| Danzig |
Danzig has carried on the influence of his great sire Northern Dancer, and besides a promising racing career of 3 starts and 3 wins – it was cut short due to issues with his knees. He went on to be one of the world’s most influential sires of the century – and much of his blood has been carried around the world through his son Danehill – just one of the many champion sons he produced. Born in 1977 out of Pas de Nom by Admiral’s Voyage, he was purchased for $310,000 by Henryk de Kwiatkowski at the 1978 Saratoga Yearling Sale.
Danzig, who was unbeaten on the racetrack for owner Henryk de Kwiatkowski and trainer Woody Stephens, got off to quick start at Claiborne Farm – and being fortunate to have had access to quality broodmares – he had three grade I winners with Chief’s Crown, Contredance, and Stephan’s Odyssey from his first crop.
As a 2-year-old in 1984, Chief’s Crown won the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Grade 1 and was voted champion 2 year-old male. Chief’s Crown went on to become a major winner at three and a successful stallion. Danzig not only led the freshman sires list by progeny earnings, but also that year’s sires of 2-year-olds list.
Danzig sired 1,074 foals over 23 crops, and is represented by the earners of $101 million. He has sired 106 graded stakes winners and 188 stakes winners, and 10 champions. He topped the sire rankings in North America three years running, including in countries such as Spain and the United Arab Emirates, from 1991 to 1993, and many times was among the leading sires of runners and broodmares, standing for about $250,000 from 1985 until his retirement.
His champion progeny include the likes of Chief’s Crown (found in the dam-line of Strategic News standing at Rathmor Stud) –
Lure, Dance Smartly (Canada’s Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year) and War Chant, Dayjur (sire of consistent Middlefield resident stallion Modern Day – as well as broodmare sire of Mon Sang standing at Bush Hill Stud), Danzig Connection and Belong To Me and Polish Navy, who sired 1993 Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero. Danzig also sired 1992 Preakness Stakes winner Pine Bluff, and is the sire of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Langfuhr who, in turn, sired the Canadian Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year, Wando, as well as Bianconi – an Irish Champion, Angel Fever – the dam of Fusaichi Pegasus and the second dam of Summerhill resident stallion Brave Tin Soldier. Danzig was also the damsire of Dancethruthedawn and the grandsire of 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown. His son Hard Spun finished second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, behind Street Sense.
Danzig went onto become a leading sire of sires, his son Danehill is the first Thoroughbred in history to sire over 300 stakes winners.
We have a healthy proportion of Danzig blood amongst our stallions standing in KZN. More recently he is the broodmare sire of A.P. Answer who has produced outstanding foals in his first crop this year, Call To Combat through his sire Announce/National Assembly – Call To Combat is standing his first season at Hadlow Stud. But it doesn’t stop there – KZN’s top stallion Kahal though his maternal grandsire Green Desert, and sons of Danehill consisting of Newton, Overlord, Requiem, Rocky Street through his sire Rock Of Gibraltar, Solskjaer, Spanish Harlem, and Way West. Brave Tin Soldier also has his first crop of impressive foals on the ground this year.
At the respectable age of 27, Danzig was pensioned from 2004 because of declining fertility. He was euthanized due to the infirmities of old age in 2006 and buried in Clairborne Farm’s equine cemetry.