Native Dancer loses by a head to Dark Star in the 1953 Kentucky Derby.
Photos courtesy of Churchill Downs.
HORSE OF THE ISSUE:
NATIVE DANCER: THE GRAY GHOST R AC I N G C A R E E R : 1 9 5 2 – 1 9 5 4
O
n March 27th, 1950, a little gray foal that would go on to shake the very foundation of American
thoroughbred racing was birthed along the outskirts of Lexington, Kentucky inside the confines of a palatial property named Scott Farm. Bred by distinguished horseman Alfred G. Vanderbilt and sired by 1945 Preakness Stakes Champion Polynesian, that equine who carried the
Affectionately nicknamed the “Gray
those victories occurring at Saratoga Race
considered a “Maryland-bred” due to
That being said, the “Gray Ghost’s” piece
Ghost”, Native Dancer is technically
the fact that he was raised on Alfred G.
Vanderbilt’s very own Sagamore Farm in
Glyndon, Maryland. Eventually maturing to 16.3 hands tall, Vanderbilt’s virtuoso
was often described as a “Jekyll and Hyde” type by his trainer Bill Winfrey however
given his on-track performances; Winfrey was easily able to overlook his equine’s
name Native Dancer continues to (and will
eccentricity.
forever), garner gross reverence from those
As a two-year-old in 1952, Native Dancer
who truly idolize the “Sport of Kings”. 24
| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M
won all nine of his starts with four of
Course’s prestigious summer meeting.
de resistance as a sophomore occurred on September 27th, 1952 when he tied the
world record time for 6 ½ furlongs (1:14 2/5) in the esteemed Belmont Futurity.
Ending the year with then record earnings for a two-year old ($230,495), Alfred
G. Vanderbilt’s red-hot racer as a result easily captured a rarified double (i.e.
both American Champion Two-Year old
Honors and American Horse of the Year Honors).
