Blue Norther (1961–1972) was an American Thoroughbred

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. The Blue Norther Stakes is named for the filly.

Racing career

Along with Tosmah and

Miss Cavandish Miss Cavandish (foaled 1961) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Robert J. Kleberg Jr. of the renowned King Ranch, she was sired by the 1958 Belmont Stakes winner, Cavan. Her mare was New weapon, a daughter of the 1936 Kentucky Derby ...

, was a top filly in United States racing in 1964. Ridden by jockey Bill Shoemaker and trained by Wally Dunn, she won all five of her 1964 starts including three major races for fillies of her age group.

Retirement

Retired to

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

duty after being diagnosed with a chipped

sesamoid bone In anatomy, a sesamoid bone () is a bone embedded within a tendon or a muscle. Its name is derived from the Arabic word for ' sesame seed', indicating the small size of most sesamoids. Often, these bones form in response to strain, or can be pres ...

, Blue Norther was bred twice to

Bold Ruler Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 11, 1971) was an American Thoroughbred National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame racehorse who was the 1957 American Horse of the Year, Horse of the Year. This following a three-year-old campaign t ...

and once to

Buckpasser Buckpasser (1963–1978) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1966 Horse of the Year. His other achievements include 1965 Champion Two-Year-Old, 1966 Champion Three-Year-Old, 1966 Champion Handicap Horse, and 1967 Champi ...

but none of the foals went on to successful racing. Blue Norther died of a twisted

intestine The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

on June 9, 1972.

Legacy

The Blue Norther Stakes race, run at Santa Anita each December is named for the filly.

References

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Blue Norther's pedigree and partial racing stats
1961 racehorse births 1972 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Oaks winners Thoroughbred family 3-n