NORTHERN DANCER travelogue chapers 1 -6 & # Photo
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 1
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 1
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 1
NORTHERN DANCER
By Jim Bannon
June 2024
Several tumblers had to coincidentally fall into place to unlock the full potential of eventual Canadian hero, Northern Dancer, becoming not only as a classic winner but also a breed shaping sire for pioneer Canadian Industrialist E.P. Taylor.
This first fortuitous factor was the unforeseen relocation out of Italy by the highly successful Italian Horse of the Year for 1938, Nearco. Bred, owned and brilliantly trained by Federico Tesio, Nearco, had a perfect race record in fourteen career starts over distances from abbreviated sprints to marathon venues while racing largely at San Siro race course in Milan (Photos#1-3) and Capannelle race course in Rome (Photo #4). His lone start outside of Italy came in France at Longchamp in the Grand Prix de Paris (Photos# 5-6).
Nearco was sequestered at Tesio’s remote Dormello farm on the western bank of Lago Maggiore just south of the border with Switzerland. Trees had purposely been planted along the shore line to keep out prying eyes from the enterprising endeavours taking place at Dormello. A visit of discovery to Tesio’s farm some twenty plus years ago was facilitated by famed Italian born trainer, Luca Cumani (#7). Dormello was run at that time by Tesio’s former partner, the Incisa family. A feature of the farm was Nearco’s empty stall (#8) swept clean and still intact as if a monument. Traversing the sacred grounds revealed nearby the iconic stone laid upon stone rotund breeding shed (#9-10) and a little farther to the east on the property and still flourishing at the water’s edge were a row of precisely aligned trees shrouding the private property (#11).
Fortunately, Tesio believed in selling his potential stallions and in 1938 he found a willing buyer for Nearco. Martin H Benson paid Tesio 60,000 pounds. Nearco was then transplanted from his idyllic wilderness setting smack into the headquarters of racing and breeding in Newmarket, England (#12). What good fortune. Nearco took up residence at Beech House Stud on Cheveley Rd located not far from the top of Warren Hill (#13-16), a popular training spot today just east of the famous town.
When E.P. Taylor went shopping for top equine bloodlines in the early 1950s his focus was on Newmarket and a daughter of the great Hyperion being sold there, Lady Angela, in foal to Nearco consigned by Harry H Benson. The Tattersalls sales company (#17) located just south of High Street has been in business since 1766 and its December sale of breeding stock attracts the top horse people from around the world. Taylor conveyed his enterprising plan to George Blackwell, a representative of the British Bloodstock Agency acting on his behalf, to purchase the mare in foal and have her deliver her foal there in Newmarket and once she was bred back to Nearco the pregnant mare and weanling at her side would set sail for his National Stud farm in Oshawa, Ontario. Stout resistance by Benson to the bred back plan was overcome by Taylor’s stubborn persistence. After some haggling over the tricky details of the payment exchange for the follow up breeding to Nearco which came late in that one’s life, a satisfactory deal was struck. The odds had once again been overcome.
While Lady Angela’s weanling, Empire Day, turned out to be a moderate race horse, her subsequent foal, Nearctic (#18), gave an enormous boost to not only Canadian racing as its 1958 Horse of the Year but also to Canadian breeding as the sire of Northern Dance in his initial crop of 1961. That, too, had been a consequence of considerable fortune. Northern Dancer’s dam, Natalma (#19), a daughter of American classic winner Native Dancer had been a promising racehorse but she had suffered a knee injury and was eventually moved north to Oshawa late in the spring of 1960 to convalescence. However, a decision was taken to belatedly breed her to Nearctic on July 2 and the following spring Natalma delivered her foal ten days early on May 27th which is almost too late in the foaling season. Northern Dancer was born (#20).
NORTHERN DANCER chapter 2
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 1
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 1
A tenet of E.P. Taylor’s successful commercial breeding/racing operation was to assure potential buyers that his very best were being offered for sale and not being kept for his private racing stable, Windfields Farm. It followed at the 1962 sale of Taylor’s yearlings that all were on offer including Northern Dancer. However, a combination of his diminutive size, belated foaling date and hefty $25,000 reserve price dissuaded all. In yet another baffling twist of good luck Northern Dancer went unsold and was instead rerouted to the racing stable at Windfields.
