The Native Dancer Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race

Thoroughbred horse race

Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...

 run annually at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland

Laurel, Maryland

Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...

. Raced in early January, it is open to horses age three and older and is contested on dirt over a distance of 1 mile (8 furlong

Furlong

A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....

s).

From 1966 to 2002 the race was known as the Native Dancer Handicap. It has been run at four different distances; for the first eleven years (from 1966 to 1976) the race was run at 6 furlongs, from 1977 to 1984 and in 2005 it was raced at a distance of 1³/16 miles; in 1985 and from 2006 through 2010 the race was contested at its present distance of 1 mile and from 1986 through 2003 it was run at a distance of 1³/8 miles. The race was originally run at Bowie Race Course from 1966 through 1984.

The race is named in honor of Alfred G. Vanderbilt's Native Dancer

Native Dancer

Native Dancer , nicknamed the Grey Ghost, was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in history, the first horse made famous through the medium of television. He was one of the best horses produced in USA after the war...

. Native Dancer was the huge gray son of two of thoroughbred's top racing horses of the decade in Polynesian

Polynesian (horse)

Polynesian was an American Thoroughbred racehorse owned by Gertrude T. Widener, of the prominent Widener family of Philadelphia, and bred by her father-in-law Joseph E...

 and Geisha. He was named Horse of the Year as a two year-old and then named a repeat winner as a four year-old. He also won the titles; Champion 2-year-old, Champion 3-year-old and Champion older horse in three consecutive years. Native Dancer won 21 of 22 races and earned $785,240. His 18 stakes victories included 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...

, the 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...

 and the Travers Stakes

Travers Stakes

The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...

. Native Dancer's only loss was in 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...

. Following a terrible trip in which he was bumped three times, he finished second, only a head behind Dark Star

Dark Star (horse)

Dark Star was an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1953 Kentucky Derby, in the process becoming the only horse ever to defeat Hall of Fame horse Native Dancer.Dark Star finished fifth in the Preakness Stakes...

.

Native Dancer upon his retirement was entered into stud at Vanderbilt's Sagamore Farm

Sagamore Farm

Sagamore Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding farm on Belmont Avenue in Reisterstown, Baltimore County, Maryland. Established in 1925, it was owned by Margaret Emerson Vanderbilt who gave it to her son Alfred G. Vanderbilt II for his twenty-first birthday...

 in Glyndon, Maryland

Glyndon, Maryland

Glyndon, Maryland is an unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1871 by Dr. Charles A. Leas, the village is located in the northwest section of Baltimore County and serves primarily as a residential suburb of metropolitan Baltimore City...

 where he remained until his death in 1967. Native Dancer was buried at Sagamore. As a sire his influence was immeasurable. He was the sire of 45 stakes winners including; Raise a Native

Raise a Native

Raise a Native was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse that was named 1963 champion two-year-old colt in the Turf and Sport Digest poll. He sired 74 stakes winners, including Majestic Prince and Alydar...

, grand sire to Mr. Prospector

Mr. Prospector

Mr. Prospector was a thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Kentucky, whose descendants have been dominant in the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. He won half of his 14 career races.-Background:...

, Alydar

Alydar

Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...

, Natalma

Natalma

Natalma was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the Blue Hen Dam of the most important sire, and sire of sires, of the 20th Century, Northern Dancer. Bred in Virginia, she was purchased by Canadian business mogul E. P...

 and 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"....

.

