Nijinsky II (horse)

Won Railway Stakes (IRE, 6FT, The Curragh)
Won Anglesey Stakes (IRE, about 6.25FT, The Curragh)
Won Beresford Stakes (IRE, 8FT, The Curragh)
Won Dewhurst Stakes (ENG, 7FT, Newmarket)

1970:

Won Gladness Stakes (IRE, 7FT, The Curragh)
Won Two Thousand Guineas (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
Won Derby Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Epsom)
Won Irish Sweeps Derby (IRE, 12FT, The Curragh)
Won King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Ascot)
Won St. Leger Stakes (ENG, about 14.5FT, Doncaster)
2nd Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR, 2400mT, Longchamp)
2nd Champion Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Newmarket)

Honors

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in the inaugural class of 1976)
English Horse of the Year (1970)
English champion 2-year-old male (1969)
Irish champion 2-year-old male (1969)
English champion 3-year-old male (1970)
Irish champion 3-year-old male (1970)

Assessments

As a 3-year-old, Nijinsky II was awarded a Timeform rating of 138 pounds, second only to Sea-Bird among Derby Stakes winners up to that time. The Racing Post later scaled his rating up to 140 pounds.

In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris rated Nijinsky II as the best Irish-based racehorse of the 20th century and a “great” Derby winner.

Vincent O'Brien ranked Nijinsky II and Sir Ivor atop the great horses he trained during his long and distinguished career, rating Nijinsky II as having greater brilliance and Sir Ivor greater toughness. A statue of Nijinsky II was erected at O'Brien's Ballydoyle training yard.

As an individual

A bay, Nijinsky II stood 16.1½ hands. He resembled his dam Flaming Page more than his sire and was tall and handsome with plenty of scope. His hocks were his one physical flaw, as they were somewhat sickled when seen from the side and cow-hocked when seen from behind. His acceleration was brilliant and he was a fluent mover. He had a highly strung, willful temperament and was difficult to train; he also had a notable dislike for the starting gate. As his racing career continued, he developed an increasing tendency to sweat up badly before his races. He developed a massive build as a stallion.

As a stallion

According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, Nijinsky II sired 519 winners (60.2%) and 156 stakes winners (18.1%) from 862 named foals. He was a notable source of stamina but tended to sire a rather large, massive type atypical of the Northern Dancer tribe; he also tended to pass on his sickle hocks. Nijinsky II is a Classic/Solid chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.

Sire rankings

Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:

3rd on the American general sire list in 1987; 4th in 1986; 7th in 1988; 8th in 1989.
Led the American broodmare sire list in 1993 and 1994; 2nd in 1992; 6th in 1987 and 1999.

Per The Blood-Horse:

Led the American broodmare sire list in 1993 and 1994; 3rd in 2001.

Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):

3rd on the American general sire list in 1987; 4th in 1986; 6th in 1988; 9th in 1989.
Led the American broodmare sire list in 1993 and 1994; 2nd in 1992 and 1995; 3rd in 1999-2001; 5th in 1987, 1991, 1996, and 1997; 10th in 1990.
Led the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1986; 3rd in 1995; 4th in 1978; 5th in 1983; 6th in 1982; 7th in 1979 and 1981.
3rd on the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1995 and 2001; 4th in 1999; 5th in 1990; 7th in 1987; 8th in 1991.
8th on the French general sire list in 1975.

Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):

Led the American broodmare sire list in 1993 and 1994.
Led the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1986.

