# Dancing Maid > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dancing_Maid > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dancing_Maid.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Maid > Source revision: 1319317405 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse}} {{Infobox racehorse | horsename = Dancing Maid | image_name = | caption = | sire = [Lyphard](/source/Lyphard) | grandsire = [Northern Dancer](/source/Northern_Dancer) | dam = Morana | damsire = [Val de Loir](/source/Val_de_Loir) | sex = [Mare](/source/Mare) | foaled = 29 April 1975{{cite web|url=http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=720239®istry=T&horse_name=Dancing%20Maid%20(FR)&dam_name=*Morana&foaling_year=1975&nicking_stats_indicator=Y |title=Dancing Maid pedigree |website=Equineline|date=2014-03-07 |accessdate=2014-06-29}} | country = France | colour = [Bay](/source/Bay_(horse)) | breeder = [Jacques Wertheimer](/source/Jacques_Wertheimer) | owner = Jacques Wertheimer | trainer = [Alec Head](/source/Alec_Head) | record = 10:5-1-1 | earnings = | race = [Prix Vanteaux](/source/Prix_Vanteaux) (1978)
[Poule d'Essai des Pouliches](/source/Poule_d'Essai_des_Pouliches) (1978)
[Prix Chloé](/source/Prix_Chlo%C3%A9) (1978)
[Prix Vermeille](/source/Prix_Vermeille) (1978) | awards= Timeform rating 115 (1977). 126 (1978) | updated = }} '''Dancing Maid''' (29 April 1975 – 1982) was a French [Thoroughbred](/source/Thoroughbred) racehorse and [broodmare](/source/Horse_breeding). After winning one of her two races as a two-year-old she emerged as one of the best fillies in Europe in 1978, winning the [Prix Vanteaux](/source/Prix_Vanteaux), [Poule d'Essai des Pouliches](/source/Poule_d'Essai_des_Pouliches), [Prix Chloé](/source/Prix_Chlo%C3%A9) and [Prix Vermeille](/source/Prix_Vermeille). She also finished a close second in the [classic](/source/British_Classic_Races) [Epsom Oaks](/source/Epsom_Oaks) and third in Europe's most prestigious all-aged race, the [Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe](/source/Prix_de_l'Arc_de_Triomphe). She was retired from racing after one unsuccessful start as a four-year-old. She was not a success as a broodmare. ==Background== Dancing Maid was a lightly built{{cite book |author=Timeform staff| title=Racehorses of 1979| publisher=Timeform|year=1980|isbn=0-900599-29-4}} bay mare with a broad white [blaze](/source/blaze_(horse_marking)) and three white [socks](/source/sock_(horse_marking)) bred in France by her owner [Jacques Wertheimer](/source/Jacques_Wertheimer). She was from the second crop of foals sired by [Lyphard](/source/Lyphard), an American-bred stallion who raced in France, winning the [Prix Jacques Le Marois](/source/Prix_Jacques_Le_Marois) and [Prix de la Forêt](/source/Prix_de_la_For%C3%AAt) in 1972. Lyphard went on to become a very successful breeding stallion in both Europe and North America, siring [Three Troikas](/source/Three_Troikas), [Dancing Brave](/source/Dancing_Brave) and [Manila](/source/Manila_(horse)). Dancing Maid was the third foal of her dam, Morana and a granddaughter of Moira who finished fourth in the [Oaks Stakes](/source/Oaks_Stakes) in 1962. Moira's dam Madrilene, was closely related to Mincio, who won the [Poule d'Essai des Poulains](/source/Poule_d'Essai_des_Poulains) in 1960.{{cite web |url=http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family14b.htm |title=Admiration – Family 14-b |publisher=Thoroughbred Bloodlines |date= |accessdate=2014-06-29 |archive-date=2012-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524010640/http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family14b.htm |url-status=dead }} Wertheimer sent the filly into training with [Alec Head](/source/Alec_Head) at Chantilly. She was ridden in all of her major races by her trainer's son [Freddy Head](/source/Freddy_Head). Dancing Maid shared a breeder, owner, trainer and sire with another leading French filly of the same generation, [Reine de Saba](/source/Reine_de_Saba). ==Racing career== ===1977: two-year-old season=== After finishing fourth over 1500 metres on her debut, Dancing Maid won a [maiden race](/source/maiden_race) over 1700 metres at [Longchamp Racecourse](/source/Longchamp_Racecourse) in October, beating Gayka by half a [length](/source/Horse_length).{{cite book |author=Timeform staff| title=Racehorses of 1977| publisher=Timeform|year=1978|isbn=0-900599-25-1}} ===1978: three-year-old season=== Dancing Maid began her three-year-old season in the Prix Vanteaux over 1900 metres at Longchamp on 16 April. Starting the 4.4/1 second favourite, she won by one and a half [lengths](/source/horse_length) from Reine Mere. The filly was then dropped back in distance for the [Poule d'Essai des Pouliches](/source/Poule_d'Essai_des_Pouliches) over 1600m two weeks later and was made the 11/10 favourite against nine opponents. She led from the start and was never seriously challenged, winning by five lengths from Fruhlingstag with A Thousand Stars in third.{{cite book |author=Timeform staff| title=Racehorses of 1978| publisher=Timeform|year=1979|isbn=0-900599-27-8}} A month later, Dancing Maid was sent to England and moved up in distance for the 200th running of the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles at [Epsom Downs Racecourse](/source/Epsom_Downs_Racecourse). Starting favourite in a field of fifteen fillies she took the lead a quarter of a mile from the finish but was strongly challenged by [Fair Salinia](/source/Fair_Salinia). In a very close finish, Dancing Maid was caught in the final stride and beaten a short head by the British filly.