Gate Dancer
Encyclopedia
Gate Dancer was an American
Thoroughbred
racehorse
best known as a winner of an American Classic Race and for his part in a thrilling three-horse finish in the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Classic
.
Bred in Florida
by William R. Davis, Gate Dancer was a son of Sovereign Dancer
, in turn a son of the great Northern Dancer
. He was out of the mare Sun Gate, whose sire was Bull Lea
, a five time Leading sire in North America
. Trained by Jack Van Berg
, on the racetrack the high-strung colt became distressed from the sounds of the crowd until his trainer eventually devised a hood for his head with earmuffs that minimized the noise.
In June 1983, Gate Dancer won his two-year-old racing debut Ak-Sar-Ben Racetrack
in Omaha, Nebraska
. He would race once more in Omaha then compete twice in California
. Of his four starts that year, he ended up with two wins and two seconds. In his three-year-old season, Gate Dancer was aimed towards the Kentucky Derby
. Staying in California, in February 1984 he ran second in the El Camino Real Derby
at Bay Meadows
and two weeks later at Santa Anita Park
won an allowance race. In March he finished second in the San Felipe
and third in the Santa Catalina Stakes
. Gate Dancer then had another third in April's Arkansas Derby
behind Althea whose winning time equaled the Oaklawn Park
track record for 1⅛ miles. Althea, the 1983 U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Filly
, then became the heavy betting
favorite going into the Kentucky Derby.
in the Kentucky Derby, Gate Dancer was sent off at longshot odds of 19:1. Starting at the far outside in post position twenty, he immediately ran into difficulty but by the mile pole had managed to move up to ninth place with race favorite Althea tiring badly and dropping out of contention. Gate Dancer tried in vain to catch the leaders down the homestretch but veered in, bumping another horse several times. He ended up finishing fourth behind Claiborne Farm's
winning colt, Swale
. Following an interference complaint over the bumping incident, Churchill Downs
stewards set Gate Dancer back to fifth place.
For the Preakness Stakes
, jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. was aboard Gate Dancer. This time, the colt had a clean start in the much smaller field of nine and set a new track record in winning the second leg of the Triple Crown series. Swale, the heavily favored Derby winner, finished well back in seventh place. However, in the grueling 1½ mile Belmont Stakes
, Gate Dancer moved into contention as they headed into the homestretch but after making a charge at the front running Swale, he tired and dropped back to finish sixth.
, where in August he won the 1984 Omaha Gold Cup. In his next start in September, he set a new track record for a mile and a quarter in winning the 1984 Super Derby
at Louisiana Downs. In November, he was shipped to Hollywood Park Racetrack for the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Classic
. In a titanic duel, Gate Dancer, Wild Again
, and Slew o' Gold battled head to head through the stretch and all the way to the finish line. Wild Again was on the rail, with Gate Dancer on the outside and Slew o' Gold in close quarters between his rivals. The stretch run contained bumping, with Wild Again coming out on top and Gate Dancer crossing the wire second. However, Gate Dancer was disqualified for interfering with Slew o' Gold and moved down to third place, while Slew o' Gold officially finished second. At the end of 1984, Jack Van Berg was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer
.
In 1985, Gate Dancer started ten times, winning once and capturing second and third place on three occasions each. Back for his second attempt in the Breeders' Cup Classic, he made a determined effort but finished second to the Darby Dan Farm
colt Proud Truth
. Raced three times in 1986, Gate Dancer earned a fifth place finish in the Santa Anita Handicap
and a third in the Widener
. In the final race of his career, he came in second in the Oaklawn Handicap
.
at owner Kenneth Opstein's Good Chance Farm near Ocala
in south Marion County, Florida
and eventually ended up at Silverleaf Farm near Summerfield
. Although he sired 27 stakes winners, none achieved the same level of racing success as Gate Dancer. On March 6, 1998, after a long struggle with laminitis
, Gate Dancer was humanely euthanized
. He was buried at Johnson Hollow Farm, near Oxford, Florida.
Nebraska artist Gwen G. Sides painted a portrait of Gate Dancer.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
best known as a winner of an American Classic Race and for his part in a thrilling three-horse finish in the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
.
Bred in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
by William R. Davis, Gate Dancer was a son of Sovereign Dancer
Sovereign Dancer
Sovereign Dancer was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as a sire of two American Classic Race winners...
, in turn a son of the great Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
. He was out of the mare Sun Gate, whose sire was Bull Lea
Bull Lea
Bull Lea was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is best known as the foundation sire responsible for making Calumet Farm one of the most successful racing stables in American history...
, a five time Leading sire in North America
Leading sire in North America
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
. Trained by Jack Van Berg
Jack Van Berg
John Charles "Jack" Van Berg is an American Hall of Fame horse trainer. Born into a horse racing family, his father is Hall of Fame trainer, Marion Van Berg....
, on the racetrack the high-strung colt became distressed from the sounds of the crowd until his trainer eventually devised a hood for his head with earmuffs that minimized the noise.
In June 1983, Gate Dancer won his two-year-old racing debut Ak-Sar-Ben Racetrack
Ak-Sar-Ben
Ak-Sar-Ben, or Aksarben, was an indoor arena and horse racing complex in Omaha, Nebraska. Built to fund the civic and philanthropic activities of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, the thoroughbred race track was built in 1920 and the Coliseum was built in 1929...
in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. He would race once more in Omaha then compete twice in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Of his four starts that year, he ended up with two wins and two seconds. In his three-year-old season, Gate Dancer was aimed towards the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. Staying in California, in February 1984 he ran second in the El Camino Real Derby
El Camino Real Derby
The El Camino Real Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held in February at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eight miles on Tapeta. A Grade III event, it offers a purse of $150,000.Northern California's premier...
at Bay Meadows
Bay Meadows
Bay Meadows was a horse racing track in San Mateo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States.-History:Built on the site of an old airfield, Bay Meadows Racecourse was the longest continually operating thoroughbred racetrack in California, having been founded on November 13,...
and two weeks later at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
won an allowance race. In March he finished second in the San Felipe
San Felipe Stakes
The San Felipe Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The San Felipe is a Grade II event open to three-year-old horses. Normally held in mid-March, it is raced at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on dirt and currently...
and third in the Santa Catalina Stakes
Robert B. Lewis Stakes
The Robert B. Lewis Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Raced over a distance of 11/16 miles on dirt, the Grade II race is open to three-year-old horses...
. Gate Dancer then had another third in April's Arkansas Derby
Arkansas Derby
The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
behind Althea whose winning time equaled the Oaklawn Park
Oaklawn Park
Oaklawn Park is an American thoroughbred racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to The Racing Festival of the South.In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Of the top Ten, Oaklawn was ranked...
track record for 1⅛ miles. Althea, the 1983 U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Filly
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Filly
The American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971....
, then became the heavy betting
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
favorite going into the Kentucky Derby.
1984 U.S. Triple Crown
Ridden by Eddie DelahoussayeEddie Delahoussaye
Edward J. Delahoussaye is a retired American Thoroughbred jockey from New Iberia, Louisiana.He began his career in 1968 and ten years later became the top American jockey with 384 wins...
in the Kentucky Derby, Gate Dancer was sent off at longshot odds of 19:1. Starting at the far outside in post position twenty, he immediately ran into difficulty but by the mile pole had managed to move up to ninth place with race favorite Althea tiring badly and dropping out of contention. Gate Dancer tried in vain to catch the leaders down the homestretch but veered in, bumping another horse several times. He ended up finishing fourth behind Claiborne Farm's
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred Horse breeding operation in near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910, by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.-Owners:...
winning colt, Swale
Swale (horse)
Swale was an American thoroughbred racehorse. He is best known for winning the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in 1984...
. Following an interference complaint over the bumping incident, Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
stewards set Gate Dancer back to fifth place.
