Sold Photographs

Arts and Letters was voted Horse of the Year. He had won the Metropolitan Handicap between the Preakness and Belmont and then won the Jim Dandy, Travers, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup enroute to his Horse of the Year title in 1969.

BULL LEA. In 1948, Bull Lea was the sire of the one - two finishers of the Kentucky Derby in Horses of the Year Citation and Coaltown. He sired two other Horses of the Year in Armed and Twilight Tear as well as champions, Bewitched, Two Lea, Real Delight (the great grand dam of Alydar), Next Move and Duranza. He lead the sire's list 5 times and the broodmare sire's list 4 times. His daughters produced produced champions, Tim Tam, Idun, Leallah, Barbizon, Secret Step, Pucker Up and Mako. Among the 105 stakes winners produced by his daughters, Quadrangle, Bramalea (dam of Roberto), Gate Dancer and Bardstown were probably his most important runners.

Bull Lea was able to make Calumet Farm the greatest name in racing. He won 10 races from 27 starts including James C. Thornton Memorial H, Autumn H, Blue Grass S, Kenner S, Pimlico H, Widener H. The son of Bull Dog-Rose Leaves by Ballot sired 377 foals of which 58 were stakes winners. He left a great mark on American Pedigrees.

CITATION. The 1948 Horse of the Year, Citation was racing's first horse to retire with earnings of over $1,000,000. He won 27 of his first 29 starts at two and three. He was second in the other two races and these closes loses were under questionable circumstance. He won at distances from 4 1/2 furlongs to 2 miles. His three year old campaign in which he won 19 of his 20 starts may never be equaled. He began his three year old campaign with 4 wins in February at Hialeah including a victory over the 1947 Horse of the Year Armed in the Seminole H. In this 1948 campaign, Citation won the Derby Trial on April 27, the Kentucky Derby on May 1, the Preakness on May 15, the Jersey S. on May 29 and the Belmont S. June 12. Citation won the Sysonby Mile Stakes Sept. 29, the two mile Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes on Oct. 2, and the 1 5/8 mile Gold Cup Stakes on Oct. 16. This accomplishment was three stakes race wins at Belmont Park in just 18 days and was achieved 14 races into his 1948 campaign.

In the race for Horse of the Year, the big three of Buckpasser, Dr. Fager and Damascus squared off in the meeting of three Horses of the Year. Damascus set a single season earnings record and his ten length romp secured his 1967 Horse of the Year title.

In 1965, Hail to All won the Travers, Jesey Derby and Hibiscus Stakes, but the Belmont Stakes victory was his true classic moment,

KELSO. Five time Horse of the Year and five time winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Kelso was rated as the 4th best thoroughbred to race in North America during the 20th century. Here are some other interesting facts about Kelso. He was a stakes winner for 6 consecutive years. He carried 130 or more pounds to victory on 12 occasions including twice as an 8 year old. Kelso retired the leading money winning thoroughbred. He won at distances from 6 furlongs to 2 miles. Kelso also set 8 track records, and 3 American records. He won at Aqueduct, Belmont, Saratoga, Laurel, Monmouth Park, Bowie, Hialeah, Garden Stake Park, Atlantic City, Hawthorne, Gulfstream and Delaware Park. When his career was over he had posted 39 victories from 63 starts, including 31 stakes wins and was second 12 times, 10 of which were stakes races. He carried less than 124 pounds only twice in his final 51 starts.

Some of his epic battles with Gun Bow and also with Mongo were among thoroughbred racing's most thrilling moments.

KELSO. Five time Horse of the Year and five time winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Kelso was rated as the 4th best thoroughbred to race in North America during the 20th century. Here are some other interesting facts about Kelso. He was a stakes winner for 6 consecutive years. He carried 130 or more pounds to victory on 12 occasions including twice as an 8 year old. Kelso retired the leading money winning thoroughbred. He won at distances from 6 furlongs to 2 miles. Kelso also set 8 track records, and 3 American records. He won at Aqueduct, Belmont, Saratoga, Laurel, Monmouth Park, Bowie, Hialeah, Garden Stake Park, Atlantic City, Hawthorne, Gulfstream and Delaware Park. When his career was over he had posted 39 victories from 63 starts, including 31 stakes wins and was second 12 times, 10 of which were stakes races. He carried less than 124 pounds only twice in his final 51 starts.

Some of his epic battles with Gun Bow and also with Mongo were among thoroughbred racing's most thrilling moments.

NASHUA. Nashua was rated as the 24th best thoroughbred to race in North America during the 20th century. He won 22 of his 30 starts and was a champion at 2 and 3 including being voted Horse of the Year in 1955. He was retired having eclipsed Citations earnings record and went to stud for a record syndicated price of $1,251,200 at Leslie Combs Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. His rival famous rival Swaps who was voted Horse of the Year in 1956, went to stud for a new record price of $2,000,000 surpassing Nashua's record retirement price.

Nashua won at distances from 4 1/2 furlongs to 2 miles. He won the Jockey Club Gold Cup twice, once in a new American record time, and sired filly champion Shuvee who also won the Jockey Club Gold Cup twice.

