Editing Nijinsky (horse) (section)

==Background==
Nijinsky, a bay horse with a white [[Horse markings|heart on his forehead]] and three [[Horse markings#Leg markings|white feet]], was bred at [[E. P. Taylor]]'s [[Windfields Farm]] in [[Oshawa]], Ontario, Canada. He was from the second crop of foals sired by Northern Dancer, the winner of the 1964 [[Kentucky Derby]] who went on to become one of the most influential sires of the 20th century. His dam, [[Flaming Page]], by [[Bull Page]], was a successful racemare, winning the 1962 Queen's Plate. At stud, she produced only two other foals. One of these was Fleur by [[Victoria Park (horse)|Victoria Park]], who produced the 1977 Epsom Derby winner [[The Minstrel]] by [[Northern Dancer]]; the other was Minsky, champion Irish two-year-old in 1970 and full brother to Nijinsky.<ref name="chef-de-race1">{{cite web|url=http://www.chef-de-race.com/classic_winners/english_derby/nijinsky_ii.htm |title=English Derby Winner: Nijinsky II |publisher=Chef-de-race.com |access-date=5 January 2012}}</ref> Nijinsky was a big, powerful and handsome horse with great presence, standing {{hands|16.3}} high, resembling his dam rather than his sire in stature and conformation, traits he tended to pass on to his offspring.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1V6kJSUgd54C&dq=Nijinsky+%22Triple+Crown%22&pg=PA81 |title=Great breeders and their methods ... – Frank J. Mitchell – Google Books |isbn=9780929346786 |access-date=5 January 2012|last1=Mitchell |first1=Frank J. |year=2005 }}</ref>

He was offered for sale at the Windfields Farm's annual yearling auction where he was bought for $84,000 ({{Inflation|US|84000|1968|r=-4|fmt=eq}}) by the American minerals magnate and industrialist [[Charles W. Engelhard Jr.]], acting on the advice of the Irish trainer [[Vincent O'Brien]]. It was Engelhard's wife [[Jane Engelhard|Jane]] who decided that the colt should be named after the dancer [[Vaslav Nijinsky]]. Nijinsky was shipped to Ireland, where he was trained by O'Brien at [[Ballydoyle]], [[County Tipperary]].