What Northern Dancer lacked in size he more than made up for in willpower. He bullied his way through the early days of his race horse preparations but when he got to the middle months of his juvenile season and was on the threshold of a debut, the potential he was showing in short but powerful training bursts made his exasperating antics more tolerable for his training staff. When he made his initial start in August of 1963 the hype regarding his potential was partly realized on the Fort Erie dirt track (#21) and he quickly opened up late in that successful first start. The main objectives, however, were the late season Stakes races where a coveted championship could be solidified.
The Cup and Saucer Stakes on the turf at Woodbine (#22) in late September promised to provide Northern Dancer an even bigger profile. The race was viewed with great anticipation from the fifth floor of the Woodbine grandstand. It seemed incredulous that after building an advantage in the stretch he would become weary inside the final furlong. Northern Dancer gave away the race to rank outsider Grand Garcon. It was a disheartening late race visual and wouldn’t be the last one.
A couple of weeks later Northern Dancer relocated to Woodbine’s main track (#23) for the Coronation Futurity Stakes. His lack of stretch power in the Cup and Saucer Stakes emboldened a large field of rivals to take him on. That perceived vulnerability was folly. Northern Dancer outclassed his rivals and his stellar performance secured for him the title of Canada’s Champion Two Year Colt. He underlined his superiority late in the season with another sparkling triumph in his first start outside Canada. The Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct race track in New York concluded his juvenile campaign on a high note. Northern Dancer also drew clear of that new set of opponents.
NORTHERN DANCER chapter 3
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 1
NORTHERN DANCER chapter 3
After some magic patching of a split left front hoof by imported California blacksmith Bill Bane, Northern Dancer embarked on a Florida training regime to prepare for a couple of the south’s most noted Kentucky Derby prep races, the Flamingo Stakes at picturesque Hialeah (#24) and the Florida Derby at the more touristy Gulfstream Park (#25). In both victories momentum was surely gained but his rider was lost. Two time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Bill Shoemaker it was revealed coveted another and surprisingly to some decided to divorce Northern Dancer ahead of their planned date in Louisville and hook up with enemy number one, Hill Rise, a California import. An ample substitute was found in jockey Bill Hartack. He was already a three time Kentucky Derby winner most recently in 1962 for Northern Dancer’s trainer, Huratio Luro (#26), aboard Decidedly. Hartack and Northern Dancer auditioned together at Lexington’s Keeneland race track in a final prep race, the Blue Grass Stakes, which was an under whelming success.
What made the stretch run of the, May 2, Kentucky Derby needlessly compelling for those watching on television was the lack of perspective regarding the position of the approaching finish line. The topography of the lengthy stretch run at Churchill Downs (#27) was unforgiving and had swallowed up the advantage of many important leaders in Derby history and in that regard was one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in America. Northern Dancer in saddle clothe #7 playing the role of, David, led the Derby field in the home lane by a couple of lengths but looming menacingly on his outside was the advancing, Hill Rise, in saddle clothe #11 in the role of, Goliath. Northern Daner required two of his stabby strides to match the energy of one of Hill Rise’s long and loping strides. Thoughts of Northern Dancer’s stretch paralysis in the Cup and Saucer Stakes were echoing in the final yards. It seemed likely Hill Rise’s late thrust was about to dash Canadians’ dreams. Instead, Northern Dancer, relied on his willful nature and bullying instincts in trying to slay his massive opponent. The camera revealed the coveted finish line just in time. It was ‘7 come 11’ and in the record time of two minutes flat. Canada had its first Kentucky Derby winner a colt still three and a half weeks shy of his actual third birth date. Shoemaker had chosen unwisely.
The Preakness Stakes was a formality. Northern Dancer’s stretch superiority was never threatened. Almost immediately a near consensus projected a Triple Crown winner in the making. Some close to Northern Dancer, however, weren’t at all confident of his achieving success at a mile and half.
The Belmont stakes was held at Aqueduct that year while Belmont Park was being refurbished. Northern Dancer had enjoyed success over this surface as a juvenile in the Remsen Stakes but at a much shorter distance. Despite a slow pace and Northern Dancer using an off the pace technique, he was in prime position just off the stretch lead of Quadrangle and Roman Brother both of whom had also overcome the pedestrian fractions. Quadrangle drew off to win by two lengths and Roman Brother held second by four lengths over a sagging and thoroughly defeated Northern Dancer who saved third by half a length over Hill Rise. The visual verdict of Northern Dancer’s stretch collapse in the Belmont Stakes was damning and fueled matter of fact criticism from industry breeders of Northern Dancer’s inherit lack of stamina. He would have to leave it to his offspring to totally erase that premature conclusion. Whispers grew louder and some openly expressed concerns that Northern Dancer was physically compromised. The sands of his wellness hour glass were surely running out.
