Editing Northern Dancer (section)

==Legacy and honours==
[[File:NorthernDancer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|Statue of Northern Dancer at [[Woodbine Racetrack]]|alt=photograph of a large statue of a horse standing outside ]]
In 1964, Northern Dancer was the [[American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse#Daily Racing Form, Turf & Sport Digest and Thoroughbred Racing Association Awards|American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse]] and the Canadian Horse of the Year.<ref name="ACP" /> In 1965, he became the first horse voted into [[Canada's Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Canada's Sports Hall of Fame – Northern Dancer|url=http://www.sportshall.ca/stories.html?proID=335&catID=all&lang=EN|website=www.sportshall.ca|access-date=12 July 2016|archive-date=August 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820072642/http://www.sportshall.ca/stories.html?proID=335&catID=all&lang=EN|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1976, Northern Dancer was an inaugural inductee to the new [[Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame]]<ref name="CHoF" /> and was also inducted into the [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|United States Horse Racing Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Northern Dancer – National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|url=https://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/northern-dancer|website=www.racingmuseum.org|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref> In 1977, Northern Dancer won three world sires' premiership titles for the number of international stakes winners, international stakes wins, and total stake earnings of his progeny.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bourg|first1=Ross du|title=The Australian and New Zealand thoroughbred|date=1980|publisher=Nelson|location=Melbourne|isbn=0-17-005860-3}}</ref>

Northern Dancer was inducted into the [[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/65-northern-dancer |title=1998 Inductees – Northern Dancer |website=oshof.ca |publisher=[[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]] |date=April 1, 2014 |access-date=September 9, 2014 |archive-date=December 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219024153/http://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/65-northern-dancer |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1999, [[Canada Post]] honoured the horse with his [[List of people on stamps of Canada|image placed on a postage stamp]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/collecting/stamps/archives/1999/1999_june_horses.jsf |title=Horses |publisher=[[Canada Post]] |work=Canada's Stamp Details (Vol. 8 No 3; May/June/July, 1999) |access-date=2015-02-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205063038/http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/collecting/stamps/archives/1999/1999_june_horses.jsf |archive-date=2015-02-05 }}</ref>  A residential street was named after Northern Dancer on the former site of the [[Greenwood Race Track]] in east-end Toronto.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.woodbinepark.net/about-woodbine-park/ |title=About Woodbine Park |publisher=Woodbine Park Community Association |access-date=February 4, 2015}}</ref> Also, a life-sized bronze statue of the horse was placed outside Woodbine Racetrack.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Flaherty |first1=Dave |title=The legacy of Windfields Farm and Northern Dancer |url=https://oshawaexpress.ca/the-legacy-of-windfields-farm-and-northern-dancer/ |website=The Oshawa Express |access-date=5 April 2020 |language=en-CA |date=8 October 2019}}</ref>

Over the decades, a number of books have been written about Northern Dancer. In 1995, Muriel Lennox, who had worked for Taylor, published ''Northern Dancer: The Legend and His Legacy''. In 2003, Avalyn Hunter's book ''American Classic Pedigrees (1914–2002)'', extensively covered the influence of Northern Dancer on North America classic winners around the end of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hunter|first1=Avalyn|title=American classic pedigrees (1914–2002) : a decade-by-decade review of Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont winners, plus Kentucky Oaks and Coaching Club American Oaks|date=2003|publisher=Eclipse Press|location=Lexington, Ky.|isbn=1581500955|edition=1st|ref=ACPBook}}</ref> Her later book, ''The Kingmaker: How Northern Dancer Founded a Racing Dynasty'' covers Northern Dancer's international legacy.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hunter|first1=Avalyn|title=The kingmaker : how Northern Dancer founded a racing dynasty|date=2008|publisher=Eclipse Press|location=Lexington, Ky.|isbn=978-1581502039|edition=1st [trade paperback]|url=https://smile.amazon.com/Kingmaker-Northern-Dancer-Founded-Dynasty/dp/1581502036/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1467927674&sr=8-4&keywords=avalyn+hunter}}</ref> In 2015, Kevin Chong wrote ''Northern Dancer: The Legendary Horse That Inspired A Nation''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Chong|first1=Kevin|title=Northern Dancer: The Legendary Horse That Inspired A Nation|date=2015|publisher=Penguin Canada|isbn=978-0143190196|edition=Trade|url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/northern-dancer-the-legendary-horse/9780143190196-item.html?ikwid=Northern+dancer&ikwsec=Books&ikwidx=0}}</ref>

