Northern Dancer...the little horse that could...and DID...

Horse, thou art truly a creature without equal, for thou fliest without wings.   ~The Koran

Northern Dancer was indeed a horse without equal, who flew without wings.

Born late Spring, in May, 1961, he was small.  Not much larger than a large pony.  But oh, did he have heart!  Besides connections who believed in him.  And, a small eight year old child in Kentucky who also had heart...and a deep passion for horses.

I became aware of Northern Dancer prior to the 1964 Kentucky Derby.  There was all kinds of talk about this SMALL horse running in the Derby that year.  No way could he win.  Too little.  Way too little.  He will be left in the dust.  Sportswriter Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Northern Dancer...so plucky...all heart.  His legs are barely long enough to keep his tail off the ground...and he probably takes a hundred more strides than anyone else."

Too SMALL?!!  I believed in Northern Dancer and he WOULD beat the other BIG horses!  He would win the Derby!

And he did.  The Preakness too.  In the Belmont, he came in a very respectable third.

And then...AND THEN...Northern Dancer was retired from racing to begin his life as a stallion in 1965.  Some say he changed the Thoroughbred breed.  He became one of the most successful sires of all time...with his progeny being highly sought after worldwide.

According to the Jockey Club, he sired 411 winners and 147 stakes winners from 645 foals, shattering records.  Yet it hasn't stopped there.  Many of his sons, grandsons, great grandsons, became successful, sought after sires in their own right.

Because of Northern Dancer's small size, Windfields Farm had to install a hydraulic lift so he could reach the mares.  Often if the lift operator was not fast enough to hit the button as Northern Dancer thought he should be, he would give him a scathing glance.

When his very last offspring sold at Keeneland in 1989, before bidding began, the announcer said, "This is the last one from the Great One," to a standing ovation for Northern Dancer.  That yearling sold for a record THIRTEEN MILLION U.S. DOLLARS.

Northern Dancer's impact has continued well into this century though.

Justify, the 2018 American Triple Crown winner has multiple crosses to Northern Dancer, through Storm Cat, Nijinsky, and Vice Regent.  American Pharoah winner of the 2015 American Triple Crown is also strongly connected to Northern Dancer, as is California Chrome, winner of the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.  Also, more Northern Dancer descended horses have won the Breeder's Cup than from any other horse.  His daughters, granddaughters, and on, have been extremely successful and sought after as well.  Additionally, some of the most successful matings to Northern Dancer were Secretariat daughters.

In 1990, at the age of 29, Northern Dancer had to be euthanized due to severe colic.

So you can probably understand why Northern Dancer became my hero.  He was indeed the little horse that could, and oh, he did!  How he did!