NORTHERN DANCER
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 4
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 4
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 4
All negative thoughts were cast aside in preparation for Northern Dancer’s glorious homecoming parade in the 105th Queen’s Plate (#28-29) on June 20th at Woodbine. Once again, visuals played a significant role this time in a total swing of emotions. Entering the backstretch with about five of the ten furlongs remaining, Northern Dancer, was stuck on the rail with all of his outclassed rivals congregated in front of him. Oddly, Hartack was forcibly reserving him at this juncture. Once extricated from the rail Northern Dancer used the open air to fill his sails and in a quarter mile of drama he cruised by his opponents. Once in front Hartack again took a hard hold to preserve Northern Dancer during the stretch run eventually gearing him down and skewing the already wide margin of victory and depriving Northern Dancer of a record clocking. The payoff was a miniscule $2.30. Taylor had his tenth Queen’s Plate winner, Luro his third and Canada had its coveted first ever Kentucky Derby/Queen’s Plate hero.
The immediate celebration was jubilant. However, the afterglow was dimmed by the news that Northern Dancer had indeed been further physically compromised and couldn’t safely continue with his racing career which remarkably had lasted less than a year’s time in actual duration. The silver lining of Northern Dancer’s early retirement was that preparations for his stallion career could begin, an unfathomable chapter in his storied life that is still being written.
Northern Dancer (#30) and his owner breeder E. P. Taylor (#31) were both inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 1976. Trainer Horatio Luro was inducted much later in 2014 at a time the Hall began to recognize those from an international perspective who exerted a significant impact on Canadian racing. All three are enshrined in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga, New York.
NORTHERN DANCER chapter 5
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 4
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 4
Northern Dancer stood at stud initially at Windfields Farm in Oshawa beginning in 1965. Success came early and often for Northern Dancer. From his second crop emerged the Taylor bred Oshawa born, Nijinsky, a future super star. He was purchased as a yearling at the Woodbine sales complex (#32) by American businessman Charles Engelhard for $84,000. The colt was shipped to Ireland and was developed by celebrated trainer Vincent O’Brien into a champion juvenile. What Nijinsky accomplished as a three year old in sweeping the English Triple Crown which offered distances beginning with a mile for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket (#33) stretching out to a demanding mile and a half with a steep uphill finish at Epsom (#34) for the Derby and then out to a mile and three quarters for the St Leger at Doncaster cast aside any lingering doubts about Northern Dancer’s stamina influence. The ripple effect of Northern Dancer’s potency and influence carried on through Nijinsky who in 1986 sired both the Kentucky Derby winner, Ferdinand, and the Epsom Derby winner, Shahrastani.
Also, from Northern Dancer’s second crop came, Vice Regent, a chestnut colt with similar distinguishing marks to his bay coloured sire. Vice Regent featured a strip of white in his face more pronounced than that of his sire but with the same leg markings with splashes of white on his left front and two hind legs. While Vice Regent’s racing career was truncated by injury the potential was there. However, it was in the breeding shed at Windfields Farm Oshawa that he thrived as Canada’s leading stallion on thirteen occasions siring many of best horses of the 1980s including Deputy Minister a foal of 1979 who was a dual Champion in 1981 as the superior juvenile both at home and the in United States as well as being voted Canada’s Horse of the Year for 1981. Northern Dancer’s line flourished through the influence of his grandson Deputy Minister who sired in 1994 Awesome Again a winner of both the Queen’s Plate in 1997 in front of Queen Elizabeth 11 and then the Breeders’ Cup Classic the following year defeating one of the very best collections of competitors the race has ever gathered. Awesome Again extended the Northern Dancer influence through his son of 2000, Ghostzapper, likewise a winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic who became Horse of the Year in 2004. Ghostzapper’s daughter Sherriff’s Deputy became the dam of, Curlin, also a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, multiple Champion, Horse of the Year in 2007-2008 and an outstanding sire.
