Natalma was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the dam of the most important sire, and sire of sires, of the late 20th Century, Northern Dancer.
14 Facts About Natalma
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Natalma established a highly influential female family, which has produced other leading sires Machiavellian and Danehill, plus numerous other stakes winners.
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Natalma was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2007.
4.
Natalma's sire was the great Native Dancer, and her dam was the highly influential Almahmoud.
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Natalma was trained by Horatio Luro, who would later train Northern Dancer as well.
6.
Natalma crossed the finish line first in the 1959 Spinaway Stakes but swerved when jockey Bobby Ussery hit her with the whip and was disqualified to third place for interference.
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The experience so soured Natalma on racing that it was several months before Luro was able to return her to the racetrack.
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Natalma made her three-year-old debut on April 9,1960 at Keeneland where she briefly led but then faded to tenth.
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Natalma was given some time off to recover, then went back into training for the Coaching Club American Oaks.
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Natalma was bred to Nearctic on June 28,1960, as the last mate of his first crop.
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Natalma achieved even greater fame by becoming a leading sire in both North America and Europe, and went on to become an outstanding sire of sires.
12.
Natalma was bred to Nearctic several additional times, producing Arctic Dancer, Northern Ace, Northern Native, Transatlantic and two unnamed fillies who died before age 2.
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Natalma's daughters have further extended her influence on Thoroughbred bloodlines worldwide.
14.
Natalma was humanely euthanized on January 29,1985 at the Windfields Farm satellite operation in Maryland after unsuccessful treatment for colic.