Twelve percent of his 636 foals were stakes winners.

He won 22 of his 30 starts and was a champion at 2 and 3 including being voted Horse of the Year in 1955. He was retired having eclipsed Citations earnings record and went to stud for a record syndicated price of $1,251,200 at Leslie Combs Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. His rival famous rival Swaps who was voted Horse of the Year in 1956, went to stud for a new record price of $2,000,000 surpassing Nashua's record retirement price.

Nashua won at distances from 4 1/2 furlongs to 2 miles. He won the Jockey Club Gold Cup twice, once in a new American record time, and sired filly champion Shuvee who also won the Jockey Club Gold Cup twice.

NATIVE DANCER. Native Dancer was rated as the 7th best thoroughbred to race in North America during the 20th century winning 21 of his 22 starts. His only loss was by a head in the Kentucky Derby. The Gray Ghost of Sagamore had won 11 straight races going into the Kentucky Derby. In his final 10 victories he never carried less than 126 pounds and won his final two starts, the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont under 130 pounds and the Oneonta Handicap at Saratoga under 137 pounds.

Most important among the 44 stakes winners he sired was champion Raise a Native, who has had such a profound impact on the thoroughbred business by siring North American leading sires Alydar, and Mr. Prospector among many important horses. As a broodmare sire, Native Dancer's best achievement was the stakes placed Natalma, the dam of the super sire Northern Dancer.

Native Dancer's impact on the thoroughbred business must be ranked among the most important of any sire of the 20th century.

When you look at the pedigrees of today thoroughbreds you almost always see his name. His son Kauai King did manage to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and his male line grandson Majestic Prince and his female line grandson Northern Dancer both won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Most important among the 44 stakes winners he sired was champion Raise a Native, who has had such a profound impact on the thoroughbred business by siring North American leading sires Alydar, and Mr. Prospector among many important horses. As a broodmare sire, Native Dancer's best achievement was the stakes placed Natalma, the dam of the super sire Northern Dancer. Native Dancer's impact on the thoroughbred business must be ranked among the most important of any sire of the 20th century.

An unusual winner's cicle press photo of the Gray Ghost of Sagamore. A true one of a kind shot of the thoroughbred icon.

NORTHERN DANCER. Recording 14 victories from 18 starts with 2 seconds and 2 thirds was good enough to earn Northern Dancer the rank of 43rd best thoroughbred to race in North America during the 20th century. He won the Kentucky Derby in track record time, later to be eclipsed by the great Secretariat.

Northern Dancer was not well received at the sales in his first crop, since most of the horses had the look of a giant bull dogs. They later looked the same way when he proved a success at stud and he became a perennial leading sales sire. His other sons Storm Cat, Nijinsky II, Sadler's Wells, Nureyev and Lyphard became superior sales sires as well.

I personally did a fantastic filmed interview with Joe Thomas who managed Northern Dancer during his stud career. Northern Dancer was a dense looking horse and Mr. Thomas described his shape as that of a rectangle. He described the shape of his Epsom Derby winning son The Minstrel as that of a square.

Northern Dancer was the North American Leading Sire in 1971

POLYNESIAN. If there was no Polynesian there would be no Native Dancer and thus no Northern Dancer or Mr. Prospector. Polynesian for the record made 58 Starts with 27 wins, 10 seconds, and 10 thirds with total earnings of $310,410. His impressive stakes record had wins in the Preakness S., Saranac H., Withers S., Sagamore S. (Div. 2), Riggs H., Scarsdale H., Toboggan H., Roseben H., Rumson H., Pageant H., Turf & Field H., Camden H., Atlantic City Inaugural H., Long Branch H., Wilmington H., Oceanport H., Omnibus H., Janney H. and 2nd in the Endurance H. (Div. 2), Ritchie H. (Div. 1), Turf & Field Cup H., Merchants' & Citizens' H., Trenton H., Paumonok H., Excelsior H. and 3rd Experimental Free H., Fleetwing H., Bay Shore H., Vosburgh H., Washington H., and Toboggan H. He was Sprint Champion of 1947.

This is the record of an excellent, sound, tough horse and yet he will always be most remembered as the sire of the Gray Ghost of Sagamore, the immortal Native Dancer.

Television personality Ed McMahon presents the winner's trophy to Locust Hill Farm as the immortal Ruffian crushes her opposition in the Grade One Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga. Trainer Frank Whitely is on hand for the ceremony. This is the actual win photo commorating a great moment in.annals of thoroughbrfed racing..

Secretariat was disqualified from first place and Stop the music was placed first. Secretariat went on to be voted Champion Two Year and Horse of the Year. He was voted the second best horse of the 20th Century behind only Man o' War.

Star de Naskra. The 1979 Champion Sprinter Star de Naskra was a versatile horse winning stakes at various distances and in many places. He sired Sewickley (G1), Carr de Naskra (G1), Pampered Star (G2), Dance Floor (G2), Storm and Sunshine (G2), Dumdedumdedum (G3), etc. Both Naskra and Star de Naskra imparted soundness to many of their progeny.