In 2011, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame held an induction ceremony that included a 50th-anniversary tribute for Northern Dancer. Saxophone instrumentalist Matthew James performed his tribute song, entitled "Northern Dancer".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whitnall |first1=Catherine |title=Musician fuses entertainment and education with unique show |url=https://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/4294063-musician-fuses-entertainment-and-education-with-unique-show/ |website=MyKawartha.com |access-date=7 April 2020 |language=en-CA |date=1 January 2014}}</ref> In 2012, [[Breyer Animal Creations]] released a portrait model of Northern Dancer sculpted by Jeanne Mellin Herrick.<ref>{{cite web|title=Northern Dancer|url=https://www.breyerhorses.com/index.php?pageId=3773|website=www.breyerhorses.com|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Identify Your Breyer - John Henry |url=https://www.identifyyourbreyer.com/identify/JohnH.htm#1494 |website=www.identifyyourbreyer.com |access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref> In 2014, the [[Canadian Film Centre]] unveiled the Northern Dancer Pavilion on its Windfields Farms heritage campus.<ref>{{cite web|title=CFC Unveils the Northern Dancer Pavilion Named After Canadian Racehorse Legend|url=http://cfccreates.com/news/pressroom/216-cfc-unveils-the-northern-dancer-pavilion-named-after-canadian-racehorse-legend|website=cfccreates.com|access-date=4 July 2016|date=June 17, 2014}}</ref> In 2018, the city of Oshawa announced that a new [[elementary school]], located near what used to be Windfields Farm at the corner of Northern Dancer Drive and Bridle Road, would be named after the horse.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Oshawa school named after iconic racing horse |url=http://oshawaexpress.ca/new-oshawa-school-named-after-iconic-racing-horse/ |website=The Oshawa Express |access-date=8 July 2018 |language=en-CA |date=4 July 2018}}</ref> Northern Dancer's Kentucky Derby trophy is on permanent exhibit at the [[Canadian Museum of History]] in [[Gatineau, Québec]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Kentucky Derby trophy |url=https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/kentucky-derby-trophy/ |website=Your Museum. Your Stories. |access-date=20 January 2020}}</ref>

