Native Dancer
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Native Dancer (March 27, 1950 - November 16, 1967), nicknamed the Grey Ghost, was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in history and was the first horse made famous through the medium of television. As a two-year-old, he was undefeated in his nine starts for earnings of $230,495, a record for a two-year-old. During his three years of racing, he won 21 of 22 starts.
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[edit] Background
Native Dancer was foaled at Scott Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. He was raised and trained at owner Alfred G. Vanderbilt II's Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland. Native Dancer was a big, solid grey horse by the 1945 Preakness Stakes winner, Polynesian, out of Geisha by Discovery. Geisha also produced Native Dancer's half-sister Orientation who in turn was the dam of three stakes winners: Initiate ($73,311), Undulation ($52,714) and Citizenship.[1]
[edit] Racing record
In his first season of racing, Native Dancer won all nine starts. He was voted the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt for 1952, with two of the three major polls naming him Horse of the Year.
In his three-year-old campaign, Native Dancer received a great deal of media attention leading up to the 1953 Kentucky Derby. He won the Gotham Mile and the prestigious Wood Memorial, but in the Kentucky Derby, he lost for the only time in his career. Although jockey Eric Guerin was roundly criticized in the press ("he took that colt everywhere on the track except the ladies' room" was one comment[2]), Native Dancer was fouled twice during the race and lost narrowly to Dark Star. To date, Native Dancer is one of only two "Dual Classic Winners" ever to come from Maryland (the other was Kauai King - 1966 Kentucky Derby + Preakness) and one of only eleven Maryland-bred colts to win a US Triple Crown race. Eight of those eleven have won the Preakness, but only he and Caveat have won the Belmont Stakes.
Following his loss at Churchill Downs, Native Dancer won the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, and the Travers Stakes, a feat accomplished until then only by Duke of Magenta, Man o' War, and Whirlaway, and by only two other horses since. Native Dancer never lost again that season and was named Champion Three Year Old Colt.
In 1954, Native Dancer won all three races he entered and was scheduled to be shipped to France to compete in the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. However, he was retired as a result of a recurring foot injury with a record of 21 wins out of 22 lifetime races. Voted the United States Horse of the Year for 1954, he appeared on the May 31 cover of Time magazine. Many consider the "Grey Ghost of Sagamore" to have been the first Thoroughbred television star and TV Guide ranked him as a top icon of the era".[2]
[edit] Stud record
At stud, Native Dancer sired 43 stakes winners from 306 foals and is an ancestor of countless modern champions. His tail-male descendants, particularly through his grandson Mr. Prospector, have dominated the US Triple Crown races.
Among Native Dancer's offspring are:
- Dan Cupid – won Prix du Bois and other stakes races in France; sire of Sea Bird II (won Epsom Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe). Sea Bird II earned 145, the highest Timeform rating in history.
- Dancer's Image - won 1968 Kentucky Derby (disqualified)
- Gala Performance - won Jim Dandy Stakes: sire of steeplechasers, including West Tip, the winner of the 1986 Aintree Grand National.
- Good Move - won Selima Stakes etc.
- Hula Dancer - raced in France and England where her wins included a British Classic Race, the 1,000 Guineas
- Kauai King - won the 1966 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes
- Natalma - dam of Northern Dancer
- Native Charger - won the 1965 Flamingo Stakes, Florida Derby
- Native Prince – won Great American Stakes etc.
- Native Street - multiple stakes wins including the 1966 Kentucky Oaks
- Protanto - multiple stakes wins including the 1971 Whitney Stakes
- Raise a Native - important sire of Majestic Prince, Alydar, Mr. Prospector
- Secret Step – won King George Stakes and July Cup etc. in England
- Shenanigans - Dam of the champion filly Ruffian
- Street Dancer won Santa Ana Handicap etc.[3]
[edit] Honors
Native Dancer was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1963. He died on November 16, 1967, following the removal of a tumor on the wall of the small intestine and was buried at Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland.[4]
In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th century, Native Dancer was ranked #7. In the Associated Press rankings of the greatest racehorses of the 20th century, he was ranked #3, tied with Citation, behind only Man o' War and Secretariat.[citation needed]
[edit] Tabulated pedigree
| Sire Polynesian (USA) Br.,1942 |
Unbreakable Blk.,1935 |
Sickle | Phalaris |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selene | |||
| Blue Grass | Prince Palatine | ||
| Hour Glass | |||
| Black Polly B.,1936 |
Polymelian | Polymelus | |
| Pasquita | |||
| Black Queen | Pompey | ||
| Black Maria | |||
| Dam Geisha (USA) Gr.,1943 |
Discovery Ch.,1931 |
Display | Fair Play |
| Cicuta | |||
| Ariadne | Light Brigade | ||
| Adrienne | |||
| Miyako Gr.,1930 |
John P. Grier | Whisk Broom II | |
| Wonder | |||
| La Chica | Sweep | ||
| La Grisette (Family: 5-f)[5] |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Ahnert (editor in chief), Rainer L. (1970). Thoroughbred Breeding of the World. Germany: Pozdun Publishing. pp. 426–7.
- ^ a b Simon, Mary (2003). Racing Through the Century: The Story of Thoroughbred Racing in America. BowTie Press. ISBN 1889540927.
- ^ "Native Dancer (USA) - offspring". Australian Stud Book. Australian Turf Club Limited and Victoria Racing Club Limited. http://www.studbook.org.au/horse.aspx?hid=419329&pagetype=OFFSPRINGWINS. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ Montgomery, E.S, "The Thoroughbred", Arco, New York, 1973 ISBN 0-668-02824-6
- ^ Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software
- Boyd, Eva Jolene (2000), Native Dancer, Lexington, KY: Eclipse Press, ISBN 1581500483.
- Eisenberg, John (2003), Native Dancer: The Grey Ghost, Hero of a Golden Age, New York: Warner Books, ISBN 0446530700.
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- 1950 racehorse births
- 1967 racehorse deaths
- American racehorses
- American Thoroughbred Horse of the Year
- Belmont Stakes winners
- American Champion racehorses
- Preakness Stakes winners
- Racehorses bred in Maryland
- Racehorses trained in the United States
- Thoroughbred racehorses
- United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires
- United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees
