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Northern Dancer ( May 27 , 1961 - November 16 , 1990 ) was a Canadian -bred Thoroughbred Racehorse and the most successful sire in racing history. A bay Colt , Northern Dancer was 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.
RACING CAREER 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 . As a result of Shoemaker's decision, Bill Hartack became Northern Dancer's permanent jockey, guiding him to his best season in 1964 at age 3 when he won the Flamingo Stakes , Florida Derby , Blue Grass Stakes , Kentucky Derby , the Preakness Stakes , and the Queen's Plate . He was also named the Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old of 1964. In his two years of racing, Northern Dancer won 14 of his 18 races and never finished worse than third. '' The Blood-Horse '' ranking of the Top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred Champions Of The 20th Century , Northern Dancer was ranked #43. A SIRE OF CHAMPIONS 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 America n, Japan ese, Australia n and Europe an champions. He sired 146 stakes winners including the great Nijinsky II , winner of England's Triple Crown , as well as The Minstrel , Shareef Dancer , Secreto , El Gran Senor , Fanfreluche and multiple champion sire Sadler's Wells . He was also an exceptionally prepotent sire (a sire of sires of stakes winners such as Miesque ). In the 1983 Keeneland auction, one of Northern Dancer's colts named Snaafi Dancer became the first $10 million yearling. Although he has been dead for more than fifteen years, there are more Northern Dancer line Breeder's Cup winners than any other horse. HONORS In 1965, Northern Dancer became the first non-human to ever be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall Of Fame and 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 in 1990 and is memorialized at Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario , Canada . In 1999, Canada Post honored the horse with his image placed on a Postage Stamp . During the past forty years, a number of books have been written about Northern Dancer with the latest two editions coming out in 2006 . One, by respected pedigree authority Avalyn Hunter, author of "''American Classic Pedigrees (1914-2002)''," recounts how Northern Dancer and his sons have established a royal dynasty that has profoundly dominated the international bloodstock market. REFERENCES
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