Native Dancer, also known as the Gray Ghost, was a famous American racehorse who became one of the first equine television superstars during his period of fame in the 1950s. The distinctively colored gray horse stood out from the field in his 22 starts, and he only lost once during his racing career. In addition to distinguishing himself on the track, Native Dancer also proved to be quite valuable at stud. Numerous accomplished equine athletes can trace their lineage back to Native Dancer.
The horse was born in 1950 on Scott Farm in Kentucky. His mother, or dam, was Geisha and his sire was Polynesia; many of the Gray Ghosts offspring have Asian and Hawaiian themed names as a result. Through Geisha, Native Dancer is related to Man o’ War, another famous racehorse; his great grandfather, Fair Play, sired Man o’ War. Shortly after birth, Native Dancer was transferred to Sagamore Farm in Maryland, where he was raised and trained. He also later lived at Sagamore while standing at stud.
Native Dancer only raced for three years, forced into early retirement by a foot injury. During his short career, the horse succeeded in distinguishing himself as Horse of the Year in 1952 and again in 1954. As a two year old, Native Dancer won the Eclipse Award, a highly coveted recognition for two year old thoroughbreds.
On television, Native Dancer’s gray coat made him easy to distinguish from the rest of the pack, endearing him to fans. The horse also tended to come up from behind to win races, hanging out in the middle of the pack until the last minute. This tactic only failed him once, during the Kentucky Derby, when he was fouled twice but still managed to pull ahead, losing by a nose to Dark Star. Despite this loss, Native Dancer proved himself to be a powerful and dedicated athlete, and he probably would have had an even more astonishing career on the track if he had not been injured.
After his foot injury, Native Dancer retired to stud. His many offspring proved themselves to be accomplished and distinguished champions, and they often pop up in well known races in the United States and abroad. Northern Dancer, for example, a celebrated stallion in his own right, is the grandson of Native Dancer. In 1963, Native Dancer was added to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and the famous American racehorse died four years later. He is buried at Sagamore Farm.