ 25,000 (live foal) in 1971 to $ 35,000 ($ 10,000 of which was non-refundable) in 1975 to $ 50,000 (no guarantee) in 1978. His published fee, with no guarantee that
9968-405: The tendency for owners to put fresh horses in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn was particularly critical of the Triple Crown system in post-Belmont remarks in 2014; he considered the system to be unfair, arguing that there would never be another Triple Crown winner in his lifetime unless only horses that competed in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness competed at
10080-465: The turn." Accordingly, Hartack had restrained Northern Dancer at the start to avoid traffic problems. However, the colt's poor position made Hartack move sooner than he would have preferred. Despite the easy win, Hartack felt the colt had been somewhat "dull", and possibly unsound. Northern Dancer remains the only Kentucky Derby winner to also take the Queen's Plate. Northern Dancer pulled up lame after
10192-543: The whip throughout the stretch drive. Northern Dancer came back to the barn bleeding from the beginning of a quarter crack . It was thought that the injury was a result of his heavy race schedule – seven races in three months. Nonetheless, the colt was shipped to Aqueduct Racetrack in New York to compete against American horses. On November 18, he was entered in the Sir Gaylord Purse. He was ridden by Manuel Ycaza , and won by eight lengths over Bupers, who had won
10304-448: The whip. Northern Dancer completed the race in 2:02 1 ⁄ 5 , which, although more than two seconds off his time in the Kentucky Derby, was just one-fifth of a second off the race record set by Victoria Park in 1960. "My main concern was with the first turn," said Luro after the race. "You see, we were in the No. 1 post position, and it could have been tough to get around other horses at
10416-402: The wild, colts are driven from their herds by the herd stallion somewhere between the age of one and two. This may be, in part, an instinct to prevent inbreeding . When driven out, they usually join with other young stallions in a bachelor herd . They stay with this band until they are mature enough to form their own herd of mares. The terms "rag" or "rake" have been historically used to refer to
10528-517: Was Native Dancer . All Thoroughbreds in the Northern Hemisphere have an official birth date of January 1 but Northern Dancer was foaled late in the season, on May 27, 1961. Younger than most of his age cohort, he was only 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm) high when Windfields Farm offered all of its yearlings for sale at its annual auction. Thus, despite a strong pedigree and good conformation , Northern Dancer did not find
10640-780: Was Sir Barton in 1919. Some journalists began using the term Triple Crown to refer to the three races as early as 1923, but it was not until Gallant Fox won the three events in 1930 that Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form put the term to common use. Only 13 horses have ever won the Triple Crown: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015), and Justify (2018). As of 2024 , American Pharoah and Justify are
10752-785: Was $ 300,000 for Tapit . Northern Dancer was one of the 20th century's most successful Thoroughbred sires. From 645 named foals, he sired 411 winners (63.7%) and 147 stakes winners (22.8%). The 147 stakes winners was then a record. He was the 1971 leading sire in North America and also in 1977 when international earnings are included. His progeny were highly sought in Europe, and he became the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1970, 1978, 1983, and 1984. Most of his progeny resembled him in size and shape: Nijinsky, who stood over 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm), proved
10864-519: Was Canadian. Owner Fannie Hertz was married to John D. Hertz , who was born in Slovakia; owner Ahmed Zayat was born in Egypt. The horse Sir Barton was foaled in the United States but had a Canadian owner, J. K. L. Ross , at the time of his Triple Crown win. Justify's large ownership group included individuals from both the United States and China. Secretariat holds the stakes record for each of
10976-409: Was a considerable gap of 25 years before Secretariat ended the drought of Triple Crown champions in 1973. Between 1973 and 1978, there were three Triple Crown winners. After Affirmed's Triple Crown in 1978, the longest drought in Triple Crown history began in 1979 with Spectacular Bid 's failed Triple Crown attempt when he finished third in the Belmont. It lasted until American Pharoah won in 2015,
11088-753: Was a new stakes record. Ycaza later recalled him as an "ideal horse for any kind of situation. He would do anything you asked." His record of seven wins from nine starts earned Northern Dancer the Canadian Juvenile Championship . He was rated at 126 pounds in the Canadian Free Handicap for two-year-olds, five pounds above Ramblin Road. In the American Experimental Free Handicap , he was rated at 123 pounds – three pounds below champion Raise
11200-495: Was amplified by the impact of his sons around the world. His leading sire sons included: Northern Dancer's impact continues well into the 21st century. In North America, 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify has multiple crosses to Northern Dancer, in the direct male line through Storm Cat, and also through Nijinsky and Vice Regent. American Pharoah , winner of the 2015 Triple Crown is 5 × 5 inbred to Northern Dancer, through Storm Bird and El Gran Senor . California Chrome , winner of
