It has been fifty years since Northern Dancer ran his last race. His legendary status has been largely based on the huge contributions he made, and continues to make through his descendants, as a stallion, and rightfully so. Yet the esteem of the Canadian public has held Northern Dancer as a national hero for what he first achieved as a racehorse. And indeed, his fame as an athlete was assured even if he hadn't become the breed's most successful stallion.
The following story is a journey back, before anyone knew what Northern Dancer would become in a post-racing career. While the narrative does comment about the stallion, this story is primarily dedicated to Northern Dancer the racehorse, beginning with a discussion of his ancestry, those great racers, stallions, and mares who preceded him, and who passed on from one generation to the next the genes that ultimately gave the Thoroughbred world the great gift that was Northern Dancer.
PART ONE: FABULOUS GENES
THE SIRES
Cyllene (GB) -- Chestnut horse -- b.1895
Cyllene was a small male foal, who grew into an attractive horse, with a sock on his right front and left hinds, and a blaze running down his face. He became an excellent racer in England, winning nine of eleven starts, with two placings, from 5 1/2 furlongs to the 2 1/2 mile Gold Cup. An extraordinary weight carrier, he was once asked to carry 136 pounds as a juvenile, and still finished a strong second in the Imperial Produce Stakes, after giving the winner ten pounds. At age three, he won the Sandown Park Foal Stakes by open daylight under 140.
Cyllene carried his value into the breeding shed, and from 1902-1909 sired future Epsom Derby winners Cicero (GB), Minoru (GB), Lemberg (GB), and the filly Tagalie (GB). Minoru preceded his Derby victory with a win in the Two Thousand Guineas, and later as a stallion sired Serenissima (GB), a bay filly, foaled in 1913, who became a stakes winner. Serenissima was later bred to Chaucer (GB), a small, exquisite looking horse, stakes winner, and son of the great influence St. Simon (GB). In 1919 she gave birth to future stakes winner Selene (GB), who was eventually bred to English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough (GB). In 1930 they produced the immortal English champion and sire Hyperion (GB).
One of the mares sent to Cyllene's court was the Hampton (GB) daughter Maid Marian (GB), out of Quiver (GB), and a brown half-sister to the St. Simon mares Memoir (GB) and La Fleche (GB). Memoir and La Fleche raced in the early 1890s, both winning the Epsom Oaks and St. Leger, with La Fleche also winning the One Thousand Guineas before adding the Ascot Gold Cup the following year. Maid Marian gave birth to Cyllene's most prominent offspring, a male name Polymelus (GB).
Fifth sire -- Polymelus -- Bay horse -- b.1902
Polymelus was sleek and muscular with a sock on his left front. He competed for four seasons, ages two through five, and although not considered a great racer, was a very good one, with well regarded form. Polymelus posted eight starts as a juvenile winning three lesser stakes, and the following year recorded four wins in stakes, and four placings in eleven starts. He also turned in credible runner-up performances in the St. James Palace and 1 3/4 mile St. Leger. At age four Polymelus won the Duke of York Stakes for the second time, followed by scores in the Cambridgeshire Handicap and Newmarket's Champion Stakes. He won the Princess of Wales Stakes as a five-year-old. His career totals were thirty-one starts, eleven wins, 7 seconds, and 2 thirds. After he finished racing, the horse became England's preeminent sire in the early century.
Polymelus fathered many high level stakes winners, including several classic winners, namely 1914 St. Leger victor Black Jester (GB), 1915 Triple Crown champion Pommern (GB), 1916 Oaks and Derby winner Fifinella (GB), 1920 One Thousand Guineas winner Cinna (GB), and the sweet but chronically ill and short-lived Humorist (GB), who won the Derby in 1921. Black Jester later sired Black Ray (GB), future dam of Eclair (GB), who in turn was the dam of Khaled (GB), the sire of the great American Horse of the Year Swaps. Polymelus was also bred to the Persimmon (GB) mare Dreamy II (GB), and in 1915 produced War Cloud (GB), winner of the 1918 Preakness Stakes (held that year in two divisions), and runner-up in the Belmont Stakes.
Polymelus was leading sire in Britain several times, yet even before he led any list, had already sired his most famous son. Bred to the mare Bromus (GB), by Derby winner Sainfoin (GB), their male offspring was given the name Phalaris (GB).
