Nearctic (horse)

Nearctic
SireNearco
GrandsirePharos
DamLady Angela
DamsireHyperion
SexStallion
Foaled(1954-02-11)February 11, 1954
DiedJuly 27, 1973(1973-07-27) (aged 19)
CountryCanada
ColourBrown/black
BreederE. P. Taylor
OwnerWindfields Farm
TrainerGordon J. McCann
Record47: 21โ€“5โ€“3
Earnings$152,384
Major wins
Clarendon Stakes (1956)
Saratoga Special Stakes (1956)
Victoria Stakes (1956)
International Handicap (1957)
Seaway Handicap (1958)
Canadian Maturity Stakes (1958)
Swynford Stakes (1958)
Bold Venture Stakes (1958)
Michigan Mile (1958)
Awards
Canadian Horse of the Year (1958)
Honours
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1977)
Nearctic Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack
Last updated on January 26, 2010

Nearctic (February 11, 1954 โ€“ July 27, 1973) was a Canadian-bred Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse.

Background

Bred by E. P. Taylor,[1] he was out of the Irish mare Lady Angela, a daughter of the British Champion sire Hyperion.[2] He was sired by the extremely important stallion Nearco.[1]

Racing career

Conditioned for racing by future Canadian Hall of Fame trainer "Pete" McCann,[2] Nearctic had his most successful season on the track at age four, when he won nine races and was voted Canadian Horse of the Year.[1]

Stud record

Retired to stand at stud at Windfields Farm[1] in Oshawa, Ontario. In 1967 he was syndicated for $1,050,000(US) and was moved to stand at Allaire du Pont's Woodstock Farm at Chesapeake City, Maryland. An outstanding stallion, Nearctic sired Kentucky Derby winner and the 20th century's greatest sire Northern Dancer.[2] He also sired Icecapade, Ice Water, Nonoalco, Northern Queen, and Canadian Hall of Fame inductee, Cool Reception.

Over and above the many highly successful sons of Northern Dancer, Nearctic was the grandsire of Northern Taste, Wild Again, Fanfreluche, Izvestia, and Son of Briartic, among others. He was also the damsire of Kennedy Road and the Canadian and U.S. Hall of Fame filly La Prevoyante.

Nearctic appears four generations back on both sides (dam and sire) of multiple graded stakes winning including Kentucky Derby champion thoroughbred race horse Big Brown.

Nearctic was euthanized at Woodstock Farm at age nineteen[2] on July 27, 1973. He is buried in the farm's equine cemetery.[3]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Nearctic
Sire
Nearco
Pharos Phalaris Polymelus
Bromus
Scapa Flow Chaucer
Anchora
Nogara Havresac Rabelais
Hors Concours
Catnip Spearmint
Sibola
Dam
Lady Angela
Hyperion Gainsborough Bayardo
Rosedrop
Selene Chaucer
Serenissima
Sister Sarah Abbots Trace Tracery
Abbots Anne
Sarita Swynford
Molly Desmond
  • Nearctic was inbred 4 x 4 to the stallion Chaucer, meaning that the latter appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Nearctic retired". The Montreal Gazette. Canadian Press. Jun 2, 1959. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d "Nearctic". Inductees. Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  3. ^ "Grave Matters Woodstock Farm".

Bibliography