For the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
, jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. was aboard Gate Dancer. This time, the colt had a clean start in the much smaller field of nine and set a new track record in winning the second leg of the Triple Crown series. Swale, the heavily favored Derby winner, finished well back in seventh place. However, in the grueling 1½ mile Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
, Gate Dancer moved into contention as they headed into the homestretch but after making a charge at the front running Swale, he tired and dropped back to finish sixth.
Breeders' Cup Classic
Following his loss in the Belmont Stakes, Gate Dancer's handlers brought him back to his first home at Ak-Sar-Ben Racetrack in NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, where in August he won the 1984 Omaha Gold Cup. In his next start in September, he set a new track record for a mile and a quarter in winning the 1984 Super Derby
Super Derby
The Super Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in September at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana.Inaugurated in 1980, the Super Derby is open to 3-year-olds and the distance is 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it's the richest race held at Louisiana Downs...
at Louisiana Downs. In November, he was shipped to Hollywood Park Racetrack for the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
. In a titanic duel, Gate Dancer, Wild Again
Wild Again
Wild Again was an American Thoroughbred racehorse by Icecapade out of Bushel-N-Peck . He was broken and initially trained by Tommy Akin, but for the majority of his career was trained by Vincent Timphony...
, and Slew o' Gold battled head to head through the stretch and all the way to the finish line. Wild Again was on the rail, with Gate Dancer on the outside and Slew o' Gold in close quarters between his rivals. The stretch run contained bumping, with Wild Again coming out on top and Gate Dancer crossing the wire second. However, Gate Dancer was disqualified for interfering with Slew o' Gold and moved down to third place, while Slew o' Gold officially finished second. At the end of 1984, Jack Van Berg was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer
The Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor for trainers. Created in 1971, it is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually.Its Canadian counterpart is the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer....
.
In 1985, Gate Dancer started ten times, winning once and capturing second and third place on three occasions each. Back for his second attempt in the Breeders' Cup Classic, he made a determined effort but finished second to the Darby Dan Farm
Darby Dan Farm
Darby Dan Farm is a produce, livestock, and thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm founded in 1935 near the Darby Creek in Galloway, Ohio by businessman John W. Galbreath. Named for the creek and for Galbreath's son, Daniel M. Galbreath , it was expanded from an original farm into a 4,000...
colt Proud Truth
Proud Truth
Proud Truth was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by Dorothy Galbreath, wife of prominent horseman John W. Galbreath, at their Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Kentucky....
. Raced three times in 1986, Gate Dancer earned a fifth place finish in the Santa Anita Handicap
Santa Anita Handicap
The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up , and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during the winter racing season...
and a third in the Widener
Widener Handicap
The Widener Handicap at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida was a Grade III stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses 3-years-old and up. It was run over a distance of 1¼ miles until 1993 when it was modified to 1 1/8 miles. Initially called the Widener Challenge Cup Handicap, the race was...
. In the final race of his career, he came in second in the Oaklawn Handicap
Oaklawn Handicap
The Oaklawn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of April at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas....
.
Career as a sire
Retired to Florida, Gate Dancer initially stood at studHorse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
at owner Kenneth Opstein's Good Chance Farm near Ocala
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
in south Marion County, Florida
Marion County, Florida
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 316,183. Its county seat is Ocala....
and eventually ended up at Silverleaf Farm near Summerfield
Summerfield, Florida
Summerfield is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is located near the intersection of US 301 and County Road 475A. The community is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. Although he sired 27 stakes winners, none achieved the same level of racing success as Gate Dancer. On March 6, 1998, after a long struggle with laminitis
Laminitis
Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates. It is best known in horses and cattle. Symptoms include lameness, and increased temperature in the hooves...
, Gate Dancer was humanely euthanized
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
. He was buried at Johnson Hollow Farm, near Oxford, Florida.
Nebraska artist Gwen G. Sides painted a portrait of Gate Dancer.