Fourth sire -- Phalaris -- Brown horse -- b.1913
Phalaris had a racing resume of 24 starts for 16 wins, 2 seconds, and a third. He had the capacity to carry crushing weights and give considerable allowances, while winning in stakes competition. He particularly excelled at five to seven furlongs but also won at a mile and 1 1/4 miles.
The contributions Phalaris made as a stallion cannot be overstated, but his impact wasn't felt immediately. Because he had been mostly successful as a sprinter, there were doubts about his ability to pass on stamina. His owner, the Seventh Earl of Derby, wanted to breed for the classics and Phalaris was largely passed over in the breeding shed. The Earl considered selling the horse but instead sent him to Woodland Stud.
Thankfully one of Phalaris' sons dispelled the misgivings. Bred to the Chaucer chestnut mare Scapa Flow (GB), in his first crop Phalaris sired Pharos (GB).
Third sire -- Pharos -- Dark bay/brown horse -- b.1920
Pharos was a small colt with ideal conformation. He began racing inauspiciously, losing at the distance of a mile, and reaffirming the reservations about the sire; however, Pharos then finished a strong second in the twelve furlong Derby, and later was successful at ten furlongs. The doubts about father and son as stamina stallions were finally dismissed. Pharos became a top sire in France, and among the mares he covered was the duel stakes winner Carissima (FR.), by Two Thousand Guineas winner Clarissimus (GB), out of the unraced mare Casquetts (GB). Carissima produced Pharis (FR.), a brown colt, foaled in 1936, who only raced three times, but was so spectacular that he was crowned French three-year-old champion, an honor validated by his unbelievable victories in the French Derby and Grand Prix de Paris. Taken to Germany during the War, Pharis was miserable, but eventually was returned to his native country where he thrived as a leading sire.
If this son of Pharos had an illustrious reputation, the status of another son was even loftier. Pharos was bred to the Italian classic winner Nogura (ITY.), by eleven time leading Italian sire Havresac (FR.), and produced Nearco (ITY.), one of the finest horses in the history of the Thoroughbred breed.
Grandsire -- Nearco -- Brown horse -- b.1935
A powerful, dominating racehorse, with an aggressiveness he would pass along to a future son and grandson, Nearco was bred by the legendary trainer and breeder Federico Tesio. Nearco was undefeated Italian champion at ages two and three, from fourteen starts, including the Grand Prix de Paris and Derby Italiano. As a stallion he was one of the most influential of all time. Two of his greatest sons were Nasrullah (GB), English champion and sire of American stars Bold Ruler and Nashua, and Royal Charger (GB), sire of fifty stakes winners. A broodmare sire of equal proclivity, one of Nearco's many standout maternal grandsons was the 1968 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Vaguely Noble (IRE.).
The only stallion in the world who compared to Nearco was Hyperion. From this cross was passed on to a future generation the genetic ability to change the face of breeding and racing, a transformation that continues into the current century.
One of the mares who visited Nearco's court was the Hyperion daughter Lady Angela (GB), out of Sister Sarah (GB). Lady Angela's dam had only been briefly raced, and was not a stakes winner. The daughter seemed to follow suit, with her best outing coming in a minor stakes win from eleven starts. In 1954, from Nearco's cover, Lady Angela gave birth to a male foal at E.P. Taylor's National Stud Farm in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It was through this future stallion that Canadian breeding would gain international prominence. The foal's name was Nearctic.
Sire -- Nearctic -- Brown horse -- b.1954
Nearctic was an aggressive, difficult horse to handle, let alone ride, and he resented authority. With expert training by Pete McCann, and Horatio Luro, and time, the colt finally got better. He won the Saratoga Special and named two-year-old champion in 1956. It was hoped that Nearctic would be a classic competitor but his real strength was as a miler; yet he could still win at various distances, including track record performances at six furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, and another in the Michigan Mile. Despite suffering a quarter crack for the four years he raced, in 1958 he was named Canada's Horse of the Year. Nearctic retired with 47 starts for twenty-one wins, 5 seconds, and 3 thirds. In 1960 he began breeding at the National Stud Farm. His total progeny included 49 stakes winners, four from his first crop, including Langcrest, Pierlou, and Arctic Hills. Through his daughter, the stakes placed Arctic Dancer, Nearctic was broodmare sire of the great Eclipse Champion filly and Canadian Horse of the Year La Prevoyante.