To gain access to a wider selection of worthy mares Northern Dancer relocated to the Windfields property in Maryland to begin the 1969 breeding season. However, several of Windfields’ mares bred there to Northern Dancer were then shipped home to Oshawa to produce their Canadian bred foals. One of those mares, Lady Victoria, foaled in 1971 from the cover of Northern Dancer a chestnut colt with an oversized white blaze on his face who would be named Northern Taste. He was sold by Taylor the following summer in Saratoga to the Yoshida family of Japan. He raced with distinction in France before relocating to Japan where he became leading sire there for a decade. Another of those mares, Fleur, a close relation of Nijinsky, foaled a flashy chestnut colt by Northern Dancer in Oshawa in 1974. Later named, The Minstrel, he would sell at the Keeneland yearling sale and was purchased for $200,000 by English businessman, Robert Sangster, a pioneer of the Coolmore enterprise, who likewise dispatched him to the care of Vincent O’Brien in Ireland. The Minstrel would become the second of Northern Dancer’s three Epsom Derby (#35) winners. A visit to Epsom Downs race course in 2018 provided the opportunity to walk the famous course and retrace the venerable steps taken by past winners of the Derby. Afterward, a tour guide understandably full of patriotic fervour proudly pointed to a mural featuring Derby winners that legendary English jockey Lester Piggott had assisted in their big moments at Epsom (#36) among them Sir Ivor, Roberto, Nijinsky and The Minstrel. When it was pointed out that two of Piggott’s most famous Derby wins had come aboard Canadian bred colts, the guide was flummoxed. That both Nijinsky and The Minstrel were Canadian imports had escaped detection.
Secreto, a Windfields Maryland bred, was sold by Taylor at the 1982 Keeneland yearling sale. He won the 1984 Derby in a photo finish over another son of Northern Dancer, El Gran Senor marginally outstaying his rival up Epsom’s steep incline near the finish. That unique hat trick of Derby victories solidified Northern Dancer’s reputation as a continuing source of quality and stamina some twenty years after his unflattering failure in the Belmont stakes
Two very important American bred sons of Northern Dancer arrived in his twelfth crop in 1977, French trained, Nureyev, and the undefeated, Danzig. Their impacts were pivotal on the racing and breeding landscapes in England, Ireland, Europe, (#37), Australia, (#38) Canada and the United States where the inception of Breeders’ Cup races (#39) beginning in 1984 provided an ideal stage to further showcase the Northern Dancer Influence.
Among Nureyev’s key offspring to win at the Breeders’ Cup were, Miesque, Theatrical and Spinning World. Nureyev’s son, Peintre Celebre (#40), won not only the 1997 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly (#41) but also the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp and was voted European Horse of the Year for those exploits. Danzig also exerted significant influence on Breeders’ Cup results. His champion son Chief’s Crown won the initial running of the Juvenile stakes in 1984. His champion daughter Dance Smartly (#42) won the 1991 Distaff after her spectacular sweep of the Canadian Triple Crown and would go on to produce two subsequent Queen’s Plate winners, Scatter the Gold and Dancethruthedawn. Danzig’s athletic son Lure won back to back editions of the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1992-1993 (#43). Another champion son and leading sire, Langfuhr, was responsible for 2003 Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando. Danzig’s American born son the legendary Danehill became champion sire in England and Ireland and also France as well as shuttling to Australia (#44) where he dominated the sire ranks for an extended period. Chief's Crown meanwhile would go on to sire Chief Bearhart who captured the 1997 Breeder's Cup Turf and was champion male Turf horse in the U.S. that year as well as Canadian Horse of the Year in 1997-98.
NORTHERN DANCER chapter 6
NoRTHERN DANCER CHAPTER 4
NORTHERN DANCER chapter 6
From Northern Dancer’s crop of 1978 came Storm Bird a Canadian bred son of 1970 Canadian Oaks winner South Ocean. Storm Bird was a $1 million yearling sold by Taylor at Keeneland to Robert Sangster and the colt followed a familiar path to Ireland and into the master hands of Vincent O’Brien who superbly trained him into a Champion juvenile going undefeated in a five race campaign. Storm Bird was relocated to Ashford Stud in Kentucky a Coolmore property where he sired in 1983 the precocious Storm Cat who became leading sire in America in 1999-2000. Storm Cat then sired Giant’s Causeway an American foal of 1997 who successfully campaigned in the England, Ireland and France. Giant’s Causeway enjoyed a spectacular campaign in 2000 capturing among his many victories five Group 1 events and was voted Horse of the Year. His stallion career began in Ireland but shortly after Giant’s Causeway was transported to his birth place in Kentucky at Ashford Stud where he became a successful sire. His Champion son Shamardal a foal of 2002 won the Prix du Jockey and he is currently represented by two popular sons at stud one being Lope de Vega also a classic winner in France and sire of the 2024 Prix du Jockey Club winner Look De Vega. The other is Blue Point a three time Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot. Both sires stand in the U.K. while also shuttling to Australia. Storm Cat in addition produced in 1989 Harlan who became a vital connecting link through his own son of 1999 Harlan’s Holiday to current perennial leading sire sensation Into Mischief. Storm Cat through his sons, Hennessy 1993, Johannesburg 1999, and Scat Daddy 2004, is responsible for U. S. Triple Crown winner Justify 2015, the sire of 2024 Derby winner City of Troy.