===Sire of sires===
{{Main|Northern Dancer sire line}}
In 1990, ''[[The New York Times]]'' called Northern Dancer "the dominant progenitor of his breed" because his own success at stud was amplified by the impact of his sons around the world.<ref name="NDNYTimes" /> His leading sire sons included:
* [[Be My Guest (horse)|Be My Guest]] – leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland (1982)<ref name="GBISires" />
* [[Danzig (horse)|Danzig]] – leading sire in North America (1991–1993). also a sire of sires, including [[Danehill (horse)|Danehill]], leading sire in both Europe and Australia<ref name="Danzig">{{cite web|title=Danzig (horse)|url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/danzig.html|website=American Classic Pedigrees|access-date=12 July 2016}},</ref> and [[Green Desert (horse)|Green Desert]], whose sire son's include [[Invincible Spirit]], [[Oasis Dream]] and [[Cape Cross (horse)|Cape Cross]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hunter|first1=Avalyn|title=Green Desert (horse)|url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/green-desert.html|website=American Classic Pedigrees|access-date=30 May 2017}}</ref>
* [[Dixieland Band]] – sire of 117 stakes winners and damsire of two Kentucky Derby winners ([[Monarchos]] and [[Street Sense (horse)|Street Sense]])
* [[El Gran Senor]] – sire of 55 stakes winners, also an important broodmare sire<ref>{{cite web |title=El Gran Senor (horse) |url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/el-gran-senor.html |website=American Classic Pedigrees |access-date=1 March 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Fairy King (horse)|Fairy King]] – leading sire in France 1986. also a sire of sires, including [[Encosta de Lago]] in Australia<ref name="FairyKing">{{cite web|title=Fairy King (horse)|url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/fairy-king.html|website=American Classic Pedigrees|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>
* [[Lyphard]] – led the French sire list in 1978 and 1979, American sire list in 1986, also an outstanding broodmare sire<ref name="Lyphard">{{cite web|title=Lyphard (horse)|url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/lyphard.html|website=American Classic Pedigrees|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>
* [[Nijinsky (horse)|Nijinsky]] – led the English sire list in 1986, when he placed second in North America as well. leading American broodmare sire in 1993 and 1994. sire of sires including [[Caerleon (horse)|Caerleon]]<ref name="Nijinsky">{{cite web|title=Nijinsky (horse)|url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/nijinsky.html|website=American Classic Pedigrees|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>
* [[Northern Taste]] – ten-time leading sire in Japan, also a leading broodmare sire<ref name="NorthernTaste">{{cite web|title=Japanese Stallion Northern Taste Dead|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/172647/japanese-stallion-northern-taste-dead|website=BloodHorse|access-date=12 July 2016|date=December 13, 2004}}</ref>
* [[Nureyev (horse)|Nureyev]] – led the French sire list in 1987, also a leading broodmare sire<ref name="Nureyev">{{cite web|title=Nureyev (horse)|url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/nureyev.html|website=American Classic Pedigrees|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref> 
* [[Sadler's Wells (horse)|Sadler's Wells]] – leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland a record fourteen times. sire of 12 English Classics winners. also a sire of sires, including [[Galileo (horse)|Galileo]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Sadler's Wells (horse) |url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/sadlers-wells.html |website=American Classic Pedigrees |access-date=1 March 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="EnglishClassicSires">{{cite web|title=English Classic Winners|url=http://www.highflyer.supanet.com/classicwinners.htm|website=www.highflyer.supanet.com|access-date=12 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151130034207/http://www.highflyer.supanet.com/classicwinners.htm|archive-date=November 30, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Storm Bird]] – sire of 62 stakes winners, including leading American sire [[Storm Cat]]<ref name="StormBird">{{cite web|title=Storm Bird (horse)|url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/storm-bird-can.html|website=American Classic Pedigrees|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>
* [[Vice Regent]] – led the Canadian sire list thirteen times. sire of leading American sire [[Deputy Minister (horse)|Deputy Minister]]<ref name="ViceRegent">{{cite web|title=Vice Regent (horse)|url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/vice-regent-can.html|website=American Classic Pedigrees|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>

[[File:2018PreaknessWinnersCircle.jpg|thumb|Triple Crown winner Justify has six crosses to Northern Dancer.]]
Northern Dancer's impact continues well into the 21st century. In North America, 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify has multiple crosses to Northern Dancer, in the direct male line through Storm Cat, and also through Nijinsky and Vice Regent.<ref>{{cite web |title=Experience Justify's pedigree with this video tour of his greatest ancestors |url=https://www.kentuckyderby.com/horses/news/experience-justifys-pedigree-with-this-video-tour-of-his-greatest-ancestors |date=May 31, 2018 |first1=Kellie |last1=Reilly |website=Kentucky Derby |access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref> [[American Pharoah]], winner of the [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|2015 Triple Crown]] is 5 × 5 inbred to Northern Dancer, through [[Storm Bird]] and [[El Gran Senor]].<ref name="TripleCrownConnections">{{cite web|last1=Hunter|first1=Avalyn|title=Triple Crown Connections|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/106728/triple-crown-connections|website=BloodHorse|access-date=11 July 2016|date=June 26, 2015}}</ref> [[California Chrome]], winner of the [[2014 Kentucky Derby]] and [[2014 Preakness Stakes|Preakness Stakes]], is inbred 4 × 5 to Northern Dancer on his dam's side.<ref name="InbreedingTrends">{{cite web|last1=Peters|first1=Anne|title=Pedigree Analysis: Inbreeding Trends|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/112009/pedigree-analysis-inbreeding-trends|website=BloodHorse|access-date=12 July 2016|date=September 19, 2014}}</ref> Northern Dancer appears at least once in the pedigree of every contestant in the [[2018 Kentucky Derby]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Pedigree fun facts for 2018 Kentucky Derby|url=https://www.kentuckyderby.com/horses/news/pedigree-fun-facts-for-2018-kentucky-derby |date=May 3, 2018 |first1=Kellie |last1=Reilly |website=Kentucky Derby|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref>