THE DAMS
Fly By Night -- Chestnut mare -- b.1910
Fly By Night was unraced. Sired by Belmont Stakes winner Peter Pan, she was a granddaughter of the great Commando, himself a Belmont Stakes winner and two-time divisional champion. Commando was also the sire of undefeated Colin.
One of the stallions Fly By Night visited was the mulitple stakes winner Broomstick, who had already sired Whisk Broom II, the first winner of the New York Handicap Triple Crown, and Regret, racing's first filly to win the Kentucky Derby. Fly By Night and Broomstick produced a female foal who was named Flying Witch.
Fifth dam -- Flying Witch -- Bay mare -- b.1917
Like her dam, Flying Witch was unraced. She was sent to the court of standout sire, broodmare sire, and former mulitple stakes winner Chicle (FR.), a son of Epsom Derby winner Speamint (GB), and grandson of Australia's greatest nineteenth century racehorse Carbine (NZ). Flying Witch gave birth to a female foal who would be called Mother Goose.
Fourth dam -- Mother Goose -- Brown mare -- b.1922
Named champion juvenile filly in 1924, Mother Goose had a race career consisting of ten starts, and seven wins or placings, including a victory in the Futurity against twenty-eight rivals. Mother Goose produced five known foals, three of them by two-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner and champion Mad Hatter. Of these, the gelding Brant was black-type placed. Mother Goose's daughter, Gosling, by stakes winner St. Germans (GB) was a black-type winner. To the writer's knowledge, Mother Goose's last foal was Arbitrator, by black-type winner Peace Chance.
Third dam -- Arbitrator -- Bay mare -- b.1937
The unraced Arbitrator was a productive broodmare, counting among her ten foals the black-type placed colt Air Attack, by Carrier Pigeon, black-type winners Burra Sahib, a gelding, and the filly Dispute, both by Mahmoud (FR.), and Referee, a black-type placed colt by Goya II (FR.). The sire Mahmoud was an Epsom Derby winner in 1936, and English champion. He became a leading sire of more than sixty stakes winners and the broodmare sire of Kentucky Derby winner Determine, Belmont Stakes victor Gallant Man (GB), European group stakes winner Grey Dawn (FR.), American champion filly Silver Spoon, and Your Host, the sire of five-time American Horse of the Year Kelso. Mahmoud's own sire, Bleinheim II, also sired American Triple Crown winner and two-time Horse of the Year Whirlaway. Bleinheim II was the broodmare sire of American two-time champion Coaltown.
Another cover by Mahmoud produced Arbitrator's best offspring, Almahmoud.
Second dam -- Almahmoud -- Chestnut mare -- b.1947
Almahmoud was a stakes winner from eleven starts and became a superb broodmare. She was the fourth dam of the great stallion Danehill, and through her stakes winning daughter and future Broodmare of the Year Cosmah, Almahmoud was second dam of mulitple champion Tosmah, and stakes winner Halo, the latter who became the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Sunny's Halo, and duel classic/Breeders' Cup Classic winner, American Horse of the Year, and international stallion Sunday Silence. In the late 1980s, Almahmoud became the fourth dam of two-time female grass champion Flawlessly.
Broodmare sire -- Native Dancer -- Grey horse -- b.1950
Native Dancer needs no explanation. He has been discussed in earlier Gallop Out stories, and his notoriety was rivaled in American racing by only Man o'War, who preceded him, and Secretariat, who followed him. Native Dancer became as important a stallion as he was a racehorse, and probably more so, siring more than forty stakes winners, including sons Raise A Native, who sired Mr. Prospector, and Dan Cupid, the sire of Sea-Bird (FR.).
Almahmoud visited Native Dancer and they produced a female foal who was named Natalma.
Dam -- Natalma -- Bay mare -- b.1957
Natalma made seven starts, posting three wins, and was stakes-placed. She won the Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga, but was disqualified. Retired at age three due to injury, the broodmare Natalma would produce six stakes winners. The first to cover her was Nearctic, and there would be four more breedings to this stallion.
Natalma's first foal, and Nearctic's other first crop stakes winner, was a runt of a horse, with a bay color, three white stockings and a beautiful face, having a prominent blaze running diagonally down to the left side of his muzzle; but because of his size, he would not impress future prospective buyers. The male foal, born on May 27, 1961, at the National Stud Farm, was Northern Dancer. His future legacy would be in perpetuation.
To be continued...
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Copyright 2014 by John Califano
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