Although Sadlers Wells (#45) a foal of 1981 wasn’t by any means one of Northern Dancer’s best champion sons on the race course he proved a most influential son at stud. The longtime leading sire in England and Ireland Sadlers Wells stayed pertinent for two decades through a remarkable litany of champion sons and daughters. At the height of his popularity at the turn of the Millennium he was reputed to be the most photographed horse in the world. A trip to Fethard, County Tipperary, in the south of Ireland to the home of Sadlers Wells at Coolmore (#46) confirmed his international stardom.
The Northern Dancer stoutness continued through Sadlers Wells’ champion son, Montjeu, a winner of both the 1999 Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and he would become the leading sire of France. Montjeu remarkably sired four winners of the Derby at Epsom including, Motivator a foal of 2002, then Authorized who was foaled two years later followed by Pour Moi a foal of 2008 and finally Camelot a foal of the following year. Motivator, of course, was the sire of the outstanding filly, Treve, Horse of the Year for 2013. Treve twice accounted for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Another exquisite son of Sadlers Wells which widely expanded Northern Dancer’s dominance was champion Galileo a foal of 1998 and a winner of the Derby in 2001. Galileo topped Montjeu’s number of Derby winners with five of his own sons winning Epsom’s marquee event. Although Galileo’s son Nathaniel did not win the Derby he did sire the iconic filly Enable who twice captured the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and was twice named Horse of the Year. Galileo rivaled the remarkable longevity of his own sire Sadlers Wells as top stallion through 2020. Sadlers Wells and his son Galileo combined for 26 years of sensational dominance as leading sires in England and Ireland. They provided the bemouth breeding operation Coolmore headed by John Magnier and the prosperous racing stable of his wife Susan Magnier (Vincent O’Brien’s daughter) and Michael Tabor along with its other key partners a firm foothold as the perennial leaders of the game. Coolmore’s genius trainer Aidan O’Brien (no relation to Vincent O’Brien) has been gifted with a steady stream of potentially outstanding young runners with which to work.
Northern Dancer’s extended ancestry also features the undefeated Frankel (#47-48) a foal of 2008. The incomparable son of Galileo was bred and owned by Prince Khalid bin Abdullah and his renowned Juddmonte Farm. Where Galileo left off as leading sire in 2020, Frankel stepped up in 2021 as top sire in England and Ireland and next took leading sire honours in France in 2022 on the strength of his daughter Alpinista’s dramatic win in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The rampage of Frankel Group 1 winners at Royal Ascot in 2023 (#49-50) was fascinating to experience. In the opening event the Queen Anne Stakes all eyes were on Frankel’s outstanding daughter Inspiral advancing on the rail. However, in the final strides Frankel’s son Triple Time on the outside stole the event with a late burst. The response from the crowd was subdued disbelief as they had allowed the winner to escape at 33-1. The next day Mostahdaf at 10-1 literally flew by the leaders to win easily and Frankel had another longshot Group 1 winner this time in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in front of King Charles 111 (#51) who had earlier held that Royal Title and also Queen Camilla (#52). Day three produced another amazing Group 1 success when Frankel’s long winded son Courage Mon Ami also outran his odds to win the renowned Ascot Gold Cup at almost two and a half miles. Frankel was again atop the sire rankings in England and Ireland in 2023. It was a year in which a champion son from his initial crop, Cracksman, sired the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact beating out two sons of Frankel, Westover and Onesto, for the top prize. The Northern Dancer ripple effect remains fully influential both on the race course and importantly in the breeding shed.
A recent foray to meet Frankel (#53) at Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud Farm (#54) on the eastern outskirts of Newmarket passed right by Beech House Stud, the historic home of Nearco and his current resting place. Frankel is a great-great- great- grandson of Nearco both of whom went undefeated while compiling identical career records of 14 wins each. Ironically, the multiple Group 1 winning son of Frankel, Mostahdaf, recently began his breeding career at Beech House Stud. For all the worldly influence that was ignited there by Nearco and propitiously propelled by Northern Dancer (#55) to have Frankel such a potent source of the continuing line stabled only a few furlongs away from where the legacy initially gathered momentum is truly amazing