Notable progeny

Baldski (USA), Banker's Lady (USA), Bemissed (USA), Caerleon (USA), Caucasus (USA), Classic Fame (USA), Czaravich (USA), Dance of Life (USA), Dancing Spree (USA), De La Rose (USA), Ferdinand (USA), Fire of Life (USA), Folk Art (USA), Gallantsky (USA), Golden Fleece (USA), Green Dancer (USA), Hostage (USA), Ile de Bourbon (USA), Jeanne Jones (USA), Kings Lake (USA), Lammtarra (USA), Likeable Style (USA), Maplejinsky (USA), Maruzensky (JPN), Nijinsky's Secret (USA), Niniski (USA), Nizon (USA), Quiet Fling (USA), Princesse Lida (USA), Royal Academy (USA), Ruby Slippers (USA), Shadeed (USA), Shahrastani (USA), Sky Classic (CAN), Solford (USA), State (USA), Upper Nile (USA), Vision (USA)

Notable progeny of daughters

Authaal (USA), Bahri (USA), Bonapaw (USA), Cherokee Colony (USA), Ciro (USA), Colonial Affair (USA), Conquistarose (USA), Dance in the Dark (JPN), Dance in the Mood (JPN), Dance Partner (JPN), Distant Music (USA), Fantastic Light (USA), Flawlessly (USA), Forest Flower (USA), Heavenly Prize (USA), Hurricane Sky (AUS), Iktamal (USA), Jade Robbery (USA), Java Gold (USA), Jet Ski Lady (USA), Kirtling (IRE), La Lorgnette (CAN), Nadia (GB), Oh What a Windfall (USA), Paean (GB), River Special (USA), Rubiano (USA), Russian Rhythm (USA), Sadeem (USA), Scan (USA), Shavian (GB), Sky Beauty (USA), Teggiano (IRE), Umatilla (NZ), Unknown Quantity (GB), Wandesta (GB), Way of Light (USA), Yagli (USA)

Connections

Foaled in Ontario, Nijinsky II was bred by E. P. Taylor at his Windfields Farm. He was purchased from the 1968 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society yearling sale for CAN$84,000 by American platinum magnate Charles Engelhard and was sent to leading Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien to be trained for racing in Europe. Following his racing career, Nijinsky II was syndicated for a record US$5,440,000 and entered stud in 1971 at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky. Nijinsky II was humanely destroyed in April 1992 due to chronic laminitis and was buried in the Claiborne Farm horse cemetery.

Pedigree notes

Nijinsky II is inbred 5x5 to two-time leading English sire Phalaris and to the champion race mare and producer Selene. He is a full brother to 1970 Irish champion 2-year-old male Minsky and a half brother to stakes-placed Fleur (by Victoria Park), dam of 1977 English Horse of the Year The Minstrel, French Group 3 winner Far North and stakes winner Pilgrim (all by Northern Dancer), as well as Canadian stakes winner Flower Princess (by Majestic Prince; dam of stakes winner Dance Flower, by Northern Dancer).

Flaming Page, the dam of Nijinsky II, won the 1962 Canadian Oaks and Queen's Plate and was second in the Kentucky Oaks, earning her the 3-year-old filly championship in Canada. Produced from Windfields Farm foundation mare Flaring Top (by Menow), she is a half sister to Canadian stakes winners Top Tourn (by Tournoi), Quintain (by Tournoi) and Flashing Top (by Ménétrier) and to Friendly Relations (by Nearctic), dam of stakes winner Viendra (by Raise a Native) and second dam of Australian Group 1 winner Bellzevir and Grade 3 winners Morning Frolic, Endow and Irish Forever. Flaming Page is also a half sister to Gleam (by Tournoi), dam of stakes winner Evening Bag (by Bagdad) and second dam of 1976 Laurel Futurity (USA-G1) winner Royal Ski; to Flaming Wind (by Windfields), dam of stakes winner French Wind (by Ménétrier) and second dam of multiple Venezuelan champion Blondy; to Merry and Bright (by Ménétrier), dam of stakes winner Fanfaron (by Victoria Park); and to Flaming Victress (by Victoria Park), dam of stakes winner All for Victory (by One for All) and second dam of 1987 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Phoenix Factor, Grade 3 winner Wasatch and the good Canadian sire Cool Victor.