More Northern Dancer-descended horses are [[Breeders' Cup]] winners than from any other horse.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sparkman|first1=John P.|title=Evolution of sire lines seen at Breeders' Cup|url=http://www.drf.com/news/sparkman-evolution-sire-lines-seen-breeders-cup|website=Daily Racing Form |access-date=10 July 2016|date=October 25, 2013}}</ref> According to pedigree consultant John Sparkman, 35 to 40 percent of American [[graded stakes race|graded stakes]] winners of 2013 were male line descendants of Northern Dancer. In Europe and Australia, the percentage is well over 60 per cent.<ref name=TheStar>{{cite web|last1=Lamb|first1=Katie|title=Kentucky Derby: Northern Dancer's impact on horse racing unmatched |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/2014/04/28/kentucky_derby_northern_dancers_impact_on_horse_racing_unmatched.html |website=thestar.com|access-date=4 July 2016|date=April 28, 2014}}</ref>

In Europe, Northern Dancer's bloodline is pervasive.<ref name=Guardian /> Northern Dancer was a four-time Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, a feat achieved one time each by his sons [[Be My Guest (horse)|Be My Guest]] and Nijinsky, 14 times by his son Sadler's Wells, two times by his grandson [[Caerleon (horse)|Caerleon]], three times by his grandson [[Danehill (horse)|Danehill]], and twelve times (as of 2021) by his grandson [[Galileo (horse)|Galileo]] – a total of 36 champion sire titles in just the direct Northern Dancer to grandson bloodline. Adding his great-grandsons [[Danehill Dancer]], who was the leading sire in 2009, and Frankel (2021) the Northern Dancer sire line accounted for every champion sire title in Great Britain and Ireland from 1990 to 2021 inclusive.<ref name="GBISires" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Berry |first1=Emma |title=A Champion Sire In GB For First Time In 34 Years |url=https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/a-champion-sire-in-gb-for-first-time-in-34-years/ |website=Thoroughbred Daily News |access-date=11 February 2023 |language=en |date=30 December 2021}}</ref>

He is the paternal grand-sire of a record 29 different English Classic winners — the next closest in this regard is [[St. Simon (horse)|St. Simon]] with 23.<ref name="EnglishClassicSires" /> As for the Epsom Derby, a 2011 study showed that every winner since 1998 had Northern Dancer in his pedigree.<ref name=Donnelly>{{cite web|last1=Donnelly|first1=John|title=Northern Dancer and the Epsom Derby|url=http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/truenicks/archive/2011/06/10/northern-dancer-and-the-epsom-derby.aspx|website=TrueNicks|access-date=10 July 2016|date=June 10, 2011}}</ref> The Northern Dancer sire line has accounted for 28 Derby winners {{as of|2019|lc=on}}. Galileo, [[High Chaparral]], [[Motivator (horse)|Motivator]], [[New Approach]], [[Sea the Stars]], [[Camelot (horse)|Camelot]], [[Australia]], and [[Golden Horn]] are included in this number.<ref name="EpsomDerbyData">{{cite web|title=Epsom Derby Winners|url=http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?query_type=stakes&search_bar=stakes&field=view&id=18|website=Thoroughbred Horse Pedigree Query |access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref>