Winners of the Native Dancer Stakes since 1966

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance (Miles)	Time	Purse
2011	Laysh Laysh Laysh	6	Erick Rodriguez	Richard Dutrow, Jr.	Vincent S. Scuderi	1 mile	1:37.45	$75,000
2010	Greenspring	5	Jeremy Rose Jeremy Rose Jeremy Rose is an American Thoroughbred racehorse jockey. He began his career as a professional rider at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Delaware and in 2001 was his breakout year and he was voted the United States' Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey.In 2005, Rose guided Afleet Alex, to...	Chris Grove	Our Chelsea Stable	1 mile	1:38.18	$70,000
2009	Lord Snowdon	6	Jeremy Rose Jeremy Rose Jeremy Rose is an American Thoroughbred racehorse jockey. He began his career as a professional rider at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Delaware and in 2001 was his breakout year and he was voted the United States' Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey.In 2005, Rose guided Afleet Alex, to...	Anthony W. Dutrow Anthony W. Dutrow Anthony W. "Tony" Dutrow is an American horse trainer in Thoroughbred horse racing.The eldest of three brothers involved in Thoroughbred racing, he is the son of the late well-known Maryland trainer Richard E. Dutrow, Sr...	Kaplan Racing	1 mile	1:38.11	$75,000
2008	Throng	5	Carlos Marquez, Jr.	Todd Pletcher	Starlight Stable, LLC.	1 mile	1:34.80	$80,000
2007	Judith's Wild Rush	-	Julian Pimentel	Julian Calet	Harvey Tenenbaum	1 mile	1:36.40	$75,000
2006	Your Bluffing	-	Mario Pino Mario G. Pino Mario G. Pino is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Raised on a farm, he began his riding career in 1978 at Delaware Park in Wilmington...	Michael Trombetta	R.D.M. Racing Stable	1 mile	1:40.20	$75,000
2005	Jim Thirds Bolero	-	Ryan Fogelsonger Ryan Fogelsonger Ryan Fogelsonger is an American Champion jockey in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.Based in Maryland, Fogelsonger began riding in 2002 but was late getting started, earning his first win on May 1 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland...	Annette M. Eubanks	Rev. Mark L. Andrews	1-1/16	1:40.20	$75,000
2004	No Race	-	No Race	No Race	No Race	no race	0:00.00	no race
2003	P Day	-	Ryan Fogelsonger Ryan Fogelsonger Ryan Fogelsonger is an American Champion jockey in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.Based in Maryland, Fogelsonger began riding in 2002 but was late getting started, earning his first win on May 1 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland...	Charles H. Hadry	Adam Russo	1-1/8	1:50.00	$75,000
2002	Private Ryan	-	Harry Vega Harry Vega Harry Vega is an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing.Vega began his riding career in Michigan in 1983 then in the late 1980s moved to compete at tracks on the Northeast coast of the United States...	Timothy Tullock, Jr.	Edmund Gann	1-1/8	1:49.00	$50,000
2001	Do I ever	-	Harry Vega Harry Vega Harry Vega is an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing.Vega began his riding career in Michigan in 1983 then in the late 1980s moved to compete at tracks on the Northeast coast of the United States...	Bessie S. Gruwell	John Morella	1-1/8	1:52.20	$55,000
2000	Montana Dreamin'	-	Joe Rocco	Timothy F. Ritchey Timothy F. Ritchey Timothy F. "Tim" Ritchey is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He is best known as the trainer of Afleet Alex, a 2005 winner of two American Classic Races, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes....	Richard Reveley	1-1/8	1:50.20	$75,000
1999	Waited	-	Albert Delgado	Barbara M. Kees	Sherry Rudolph	1-1/8	1:49.40	$80,000
1998	Big Rut	-	Larry Reynolds	Hamilton A. Smith	James W. Peters Jr.	1-1/8	1:50.80	$60,000
1997	Mary's Buckaroo	-	Mario Verge	Mary Joanne Hughes	Jackson Bryer	1-1/8	1:49.40	$80,000
1996	Gulf Reckoning	5	Carlos Marquez, Jr.	Ben W. Perkins, Jr.	Dr. Charles Staats	1-1/8	1:48.40	$55,000
1995	Dixie Hero	-	Edgar Prado	Charles Peoples Charles Peoples Charles Peoples was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.In the latter part of the 1950s, he started conditioning horses for the operations of Bayard Sharp, a director of Delaware Park Racetrack and a president of The Blood-Horse Inc...	Bayard Sharp	1-1/8	1:51.40	$90,000
1994	No Race	-	No Race	No Race	No Race	no race	0:00.00	no race
