Snaafi Dancer

Snaafi Dancer
Sire Northern Dancer
Grandsire Nearctic
Dam My Bupers
Damsire Bupers
Sex Stallion
Foaled 25 February 1982[1]
Country United States
Colour Bay
Breeder Donald T. Johnson (Crescent Farm)
Owner Aston Upthorpe Stud
Trainer John L. Dunlop
Record unraced

Snaafi Dancer (foaled February 25, 1982) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who was the first yearling to sell for more than US$10 million ($24.2 million in current dollars).[2][3]

Breeding

Bred by Donald T. Johnson[4] under the name of his Crescent Farm, he was out of the mare My Bupers[5] and sired by Northern Dancer whom the National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history."[6] Snaafi Dancer joins nine other descendants of Northern Dancer who clinch the entire list of the ten most expensive colts sold at auction (current to 2014).

His dam, My Bupers, had previously produced several winners including the American Champion Sprint Horse My Juliet and the Champagne Stakes winner Lyphard's Special.

Sale

Sent to the 1983 Keeneland Select Sale, bidding opened on the yearling at $1 million, passed the previous record forty-five seconds later with a bid price of $4.5 million, and finally closed at a new record price of $10.2 million to Sheikh Mohammed's Aston Upthorpe Stud. Looking for a Northern Dancer horse that could be a foundation stallion for his breeding operations as had happened with chief rival Coolmore Stud Sheikh Mohammed not only paid a new highest price ever for a yearling, but the highest price for any Thoroughbred ever sold at auction at that time.[7]

Career

Snaafi Dancer never raced. It was reported that he was so slow in training that it would have been embarrassing to run him in public.[8] He was retired to stud duty where he was discovered to have fertility problems. From two years of breeding, he sired only four foals, three of which raced with very limited success. Retired, Snaafi Dancer was last reported as being at a farm in Florida.[3][9]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Snaafi Dancer (USA), bay stallion, 1982[1]
Sire
Northern Dancer (CAN)
1961
Nearctic (CAN)
1954
Nearco Pharos
Nogara
Lady Angela Hyperion
Sister Sarah
Natalma (USA)
1957
Native Dancer Polynesian
Geisha
Almahmoud Mahmoud
Arbitrator
Dam
My Bupers (USA)
1967
Bupers (USA)
1961
Double Jay Balladier
Broomshot
Busanda War Admiral
Businesslike
Princess Revoked (USA)
1959
Revoked Blue Larkspur
Gala Belle
Miss Muffet Challedon
Bona Via (Family 6-a)

References

  1. 1 2 "Snaafi Dancer pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  2. "Colt Is Purchased For World-Record $10.2 Million". New York Times. 1983-07-20. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  3. 1 2 News of $16-million colt travels fast to Germany at the Wayback Machine (archived June 11, 2011)
  4. http://www.ntra.com/stats_bios.aspx?id=3292 NTRA article on breeder Donald T. Johnson and Snaafi Dancer
  5. http://www.pedigreequery.com/snaafi+dancer Snaafi Dancer's pedigree and partial racing stats
  6. http://www.ntra.com/stats_bios.aspx?id=3407
  7. http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/northernd.htm
  8. Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions(Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
  9. "Horse racing: Sheikh is unstirred". The Guardian (London). 2005-10-02.
Records
Preceded by
Empire Glory
Most expensive Thoroughbred colt yearling
July 19, 1983 – July 23, 1985
Next:
Seattle Dancer
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