===Inbreeding===
Because of the prevalence of Northern Dancer's bloodline, a certain degree of [[inbreeding]] to him is becoming common.<ref name=DoublingDown /> Whenever this happens, there is a concern that the inbreeding will weaken the breed, making horses more prone to injury and potentially leading to [[inbreeding depression]]. Statistical studies have shown that inbreeding has increased by a small but significant amount in the last 50 years, partly because of the larger number of foals that a successful stallion will now sire each year compared to in the past.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=Matt|title=Wonder Monkey: Are racehorses being bred to destruction?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wondermonkey/2011/11/bred-to-destruction.shtml|website=BBC|access-date=9 July 2016|date=November 18, 2011}}</ref> For example, Northern Dancer sired 645 foals<ref name="ACP" /> in 20 years at stud, whereas his grandson Danehill sired 2,499 foals in 14 years at stud.<ref name="Danehill">{{cite web|last1=Sparkman|first1=John P.|title=Pedigree Analysis: American Roots|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/121903/pedigree-analysis-american-roots|website=BloodHorse|access-date=9 July 2016|date=April 9, 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Frankel (horse).jpg|thumb|The undefeated Frankel is inbred to Northern Dancer.]]
Statistical analysis has shown that inbreeding to Northern Dancer is on average slightly ''less'' effective than when stallions of his line are bred to mares who do not have Northern Dancer in their pedigree (referred to as an [[outcross]]).<ref name="DoublingDown">{{cite web|title=Pedigree Analysis: Doubling Down On Danzig|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/106095/pedigree-analysis-doubling-down-on-danzig|website=BloodHorse|access-date=9 July 2016|date=August 17, 2015}}</ref> However, many successful stallions are inbred, in part because this can make it easier to pass on [[dominant gene|dominant]] characteristics. Notable sires that are inbred to Northern Dancer (within four generations) include [[Oasis Dream]], [[Rock of Gibraltar (horse)|Rock of Gibraltar]], [[Hernando (horse)|Hernando]], [[Spinning World]], [[Redoute's Choice]], and [[Frankel (horse)|Frankel]].<ref name="LineBreeding">{{cite web|last1=Porter|first1=Alan|title=Line-breeding to Northern Dancer and Nasrullah in Thoroughbred Stallion Pedigrees|url=http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/truenicks/archive/2008/11/30/line-breeding-to-northern-dancer-and-nasrullah-in-thoroughbred-stallion-pedigrees.aspx|website=TrueNicks|access-date=9 July 2016|date=November 30, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Berry |first1=John |title=Frankel A Rising Star At Stud |url=https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/frankel-a-rising-star-at-stud/ |website=Thoroughbred Daily News {{!}} Horse Racing News, Results and Video {{!}} Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions |access-date=4 July 2021 |language=en |date=28 November 2018}}</ref>

Northern Dancer lines were originally outcrossed on descendants of [[Mr. Prospector]] or [[Nasrullah (horse)|Nasrullah]], but this became so common that it is increasingly difficult to find horses from these lines who do not also carry Northern Dancer breeding.<ref>{{cite web|title=Is Sire-Line Outcrossing Possible Anymore?|url=http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/scot/archive/2008/06/22/is-sire-line-outcrossing-possible-anymore.aspx|website=cs.bloodhorse.com|access-date=9 July 2016|date=June 22, 2008}}</ref> Outcross bloodlines can still be found, most notably through [[Sunday Silence]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=MacDonald |first1=Michele |title=These new elite stallions show how Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector still rule the world |url=https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/these-new-elite-stallions-show-how-northern-dancer-and-mr-prospector-still-rule-world/ |website=Thoroughbred Racing Commentary |access-date=3 August 2019|date=February 16, 2018}}</ref> and the German-bred stallion [[Monsun]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Porter|first1=Alan|title=Monsun Season Underway in Europe|url=http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/truenicks/archive/2013/06/04/monsun-season-underway-in-europe.aspx|website=TrueNicks|access-date=9 July 2016|date=June 4, 2013}}</ref>

In North America, Northern Dancer is farther back in the pedigree of most major sires, decreasing the risks associated with inbreeding. For example, [[Tapit]], the leading sire in North America from 2014 to 2016, is inbred 3 × 5 to [[Nijinsky II]] (thus 4 × 6 to Northern Dancer). He has crossed well with mares from other Northern Dancer lines.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Peters|first1=Anne|title=The Secret to Tapit's Success|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/122501/the-secret-to-tapits-success|website=BloodHorse|access-date=9 July 2016|date=March 12, 2013}}</ref>