Editing Northern Dancer (section)

===1963: Two-year-old season===
On August 2, 1963, Northern Dancer made his debut at [[Fort Erie Race Track]] in a [[maiden race]] for Canadian foaled two-year-olds over a distance of {{frac|5|1|2}} [[furlongs]]. He was ridden by apprentice jockey [[Ron Turcotte]], who was instructed not to use the whip but gave the colt a tap at the sixteenth pole anyway, whereupon Northern Dancer "exploded".<ref name="Timeline">{{cite web|title=Northern Dancer a Very Unlikely Hero {{!}} Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (archived version)|url=http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com:80/northern-dancer-timeline/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119152234/http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/northern-dancer-timeline/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 19, 2018|website=horseracinghalloffame.com|access-date=4 December 2019}}</ref><ref name=Hunter86 /> He beat seven horses for a purse of $2,100.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fort Erie Race Track – Our History|url=http://www.forterieracing.com/about-us1/our-history/|website=www.forterieracing.com|access-date=5 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513000639/http://www.forterieracing.com/about-us1/our-history/|archive-date=May 13, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Turcotte later recalled, "We won that race by eight [[Horse length|lengths]]. He was a bold horse. Brave. He could handle anything. The grass. The mud. Anything."<ref>{{cite web|last1=O'Connor|first1=Joe|title=Canada's greatest racing horse still an influence in the sport of kings|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadas-greatest-racing-horse-still-an-influence-in-the-sport-of-kings|website=nationalpost.com|access-date=5 July 2016|date=May 28, 2011}}</ref>

Wearing [[blinkers (horse)|blinkers]] for the first time, Northern Dancer made his next start on August 17 in the [[Vandal Stakes]]. Paul Bohenko was his jockey since Turcotte was committed to another horse, Ramblin' Man. Northern Dancer entered into a speed duel at the start of the race, setting up the race for Ramblin' Man to come from behind and win.<ref name=Hunter86 /> After the race, Turcotte is quoted as having told Luro, "the Dancer was definitely the best two year old in Canada, maybe in the world."<ref name=Timeline />  He next entered the [[Summer Stakes (Canada)|Summer Stakes]] on August 24, then at a distance of 1 mile on the turf at [[Fort Erie]]. The track condition was described as 'bog-like', and Northern Dancer is said to have almost fallen. Despite struggling with the ground, he led from the start and hung on for the win.<ref name=Timeline />

After a brief layoff, Northern Dancer was entered in the {{frac|1|1|16}} mile [[Cup and Saucer Stakes]] on September 28 over the [[Woodbine Racetrack|Woodbine]] turf course, where he was assigned the [[Handicap (horse racing)|top weight]] of 124 pounds. Ron Turcotte was back as his jockey and took him to an early lead, but Northern Dancer tired and fell second to long-shot Grand Garcon by three-quarters of a length.<ref name=Timeline /> Turcotte believed the horse had still not recovered from the effort in the Summer Stakes and was favouring his left foreleg. "He kept wanting to bear left, and I couldn't get him on his right lead at all."<ref name="Hunter, pg. 90">Hunter, pg. 90</ref>

On October 7, he returned in the Bloordale Purse at 1 mile and 70 yards where he was again the top weight at 122 pounds. His main rival Northern Flight carried 117 pounds while other horses carried as little as 112 pounds. Northern Dancer broke well but allowed Northern Flight to take a commanding lead. At the halfway mark, Northern Dancer was third on the rail, 15 lengths back, but gradually closed the gap on the far turn. Down the stretch, the two battled for the lead before Northern Dancer pulled away to win by {{frac|1|1|2}} lengths, with the rest of the field some twenty-five plus lengths behind Northern Flight.<ref name=Timeline />  Five days later, Northern Dancer faced a field of 14 rivals in the [[Coronation Futurity Stakes]], the richest race for Canadian two-year-olds. He settled in fourth at the start, then took over the lead at the halfway point, drawing away to win by {{frac|6|1|4}} lengths. It was Turcotte's last ride on Northern Dancer, as Luro feared he could not maintain sufficient control of the headstrong colt. "God knows how good [Northern Dancer] really was," recalled Turcotte, "for he was never a completely sound horse most of the time I rode him, and I still could not slow him down more than that."<ref>Lennox, pp. 70–71</ref>

On November 6, Northern Dancer followed up with a win in the seven-furlong Carleton Stakes at [[Greenwood Raceway|Greenwood]] on a muddy track. He won by {{frac|2|1|2}} lengths, but the ''[[Daily Racing Form]]'' called him an "unwilling winner", reflecting heavy pressure from new jockey Jimmy Fitzsimmons, who used the whip throughout the stretch drive. Northern Dancer came back to the barn bleeding from the beginning of a [[quarter crack]]. It was thought that the injury was a result of his heavy race schedule – seven races in three months.<ref name="Timeline" />  Nonetheless, the colt was shipped to [[Aqueduct Racetrack]] in New York to compete against American horses. On November 18, he was entered in the Sir Gaylord Purse. He was ridden by [[Manuel Ycaza]], and won by eight lengths over Bupers, who had won the [[Belmont Futurity]]. However, the quarter crack became more pronounced, so he was fitted with a [[bar shoe]] on his left front [[horse hoof|hoof]] to stabilize the foot.<ref name=Timeline />

On November 27, Northern Dancer was the odds-on favourite in a field of six horses entered in the [[Remsen Stakes]], despite carrying top weight of 124 pounds. Ycaza sent him to the lead early and he won by two lengths in [[Glossary of North American horse racing#W|wire-to-wire]] fashion. His time of 1:35{{frac|3|5}} for one mile was a new stakes record.<ref name=Remsen>{{cite web |last1=Nichols |first1=Joe |title=Northern Dancer, Despite a Hoof Injury, Sets Stake Record at Aqueduct  |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1963/11/28/archives/margin-in-remsen-is-two-lengths-northern-dancer-despite-a-hoof.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=7 December 2019 |date=28 November 1963}}</ref> Ycaza later recalled him as an "ideal horse for any kind of situation. He would do anything you asked."<ref>Hunter, pg.92</ref>

His record of seven wins from nine starts earned Northern Dancer the [[Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Colt|Canadian Juvenile Championship]]. He was rated at 126 pounds in the Canadian Free Handicap for two-year-olds, five pounds above Ramblin Road. In the American [[Experimental Free Handicap]], he was rated at 123 pounds – three pounds below champion [[Raise a Native]].<ref name="ACP">{{cite web|last1=Hunter|first1=Avalyn|title=Northern Dancer (CAN) |url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/northern-dancer-can.html|website=American Classic Pedigrees|access-date=3 July 2016}}</ref>{{efn|The Experimental Free Handicaps were an early version of the [[World's Best Racehorse Rankings]]. The numbers were assigned by a Jockey Club committee, with the highest numbers going to the most accomplished horses.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hammonds |first1=Evan |title=Something More Than Free |url=http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/wgoh/archive/2017/02/08/something-more-than-free-by-evan-hammonds.aspx |website=cs.bloodhorse.com |access-date=7 April 2020 | date=February 8, 2017|language=en}}</ref>}}