Danzig Connection (USA)
April 6, 1983 – December 1, 2010
Danzig (USA) x Gdynia (USA), by Sir Ivor (USA)
Family 17-b
April 6, 1983 – December 1, 2010
Danzig (USA) x Gdynia (USA), by Sir Ivor (USA)
Family 17-b
Danzig Connection was a nice, consistent colt, but he owed his Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) win as much to a sloppy-gooey track that he relished (unlike some of his rivals, including Kentucky Derby, USA-G1, winner Ferdinand) and to the training wizardry of National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame member Woody Stephens as to his own talent. He was a failure at stud.
Race record
17 starts, 6 wins, 5 seconds, 4 thirds, US$1,002,620
1985:
1986:
Assessments
Rated at 122 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1984, 4 pounds below co-highweights Tasso (the official divisional champion) and Ogygian.
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1986, 2 pounds below champion Snow Chief.
As an individual
A handsome bay horse, Danzig Connection had the muscular build of his sire over a somewhat rangier body. He was officially retired to stud in November 1986 after experiencing recurrent issues with chips in his right knee, a problem that had earlier kept him out of the Kentucky Derby. He developed a dipped topline as he aged.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Danzig Connection sired 393 winners (46.9%) and 21 stakes winners (2.5%) from 838 named foals.
Noted progeny
Cantoreal (VEN), Iktamal (GB)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Danzig Connection was bred by Henryk de Kwiatkowski's Kennelot Stable and raced in de Kwiatkowski's colors. He was trained by Woody Stephens and was ridden to his Classic score by Chris McCarron. He entered stud in Kentucky in 1987 at Wimbledon Farm. After being sold in September 1997, he stood at Collin Stud, England, with shuttle duty at Lakewood Stud in Australia. In 2003, he was sent to Italy, where he stood at Allevamento Ca Torre di Canicarao Ragusa. He died in Sicily on December 1, 2010.
Pedigree notes
Danzig Connection is inbred 5x5 to 1936 Derby Stakes winner and 1946 American champion sire Mahmoud. He is a full brother to 1989 Dwyer Handicap (USA-G2) winner Roi Danzig and a half brother to Robust (by Conquistador Cielo), dam of listed stakes winner War Giant (by Data Link)
Gdynia, the dam of Danzig Connection, is a half sister to Grade 3 winner Proponent (by Gallant Man) and to Grade 2-placed Rajab (by Jaipur), a useful regional sire in Florida. She is also a half sister to Oratorio (by Fleet Nasrullah), dam of stakes winners Visto (by Transworld) and Spruce Song (by Verbatim), second dam of Grade 3 winner Ascutney, and third dam of 2000 Del Mar Oaks (USA-G1) winner No Matter What, 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1) winner Raven's Pass, multiple Grade 2 winner E Dubai and Grade 3 winners Polonius and Gigawatt. In addition, Gdynia is a half sister to Gaebale (by Gallant Man), dam of 1985 Widener Handicap (USA-G1) winner Pine Circle (by Cox's Ridge) and third dam of Grade 2 winners Aztec Hill and Proper Gamble, and to Eastern Classic (by Damascus), dam of Grade 3 winner Oriental (by Seattle Slew).
Gdynia and her siblings were produced from the winning Princequillo mare Classicist, a half sister to 1963 Chicagoan Stakes winner B. Major (by Summer Tan); to stakes-placed Lincoln Center (by Royal Gem II), dam of multiple stakes winner Center Circle (by Olden Times); and to Summer Classic (by Summer Tan), dam of 1977 American champion sprinter What a Summer (by What Luck) and, through her, second dam of Grade 3 winner Gather the Clan. Classicist is also a half sister to Tympanist (by Tompion), dam of Grade 3 winner Sweet Old Girl (by Olden Times) and is out of the winning Stymie mare Classic Music, whose half siblings include 1952 Jersey Stakes winner King Jolie (by Platter) and Lysistrata (by Palestinian), dam of 1970 French champion 2-year-old filly and 1971 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, FR-G1) winner Bold Fascinator (by Bold Lad), 1967 Flamingo Stakes winner Reflected Glory (by Jester) and 1965 Governor's Gold Cup winner Isle of Greece (by Porterhouse).
Books and media
Danzig Connection is profiled in Chapter 11 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: December 19, 2024
Race record
17 starts, 6 wins, 5 seconds, 4 thirds, US$1,002,620
1985:
- Won World Appeal Stakes (first division) (USA,8FD, The Meadowlands)
- 2nd Young America Stakes (USA-G1, 8.5FD, The Meadowlands)
1986:
- Won Belmont Stakes (USA-G1, 12FD, Belmont)
- Won Peter Pan Stakes (USA-G1, 9FD, Belmont)
- Won Pegasus Handicap (USA-G2, 9FD, The Meadowlands)
- 2nd Travers Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, SAR; from third by disqualification of second-place Broad Brush)
- 3rd Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (USA-G1, 12FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Haskell Invitational Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Monmouth)
Assessments
Rated at 122 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1984, 4 pounds below co-highweights Tasso (the official divisional champion) and Ogygian.
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1986, 2 pounds below champion Snow Chief.