1993	Ameri Valay	-	Larry Reynolds	King T. Leatherbury King T. Leatherbury King T. Leatherbury MBA is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who ranks third all-time in wins among U.S. trainers....	Elaine & Nick Bassford	1-1/8	1:49.80	$60,000
1992	Valley Crossing	4	Edgar Prado	Richard W. Small	Robert Meyerhoff	1-1/8	1:48.60	$60,000
1991	Jet Stream	5	Edgar Prado	John C. Mobberly	John C. Mobberly	1-1/8	1:50.80	$65,000
1990	Flaming Emperor	-	Clarence "Jo Jo" Ladner	Kenny Cox	Hideaway Farms	1-1/8	1:48.60	$75,000
1989	Learned Jake	-	Kent Desormeaux Kent Desormeaux Kent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year, 1989.-Brief biography:...	Art Benjamin	Dick Vermillion	1-1/8	1:48.60	$60,000
1988	Due North	-	Michael Hunter Michael Hunter Michael Hunter or Mike Hunter may refer to:* Michael Hunter , professor of history at Birkbeck, University of London* Michael Hunter , composer of sounds for Grand Theft Auto...	Katy Voss	Peter McGill	1-1/8	1:49.60	$60,000
1987	Little Bold John Little Bold John Little Bold John is a multi-millionaire American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Maryland by Hal C.B. Clagett and raced under the Hidden Hill Farm's banner as his owner. He finished racing with a record of 38-16-14 in 105 starts with career earnings of $2,056,406...	5	Donnie A. Miller, Jr.	Jerry Robb	Jack Owens	1-1/8	1:51.60	$80,000
1986	Little Bold John Little Bold John Little Bold John is a multi-millionaire American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Maryland by Hal C.B. Clagett and raced under the Hidden Hill Farm's banner as his owner. He finished racing with a record of 38-16-14 in 105 starts with career earnings of $2,056,406...	4	Paul A. Nicol, Jr.	Jerry Robb	Jack Owens	1-1/8	1:53.20	$80,000
1985	Kaye's Prince	-	Donnie A. Miller, Jr.	Not Found	Not Found	1 mile	1:36.60	$65,000
1984	Island Champ	-	Albert Delgado	Hank Allen Hank Allen Harold Andrew "Hank" Allen is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators , Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox ....	James J. Devaney	1-1/16	1:46.00	$65,000
1983	Hail Emperor	-	Vincent Bracciale, Jr.			1-1/16	1:46.00	$65,000
1982#	Buc 'n Bronc	-	Mario Pino			1-1/16	1:44.60	$50,000
1982#	Decent Davey	-	Leroy Moyers			1-1/16	1:43.60	$50,000
1981	Skippers Friend	-	Vincent Bracciale, Jr.			1-1/16	1:44.60	$65,000
1980	Pole Position	-	Gunnar Lindberg	Goody Goodman		1-1/16	1:45.20	$65,000
1979	Isella	-	Mark Drury			1-1/16	1:45.60	$65,000
1978#	Ripon	-	Kelly Castaneda			1-1/16	1:45.60	$45,500
1978#	Take the Pledge	-	Jack Kurtz			1-1/16	1:45.40	$45,500
1977	Jolly Johu	-	Larry Moyers			1-1/16	1:44.20	$65,000
1976	Christopher R.	-	William J. Passmore William J. Passmore William J. "Bill" Passmore, Sr. was an American jockey and racing steward, who rode thoroughbred horses for 38 years including at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes winning 3,531 races and $23 millions in his 38-year career before spending 20 years as a steward.The 5-foot,...		Art Rooney Art Rooney Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...	6 fur.	1:10.60	$30,000
1975	Christopher R.	-	William J. Passmore William J. Passmore William J. "Bill" Passmore, Sr. was an American jockey and racing steward, who rode thoroughbred horses for 38 years including at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes winning 3,531 races and $23 millions in his 38-year career before spending 20 years as a steward.The 5-foot,...		Art Rooney Art Rooney Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...	6 fur.	1:09.60	$30,000
1974	Tap the Tree	-	Vincent Bracciale, Jr.			6 fur.	1:09.00	$30,000
1973	Joys Fella	-	C. Jimenez			6 fur.	1:10.60	$31,000
1972	Pro Bidder	-	George Cusimano			6 fur.	1:10.40	$31,000
1971	Jaikyl	-	Paul Kallai			6 fur.	1:10.40	$30,000
1970	Gaelic Dancer	-	Robert Nono			6 fur.	1:10.20	$31,000
1969	Illustrious	-	D. Petrucelli			6 fur.	1:09.20	$30,000
1968	Understudy	-	Frank Lovato			6 fur.	1:11.00	$30,000
1967	Sandoval	-	Dave Gorman			6 fur.	1:10.20	$30,000
1966	Hoist Bar	-	Ismael Valenzuela Ismael Valenzuela Ismael "Milo" Valenzuela was a Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He was one of 22 children born to parents who had immigrated to the United states. Shortly after Ismael Valenzuela's birth, the family returned to their native Mexico...			6 fur.	1:10.40	$30,650

A # designates that the race was run in two divisions in 1978 and 1982.