Northern Dancer was born in 1961 at the famed Windfields farm in Oshawa, Ontario. As a colt, he was unimpressive, small and stocky in stature, ornery and mischievous by disposition. Eventually, the colt that nobody wanted took the racing world by storm. Northern Dancer won the Kentucky Derby, and went on to win the Preakness Stakes of Baltimore, and nearly won the Belmont of New York. His seven wins earned him the title of champion three-year-old of 1964. On retirement, Northern Dancer became the greatest horse stud in history, worth over $40 million by 1981. Today, it is estimated that his bloodlines extend to 50-70% of all thoroughbred horses.