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The Kingmaker: How Northern Dancer Founded a Racing Dynasty | 
 enlarge | Author: Avalyn Hunter
Publisher: Eclipse Press
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $16.64
You Save: $10.31 (38%)
New (5) Used (2) from $16.64
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 146814
Format: Illustrated
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.3
ISBN: 1581501374
Dewey Decimal Number: 798.400929
EAN: 9781581501377
ASIN: 1581501374
Publication Date: April 25, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Gift quality. Hardcover with dust jacket..
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Product Description
When Canadian industrialist and Thoroughbred breeder E.P. Taylor watched his well-bred, handsome colt pass unsold through the auction ring, he could hardly have envisioned the degree to which this seeming misfortune would boomerang in his favor. Named Northern Dancer, the sales reject proved his worth by winning the 1964 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes for Taylor. In doing so, he become a Canadian hero. And that was only the beginning. As a stallion, the diminutive Northern Dancer exerted a legendary influence on the breed, at one time commanding a million-dollar stud fee. International competition for his offspring created world records in the auction ring. Respected pedigree authority Avalyn Hunter explores how Northern Dancer and his sons have established a royal dynasty that has profoundly dominated the international bloodstock market.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Can be a bit tedious February 13, 2008
Good insight into the impact Northern Dancer had on racing in... a lot of detail on lineage ... Enjoyed Stud a pretty good offering for pedigree enthusiasts
 Great book and service January 8, 2008
Great book and fast service. New condition that was just what I needed for gift-giving. Thanks!
Kingmaker indeed March 9, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Beautifully and sensitively written history of this most influential thorougbred, probably never another like him. His line still features strongly in both hemispheres. (American readers may be interested to know that our Australian Horse of the Year for 2006 - Makybe Diva - yes a filly! - won our Melbourne Cup 3 consecutive years (the first horse to do so) and amassed over US$10 million dollars, the all-time leading Australasian money-earner. Her grandsire was Danehill (USA), and his grandsire was Northern Dancer.
Great collection of photographs, but would have loved to have seen more of the King at various stages of his career/life. AND there is an index!
A must-have for anyone only vaguely interested in thoroughbred racing.
A Crowning Achievement in Thoroughbred Journalism September 19, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Avalyn Hunter brings to life the outstanding racing career of Northern Dancer and his legacy through his sons of establishing a royal dynasty in the Thoroughbred industry.
There is enough information packed into the tight 200 pages of writing for those interested in an insider's look at history or for the casual fan wanting to learn about the life of Northern Dancer.
The book is about equally split on Northern Dancer's racing and breeding careers. The opening pages trace ND's bloodline, which may drag for some readers who don't have a background/appreciation in such research. But it is the past matings - along with a little luck - that set the foundation for ND to launch the spiralling prices obtained in the auction ring for his progeny.
Especially interesting are the features on the people surrounding ND, including his owner, Canadian industrialist E.P. Taylor, trainer Horatio Luro and the jockeys that were aboard the multiple-stakes winner. And talk about luck, Luro had wanted young ND gelded as a means to bring better results in training and racing.
There are infrequent times where a book on Thoroughbreds can deliver so much to a wide audience. The Kingmaker is a classic read.
 Well written and researched June 13, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The book is a fine piece of research by Hunter and does a good job of telling the story of Northern Dancer's life and how his connections contributed to the game. While it is a fairly quick read, it's not a page turner on the level with some of the classics such as Nack's "Secretariat" or Schwartz's "Ruffian". The book does do a wonderful job of conveying the importance of Northern Dancer immeasurable contribution to the breed through his numerous offspring. It really is quite a remarkable legacy that the little colt from Canada has left behind.
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