NorthernDancer

Born on the grounds of E.P. Taylor's Windfield Farms, Northern Dancer seemed to be the unlikelyest of champions. He was a small bay colt, born and raised on the Canadian farm in Oshawa. Even though Taylor himself tried to sell the colt, it was a blessing in disguse that the bidders did not have an eye for him.
The son on Nearco out of the Native Dancer mare Natalma, Northern Dancer, would stay on as Taylor's horse and was

sent to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto to start his training.
After he started his training at the track, Northern Dancer was shipped to Fort Erie Racetrack to run in his first race. Ridden by Ron Turcotte (best known as the jockey of Secretariat), Northern Dancer won his 5 1/2 furlong maiden by more than 6 lengths. He raced twice more at Fort Erie, winning the Summer Stakes and coming second in the Vandal Stakes.
Northern Dancer than transported back to Woodbine, where finished second in the 8 1/2 furlong turf stakes, the Cup and Saucer. He finished his Woodbine campaign with a win in an allowance race and the Coronation Futurity. He then won the Carleton Stakes at Toronto's old Greenwood RaceTrack, and then was taken over the boarder to Aqueduct in New York to win an allowance race and then the Remsen stakes (at which time was run at a one mile distance). Northern Dancer's year would be cut short after a reaccuring quarter crack.

not to give the colt more than a show or tap of the whip. Shoemaker did what was expected of him and rode the colt to a win in a 7 furlong exibition race at Hialeah. Then a week later Northern Dancer and Shoemaker crossed the finish line first in the Flamingo Stakes, with the finishing time almost equaling Bold Ruler's track record.
   Another jockey was put on Northern Dancer for his next race, an allowance at Gulfstream Park which he won, beating one of his main rivals, The Scoundral. Shoemaker was back on the colt for their win in the Florida Derby, once again beating The Scoundral (the morning before, The Dancer bolted from his exercise rider and was clocked doing 5f in :58.6 seconds). But it was after this race, that Bill Shoemaker decided to commit himself to riding Hill Rise, the winning colt from California; a decision that Shoemaker quoted afterwards as a "terrible bonehead call".
   So Bill Hartack was put aboard. Northern Dancer carried Hartack to a win in the Blue Grass Stakes in Kentucky, and even though Northern Dancer had proved he was ready for the Derby, handicappers didn't think he could go the Derby distance; they made Hill Rise the favorite for the Derby.
   In just nine days after the Blue Grass, Northern Dancer made all of his doubters eat their words. He won the Derby, beating Shoemaker and Hill Rise to the wire by a neck. He stopped the clock at 2 minutes flat, a new Derby record, a time only to be beaten nine years later by Secretariat and 2001 Derby winner Monarchos. Northern Dancer went on to win the Preakness Stakes, and missed winning the Triple Crown by comming third in the Belmont Stakes (excuse? strained left foreleg). Although he missed the Triple Crown, he came back to his country, Canada, and won it's biggest race, the Queen's Plate. This would be Northern Dancer's last race, fore his leg had become too sore to continue running and was retired.