Books and media

Nijinsky: Triple Crown Winner was written by journalist Richard Baerlin. The book was published by Pelham Books in 1972.
Nijinsky, by Lesley Sampson, was published by J.A. Allen & Co. Ltd. In 1985.
The Horse and the Tiger, a book recounting the way in which Nijinsky II changed the lives of E.P. Taylor and Vincent O'Brien, was released on Amazon Kindle by Muriel Lennox in 2012. Ms. Lennox had previously authored traditionally published books on Nijinsky II's grandsire Nearctic (Dark Horse) and sire Northern Dancer (Northern Dancer: The Legend and His Legacy).
Orson Welles is the narrator of A Horse Called Nijinsky, a 1970 film about Nijinsky II's racing career. The film was released as a VHS tape in 1988.
Nijinsky II is one of 75 stallions profiled in Tony Morris' Thoroughbred Stallions (1990, The Crowood Press).
Nijinsky II is profiled in Part Five of Edward Bowen's Dynasties: Great Thoroughbred Stallions (2000, Eclipse Press).
Nijinsky II is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Nijinsky II is one of 50 Thoroughbreds profiled in Royal Blood: Fifty Years of Classic Thoroughbreds. Written by racing historian Jim Bolus with illustrations and commentary by noted equine artist Richard Stone Reeves, the book was released by The Blood-Horse, Inc., in 1994.

Fun facts

Nijinsky II was named for the great Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, who had believed he would be reincarnated as a horse. He was registered as “Nijinsky” in the General Stud Book but had the “II” added to his name by the American Stud Book when he went to stud in Kentucky to avoid confusion with a 1958 son of Tom Fool named Nijinsky. The latter horse never won a stakes race and was of no importance at stud.
Nijinsky II's Triple Crown run was nearly derailed by an attack of colic only two days before the Derby Stakes. Because medication would have shown up in his post-race urine sample, O'Brien and his staff were reduced to walking the colt about and vigilantly monitoring him until the spasms passed. After that, Nijinsky II's regular veterinarian, Demi O'Byrne, traveled with him.
Nijinsky II was the first horse in 35 years to sweep the English Triple Crown, following unbeaten Bahram in 1935. No horse has completed the sweep since, and few Two Thousand Guineas or Derby Stakes winners even contest the St. Leger Stakes. The last horse to attempt the triple was Camelot, who lost the 2012 St. Leger Stakes (ENG-G1) to Encke by three-quarters of a length.
After Nijinsky II contracted a bad case of ringworm in the late summer of 1970, he was fed raw eggs and Irish stout as part of a regimen to build up his constitution.
The members of Nijinsky II's team were collectively honored as the British Broadcasting Corporation's “Sports Personality of the Year” in 1970.
In 2000, readers of the English tabloid newspaper The Sun voted Nijinsky II their “Horse of the Millennium.”
The Nijinsky Stakes was a Canadian Grade 2 event for horses 3 and up at Woodbine and was contested at 12 furlongs on turf. It was inaugurated in 1998 and was discontinued in 2022. Ireland also had a Group event called the Nijinsky Stakes in 1971-1983 at The Curragh. This race was renamed the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial in 1984, but Leopardstown Race Course hosts a Nijinsky Stakes in June; this is a listed race for 3-year-olds.
Nijinsky II has some unusual namesakes, among them a variety of wine known as “L'Esprit de Nijinsky” and a variety of winter wheat.
Nijinsky II is the sire of the most expensive auction yearling of all time. Sold for US$13.1 million at the 1985 Keeneland July sale, the half brother to Seattle Slew was named Seattle Dancer and became a Group 2 winner in Ireland before embarking on a moderately successful stud career.
Nijinsky II is one of three official Triple Crown winners bred by E. P. Taylor, who also bred Canadian Triple Crown winners New Providence (1959) and Canebora (1963). In addition, Taylor bred Canadian Champ, who in 1956 swept the races later officially linked as constituting the Canadian Triple Crown.

Last updated: January 6, 2023