The Native Dancer Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Raced in early January, it is open to horses age three and older and is contested on dirt over a distance of mile. Its current purse is $75,000. From 1966 to 2002, the race was known as the Native Dancer Handicap. It has been run at four different distances; for the first eleven years (from 1966 to 1976), the race was run at 6 furlongs, from 1977 to 1984 and in 2005 it was raced at a distance of miles; in 1985 and from 2006 through 2010 the race was contested at its present distance of 1 mile; and from 1986 through 2003, it was run at a distance of miles. The race was originally run at

Bowie Race Track The Bowie Race Track was a horse racing track located just outside the city limits of Bowie, Maryland. The one mile oval racetrack, known as Prince George's Park, was opened October 1, 1914 under the auspices of the Southern Maryland Agricultural ...

from 1966 through 1984.2007 Maryland Jockey Club Media Guide, page 173 on March 3, 2007. The race is named in honor of

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Sr. (October 20, 1877 – May 7, 1915) was a wealthy American businessman, and a member of the Vanderbilt family. A sportsman, he participated in and pioneered a number of related endeavors. He died in the sinking of ...

Native Dancer Native Dancer (March 27, 1950 – November 16, 1967), nicknamed the ''Gray Ghost'', was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in American history and was the first horse made famous through the medium of television. ...

. Native Dancer was the huge gray son of two of thoroughbred's top racing horses of the decade in Polynesian and Geisha. He was named ''Horse of the Year'' as a two-year-old and then named a repeat winner as a four-year-old. He also won the titles of ''Champion 2-year-old, Champion 3-year-old and Champion older horse'' in three consecutive years. Native Dancer won 21 of 22 races and earned $785,240. His 18 stakes victories included the Preakness Stakes, the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

and the Travers Stakes. Native Dancer's only loss was in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. Following a trip in which he was bumped three times, he finished second, a head behind Dark Star. Upon his retirement, Native Dancer entered into stud at Vanderbilt's Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland, where he remained until his death in 1967. He was buried at Sagamore and was the sire of 45 stakes winners including Raise a Native (grandsire to

Mr. Prospector Mr. Prospector (January 28, 1970 – June 1, 1999) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who became an outstanding breeding stallion and notable sire of sires. A sprinter whose career was cut short by repeated injuries, he won seven of his 14 starts, i ...

), Alydar, Natalma and Northern Dancer.

Records

Speed record: * 6 furlongs - 1:09.00 - Tap The Tree (1974) * 1 mile - 1:34.80 - Throng (2008) * miles - 1:40.20 - Jims Third Bolero (2005) * miles - 1:48.40 - Gulf Reckoning (1996) Most wins by an owner: * 2 - Jack Owens (1986, 1987) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 3 - Edgar Prado (1991, 1992, 1995) * 3 -

Vincent Bracciale Jr. Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...

(1974, 1981, 1983) Most wins by a trainer: * 3 -

Michael Trombetta Michael J. Trombetta (born October 26, 1966, in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer who began his training career in 1989 and who was the Maryland Trainer of the Year in 2005. Trombetta gained a national profile when Sw ...

(2006, 2013 & 2014)

Winners of the Native Dancer Stakes since 1966

A # designates that the race was run in two divisions in 1978 and 1982.

References

{{Reflist
Native Dancer Stakes at Pedigree Query
Open middle distance horse races Ungraded stakes races in the United States Laurel Park Racecourse Bowie Race Track Horse races in Maryland Recurring sporting events established in 1966

Records

Winners of the Native Dancer Stakes since 1966

See also

References