11312-597: Was an inaugural inductee to the new Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and was also inducted into the United States Horse Racing Hall of Fame . In 1977, Northern Dancer won three world sires' premiership titles for the number of international stakes winners, international stakes wins, and total stake earnings of his progeny. Northern Dancer was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. In 1999, Canada Post honoured
11424-558: Was bumped at the start and fell to the back of the pack. He recovered and steadily advanced up the rail, only to become trapped behind several horses. He was bumped again and eventually finished third behind Chieftain. Despite the instructions of Luro, Ussury had taken to his whip in the final strides of the race, which led the trainer to publicly criticize the rider. "I believe in being very patient with my horses," said Luro. "I don't want punishment – under no circumstances." On February 24, Northern Dancer and Chieftain again faced each other in
11536-483: Was created when the owner of Spend a Buck chose not to run in the other two Triple Crown races because of a financial incentive offered to any Kentucky Derby winner who could win a set of competing races in New Jersey. The organizers of the three races realized that they needed to work together. Efforts to unify the sponsorship and marketing of all three Triple Crown races began in 1987 when ABC Sports negotiated
11648-467: Was far from his best effort." With his new jockey, Northern Dancer was made the 1–5 favourite in a field of five in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 23. With Northern Dancer so heavily backed, only win betting was allowed. Northern Dancer rated in second behind a slow early pace until the head of the stretch when he coasted to the lead. Another horse, Allen Adair, made a run down
11760-583: Was felt that Northern Dancer would be unable to survive surgery so he was euthanized on November 16. He was loaded in a specially built oak coffin and then wrapped in a blanket he had won during his racing career. That same day, his remains were brought back to Canada in a refrigerated van for burial at Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario. Windfields Farm was subsequently sold to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (now Ontario Tech University ) and Durham College , and Northern Dancer's burial site
11872-450: Was named Canadian Athlete of the Year. He was the high weight at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form' s American Free Handicap for three-year-olds, one pound above both Roman Brother and Quadrangle. He was also the high weight at 132 pounds on the Canadian Free Handicap, 12 pounds more than Langcrest. In his two-year racing career, Northern Dancer won 14 of his 18 starts and never finished worse than third. His earnings totaled $ 580,000, then
11984-417: Was never a completely sound horse most of the time I rode him, and I still could not slow him down more than that." On November 6, Northern Dancer followed up with a win in the seven-furlong Carleton Stakes at Greenwood on a muddy track. He won by 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths, but the Daily Racing Form called him an "unwilling winner", reflecting heavy pressure from new jockey Jimmy Fitzsimmons, who used
12096-766: Was not publicly accessible for many years, at one point becoming covered in weeds. On April 16, 2018, the grave became an official heritage site under the Ontario Heritage Act , with funds presented by the City of Oshawa to landscape the surrounding area. In 1964, Northern Dancer was the American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and the Canadian Horse of the Year. In 1965, he became the first horse voted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame . In 1976, Northern Dancer
12208-412: Was relocated to the Maryland branch of Windfields Farm, where he became the most sought sire of his time. Northern Dancer was a bay stallion with a crooked white blaze and three white socks . He was bred in Oshawa, Ontario , by Canadian business magnate Edward P. Taylor , owner of Windfields Farm. He was from the first crop of Nearctic and was the first foal out of the mare Natalma , whose sire
12320-426: Was retired from stud on April 15, 1987, having started to experience heart problems and arthritis. He was pensioned at Windfields Farm in Maryland and when the farm was subsequently sold, a special clause was written to guarantee his lifelong right to live there. On November 15, 1990, at the age of 29, he suffered a severe colic , possibly complicated by a strangulation of his small intestine. Due to his advanced age, it
12432-468: Was running his gamest at the wire." With the Preakness Stakes being run just two weeks later, Luro was concerned that Northern Dancer would find the race more demanding, especially because the track at Pimlico was deep and taxing. Accordingly, he used long gallops of between two and three miles to build up stamina. Then on the Friday before the race, he "blew out" Northern Dancer with a 3-furlong workout in
12544-430: Was unable to obtain a new sponsor. Today Triple Crown Productions LLC, based at Churchill Downs , is responsible for collecting nominations to the annual Triple Crown races. In February 2011, ABC/ESPN dropped out of the negotiations to renew broadcast rights to the Belmont Stakes. NBC obtained the contract through 2015, once again uniting all three races on the same network. In 2014, NBC extended their contract for
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