Northernette is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 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...

 Hall of Fame

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....

 filly

Filly

A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....

 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...

. The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....

 says that she "was among the best Canadian-bred race fillies ever raised in this country." A full sister to Storm Bird

Storm Bird

Storm Bird was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse in Ireland. He was a son of 1964 U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt Northern Dancer, "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history." At age 2,trained by Vincent O'Brien, he won all five starts and was voted Champion in England and Ireland...

, she was bred by E. P. Taylor

E. P. Taylor

Edward Plunket Taylor was a Canadian business tycoon and famous breeder of thoroughbred race horses. Known to his friends as "Eddie", he is universally recorded as "E. P...

, owner of her dam, South Ocean, and her preeminent sire, 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"....

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Northernette was purchased at auction by the partnership of Syl Asadoorian and Sam Cosentino who raced her from a base at Woodbine Racetrack

Woodbine Racetrack

Woodbine Racetrack is a Canadian racetrack for Thoroughbred horse races located at 555 Rexdale Blvd. in the city of Toronto, Ontario. It is the only horseracing track in North America which stages, or is capable of staging, thoroughbred and standardbred horseracing programs on the same day...

 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

. They entrusted her conditioning to Jerry Meyer, and in her two-year-old racing season, Northernette was voted the 1976 Sovereign Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly

Sovereign Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly

The Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada, it is part of the Sovereign Awards program and is awarded annually to the top 2-Year-Old Filly Thoroughbred horse competing in Canada.Past winners: -References:*...

. At age three in 1977, her victories included an eleven-length win over the best domestic-bred fillies in the Canadian Oaks

Woodbine Oaks

The Woodbine Oaks is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Inaugurated in 1956, it is the premier event for Canadian-foaled three-year-old fillies and the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara series....

. She went up against her male counterparts in Canada's most important race, the Queen's Plate

Queen's Plate

The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...

, and finished second to Sound Reason.

In August 1977, Northernette's owners sold a controlling interest in her to American Peter M. Brant

Peter M. Brant

Peter M. Brant is an American industrialist, businessman and entrepreneur, worth an estimated $2.4 billion. He is also a major art collector, movie producer, and avid horseman...

. Her conditioning was then taken over by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...

 trainer, Frank Whiteley

Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr.

Frank Yewell Whiteley, Jr. was a Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Born and raised on a farm in Centreville, Maryland, Whiteley grew up around horses and from a very early age was intent on racing them. Developing his skills, by age twenty-one he had embarked on a professional training...

 whose son David

David A. Whiteley

David A. Whiteley is a retired American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer who trained three Champions and who in 1979 won the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown.The son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Frank Y...

, as well as Shug McGaughey, were both working as his apprentices. Under McGaughey, Northernette won the Apple Blossom Handicap

Apple Blossom Handicap

The Apple Blossom Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run each year in early April during the Racing Festival of the South at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Grade I race is open to Fillies and Mares, four years old and up...

 at 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...

 in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...

 then was sent north to Aqueduct Racetrack

Aqueduct Racetrack

Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...

 where David Whiteley saddled her to a win in the Top Flight Handicap

Top Flight Handicap

The Top Flight Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The Grade II event is run in late November and is open to fillies and mares, age three and older...

. In the last race of her career, Northernette finished second to American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Tempest Queen in the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...

.

Northernette's 1977 performances earned her Canadian Champion 3-Year-Old Filly

Sovereign Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Filly

The Canadian Champion Three-Year-Old Filly is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor created in 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is part of the Sovereign Awards program and is awarded annually to the top 3-Year-Old Filly Thoroughbred horse competing in Canada.-References:*...

 honors.

Retired to broodmare duty, Northernette's offspring met with only limited success on the racetrack. She was first bred to U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Damascus

Damascus (horse)

Damascus was a thoroughbred race horse sired by Sword Dancer out of Kerala foaled at the Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Kentucky...

, producing her first foal in 1980. Her other matings were to notable sires such as 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...

, Seattle Slew

Seattle Slew

Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...

, Blushing Groom

Blushing Groom

Blushing Groom was a French Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by American businessman John McNamee Sullivan and was raced by HH Aga Khan IV. A descendant of Nearco, Blushing Groom was sired by Red God and out of the mare Runaway Bride....

, Alleged

Alleged (horse)

Alleged was a champion American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best remembered as winning back-to-back Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes in 1977 and 1978. Trained by Vincent O'Brien in Ireland and ridden by Lester Piggott, this front-running horse was undefeated in all but one of his appearances, that being...

, Woodman

Woodman (horse)

Woodman was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in Ireland but who is best known as a sire of a number of important racehorses....

, and her last that proudced a filly in 1996 was to A.P. Indy

A.P. Indy

A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...

.

Northernette was inducted in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....

in 1987.