A Series of six prints of the world’s greatest equine progenitor.
Windfields Farm, Oshawa Ontario
The summer days of 1964 were long gone when the great little horse ended his racing career and returned to the National Stud farm north of Oshawa Ontario, where he was foaled in 1961. The pride of E.P.Taylor’s Windfields Farm was retired to stud.
A new phase in his life was about to begin which would eventually prove his prowess as a progenitor of the modern day thoroughbred racehorse worldwide. He earned the moniker of the “King Maker” as the sire of sires. More than fifty per cent of thoroughbreds racing in North America and Europe can trace their lineage to Northern Dancer.
The young stable lad with dreams of the becoming a jockey stood in awe of ‘The Dancer’ as the bay horse was led out to the stud paddock for his daily exercise. The stallion was free at last to race along the rails with the wind under his flowing mane and tail, without bridle and saddle nor rider controlling his movement.
Among his handlers, The Dancer was known to be strong-willed; always wanting to prove his determination at affecting his destiny. The young lad was willing to take chance of getting a closer look at the Canadian “Athlete of the Year”. With camera in hand, he thrust his head through the rails to get a photo of the equine hero.
Lo and behold! Northern Dancer obliged with an image and a memory to last the ages.
The Northern Dancer Phenomenon
Northern Dancer sired 635 foals: of the 488 that started in races, 368 were winners of which 146 were stakes winners. 26 of these thoroughbreds were champions in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, The US and Canada. Heading the list of champions was the first foal sired by Northern Dancer, Viceregal.
He was a small horse standing at 15.2 hands at the whither and was unruly and more interested in the fillies when at the races. He was nearly gelded because of this but luckily the owner went against his trainer’s advice.
Like his sire and great sire, Nearctic and Nearco, he had a mean streak and was very tough which helped on the track and in the breeding shed. The following is his racing record and highlights from his breeding history.
1ST Kentucky Derby; Preakness Stakes; Queen’s Plate Stakes; Florida Derby; Flamingo Stakes; Blue Grass Stakes; Remsen Stakes; Carleton Stakes; Coronation Futurity; Summer Stakes. 2ND Cup And Saucer Stakes; Vandal Stakes. 3RD Belmont Stakes. Horse Of The Year; Champion Twice. Set track records for 7 furlongs at 1:22:2 in the Flamingo Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Florida and at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby at 2:00:0 flat for the mile and the quarter in 1964. He was never out of the money in 18 starts.
Sire of 23 crops; 635 foals; 488 Starters; 146 black type winners; 368 winners; over $31.1 million; including Sadler’s Wells (Champion; $663;423); El Gran Senor (Champion 4 times; $509;479); Northernette (Champion Twice; $404;914); Ajdal (Champion Twice; $383;227); Giboulee (Champion; $358;578); One For All (Champion; $349;205); Northern Trick (Champion; $334;359); Fanfreluche (Horse Of The Year; Champion Twice; $238;688); Shareef Dancer (Champion Twice; $221;533); Lauries Dancer (Horse Of The Year; Champion; $184;532); Viceregal (Horse of the Year, Champion $118,399)
Northern Dancer died in 1990 at the age of 29. He is buried at Windfields Farm located north of Oshawa, Ontario.
