Editing Northern Dancer (section)

===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>