Danzig (horse)

Danzig (1977–2006) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is best known as a leading sire. He was purchased for $310,000 by Henryk de Kwiatkowski at the 1978 Saratoga Yearling Sale. The son of Hall of Famer Northern Dancer and the most important sire of the second half of the 20th century,^{[citation needed]} he won all three of his races before knee problems ended his racing career.

Stud record

Danzig was retired to stand at stud at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky, where he became one of the world's most important sires. He led the U.S. sires list from 1991 to 1993^[1] and topped the sire list in Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

Danzig sired 188 graded stakes race winners and 10 champions. His foals have earned more than $100 million in purse money and include Breeders' Cup winners Chief's Crown, Lure, Dance Smartly, and War Chant as well as the European champions Dayjur and Anabaa. Danzig also sired 1992 Preakness Stakes winner Pine Bluff, and is the sire of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Langfuhr who, in turn, sired the Canadian Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year, Wando. A leading sire of sires, Danzig's son Danehill is the first Thoroughbred in history to sire 300 stakes winners.^[2] Danzig was also the damsire of Fusaichi Pegasus and Dancethruthedawn. He was the grandsire of 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown. His son Hard Spun finished second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, behind Street Sense.^[3]

Danzig and his son, Danehill, were dominant bay sires along with another 17 of Danzig's sons. This meant that they would not produce chestnut progeny and only a grey if the foal's dam was grey.^[4]

Pensioned at the age of 27 in 2004, on January 3, 2006 Danzig was humanely euthanized due to the infirmities of old age. He was buried at Claiborne Farm's equine cemetery.

Tabulated pedigree

See also

• Claiborne Farm
• List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
• Northern Dancer
• Thoroughbred breeding theories

References