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Rachel+Pagones+%26+Janet+Hickman+Bloodstock+Desk%3A+Fair+Salinia,+Epsom...-a0115022887 |author=Rachel Pagones & Janet Hickman |title=Fair Salinia, Epsom and Irish Oaks winner, dies aged 29 |work=Racing Post|date=7 April 2004 |accessdate=2014-05-21}} On 12 July, Dancing Maid was dropped in class and distance to contest the Prix Chloé over 1800 metres at Évry Racecourse. Accompanied by her [pacemaker](/source/pacemaker_(running)) Vallee des Fleurs she started at odds of 3/10 and won by half a length from Tintagel. On 17 September, Dancing Maid was made the 8/10 favourite for the Group One Prix Vermeille over 2400 metres at Longchamp, in which she was again matched against Fair Salinia. The field also included Calderina ([Prix de Malleret](/source/Prix_de_Malleret)), Tempus Fugit ([Prix Penelope](/source/Prix_Penelope), [Grand Prix de Vichy](/source/Grand_Prix_de_Vichy), [Prix de la Nonette](/source/Prix_de_la_Nonette)), A Thousand Stars and Relfo ([Ribblesdale Stakes](/source/Ribblesdale_Stakes)). Dancing Made tracked Fair Salinia, who set a strong pace but when the fillies turned into the straight Freddy Head found himself trapped on the inside rail with no room to make a challenge for the lead. Inside the final 200 metres a gap final appeared and Dancing Maid immediately accelerated, taking the lead in the final strides and winning by a length from Relfo with Amazer in third. Freddy Head elected to ride Dancing Maid in preference to the colt [Gay Mecene](/source/Gay_Mecene) when the filly started third favourite for the [Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe](/source/Prix_de_l'Arc_de_Triomphe) over the same course and distance on 1 October. She produced a strong run in the straight without ever looking likely to win and finished third of the eighteen runners behind the four-year-olds [Alleged](/source/Alleged_(horse)) and [Trillion](/source/Trillion_(horse)). Two weeks later, Dancing Maid was sent to England for a second time, but failed to reproduce her best form, finishing unplaced behind [Swiss Maid](/source/Swiss_Maid) in the [Champion Stakes](/source/Champion_Stakes). ===1979: four-year-old season=== Dancing Maid remained in training as a four-year-old but made only one appearance. On 29 April she started third favourite for the [Prix Ganay](/source/Prix_Ganay) over 2100 metres at Loncgchamp but finished sixth of the eight runners behind [Frere Basile](/source/Frere_Basile). ==Assessment== In 1977, the independent Timeform organisation awarded Dancing Maid a rating of 115, ten pounds below their top-rated two-year-old filly [Cherry Hinton](/source/Cherry_Hinton_(horse)) and described her as being "likely to make a very smart 3-y-o". A year later, she was given a Timeform rating of 126, making her the second-best three-year-old filly of 1978 behind Swiss Maid. In the official International Classification she was rated the third best filly of her generation behind Swiss Maid and the [Prix de Diane](/source/Prix_de_Diane) winner [Reine de Saba](/source/Reine_de_Saba). ==Breeding record== Dancing Maid was retired from racing to become a broodmare, but only produced one foal. Her daughter Dancing Vaguely a bay filly, foaled in Kentucky in 1981 and sired by [Vaguely Noble](/source/Vaguely_Noble), was a stakes winner in France, winning the 1984 Prix Belle du Nuit.{{cite web|last1=Staff|title=Mare Produce Records- Dancing Maid|url=https://www.equineline.com/MareProduceRecords.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=720239|website=Equineline.com|publisher=The Jockey Club Information Systems, Inc|accessdate=8 December 2015}} Dancing Maid died in 1982 and is buried in the equine cemetery at Hagyard Farm in [Lexington](/source/Lexington%2C_Kentucky).{{cite web|last1=Livingston|first1=Barbara|title=Grave Matters Farm Index|url=http://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmarks/Graves/GraveMattersFarmNAM.html|website=Thoroughbred Heritage|accessdate=8 December 2015}} ==Pedigree== {{Pedigree |name = Dancing Maid, bay mare, 1975 |f = [Lyphard](/source/Lyphard) (USA)
1969 |m = Morana (FR)
1968 |ff = [Northern Dancer](/source/Northern_Dancer) (CAN)
1961 |fm = Goofed (USA)
1960 |mf = [Val de Loir](/source/Val_de_Loir) (FR)
1959 |mm = Moira (FR)
1959 |fff = [Nearctic](/source/Nearctic_(horse)) |ffm = [Natalma](/source/Natalma) |fmf = [Court Martial](/source/Court_Martial_(horse)) |fmm = Barra |mff = [Vieux Manoir](/source/Vieux_Manoir) |mfm = Vali |mmf = [Sicambre](/source/Sicambre) |mmm = Madrilene |ffff = [Nearco](/source/Nearco) |fffm = Lady Angela |ffmf = [Native Dancer](/source/Native_Dancer) |ffmm = [Almahmoud](/source/Almahmoud) |fmff = [Fair Trial](/source/Fair_Trial_(horse)) |fmfm = Instantaneous |fmmf = Formor |fmmm = La Favorite |mfff = [Brantôme](/source/Brant%C3%B4me_(horse)) |mffm = Vieille Maison |mfmf = Sunny Boy |mfmm = Her Slipper |mmff = [Prince Bio](/source/Prince_Bio) |mmfm = Sif |mmmf = Goya |mmmm = Miraflore (Family 14-b) |}} ==References== {{reflist}} Category:1975 racehorse births Category:1982 racehorse deaths Category:Racehorses bred in France Category:Racehorses trained in France Category:Thoroughbred family 14-b --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dancing Maid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Maid) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Maid?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.