As an individual
A handsome bay horse, Danzig Connection had the muscular build of his sire over a somewhat rangier body. He was officially retired to stud in November 1986 after experiencing recurrent issues with chips in his right knee, a problem that had earlier kept him out of the Kentucky Derby. He developed a dipped topline as he aged.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Danzig Connection sired 393 winners (46.9%) and 21 stakes winners (2.5%) from 838 named foals.
Noted progeny
Cantoreal (VEN), Iktamal (GB)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Danzig Connection was bred by Henryk de Kwiatkowski's Kennelot Stable and raced in de Kwiatkowski's colors. He was trained by Woody Stephens and was ridden to his Classic score by Chris McCarron. He entered stud in Kentucky in 1987 at Wimbledon Farm. After being sold in September 1997, he stood at Collin Stud, England, with shuttle duty at Lakewood Stud in Australia. In 2003, he was sent to Italy, where he stood at Allevamento Ca Torre di Canicarao Ragusa. He died in Sicily on December 1, 2010.
Pedigree notes
Danzig Connection is inbred 5x5 to 1936 Derby Stakes winner and 1946 American champion sire Mahmoud. He is a full brother to 1989 Dwyer Handicap (USA-G2) winner Roi Danzig and a half brother to Robust (by Conquistador Cielo), dam of listed stakes winner War Giant (by Data Link)
Gdynia, the dam of Danzig Connection, is a half sister to Grade 3 winner Proponent (by Gallant Man) and to Grade 2-placed Rajab (by Jaipur), a useful regional sire in Florida. She is also a half sister to Oratorio (by Fleet Nasrullah), dam of stakes winners Visto (by Transworld) and Spruce Song (by Verbatim), second dam of Grade 3 winner Ascutney, and third dam of 2000 Del Mar Oaks (USA-G1) winner No Matter What, 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1) winner Raven's Pass, multiple Grade 2 winner E Dubai and Grade 3 winners Polonius and Gigawatt. In addition, Gdynia is a half sister to Gaebale (by Gallant Man), dam of 1985 Widener Handicap (USA-G1) winner Pine Circle (by Cox's Ridge) and third dam of Grade 2 winners Aztec Hill and Proper Gamble, and to Eastern Classic (by Damascus), dam of Grade 3 winner Oriental (by Seattle Slew).
Gdynia and her siblings were produced from the winning Princequillo mare Classicist, a half sister to 1963 Chicagoan Stakes winner B. Major (by Summer Tan); to stakes-placed Lincoln Center (by Royal Gem II), dam of multiple stakes winner Center Circle (by Olden Times); and to Summer Classic (by Summer Tan), dam of 1977 American champion sprinter What a Summer (by What Luck) and, through her, second dam of Grade 3 winner Gather the Clan. Classicist is also a half sister to Tympanist (by Tompion), dam of Grade 3 winner Sweet Old Girl (by Olden Times) and is out of the winning Stymie mare Classic Music, whose half siblings include 1952 Jersey Stakes winner King Jolie (by Platter) and Lysistrata (by Palestinian), dam of 1970 French champion 2-year-old filly and 1971 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, FR-G1) winner Bold Fascinator (by Bold Lad), 1967 Flamingo Stakes winner Reflected Glory (by Jester) and 1965 Governor's Gold Cup winner Isle of Greece (by Porterhouse).
Books and media
Danzig Connection is profiled in Chapter 11 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Danzig Connection's name alludes to the Polish (or Danzig) Corridor, a strip of land connecting the main body of the nation of Poland with the Baltic Sea during the Second Polish Republic (1920-1939). Its northern end was dominated by the Free City of Danzig (now the Polish city of Gdansk) and the nearby port of Gdynia. Historically settled primarily by Poles but with a sizable German population and lying between Germany's Weimar Republic and the German province of East Prussia, the area was a source of political friction between Poland and Germany throughout its existence and was forcibly taken by Nazi Germany during the conquest of Poland in 1939.
- Danzig Connection was the last of Woody Stephens' five consecutive Belmont Stakes winners. The others were Conquistador Cielo (1982), Caveat (1983), Swale (1984), and Creme Fraiche (1985). He went off at the longest odds of any of the group (8-1) and posted the slowest winning time (though in fairness, he also faced the slowest running conditions).
- Perhaps significantly, Danzig Connection was one of only two horses in his edition of the Belmont Stakes wearing mud caulks (horseshoes designed to provide improved traction on a wet surface). The other was Fobby Forbes, who finished fifth.
- The only match between any of Stephens' Belmont winners came in the 1986 Jockey Club Gold Cup, when Creme Fraiche won and Danzig Connection ran third.
- Woody Stephens may have been the reason Danzig Connection even existed, as it was his advocacy with Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farm that secured his brilliant but fragile trainee Danzig a place at stud there. Helped along by the opportunities he received at Claiborne, Danzig ended up becoming a three-time American champion sire.
- Danzig Connection was the first winner of an American Triple Crown race for National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, who later won the Kentucky Derby with Alysheba (1987) and Go for Gin (1994), the Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) with Alysheba (1987) and Pine Bluff (1992), and the Belmont Stakes with Touch Gold (1997).
Last updated: December 19, 2024