As we approach the 50th anniversary of Northern Dancer’s win in the Kentucky Derby, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame has taken a look back at the individual that immediately became a Canadian hero with his win in one of horse racing’s greatest events.

It took Northern Dancer exactly two minutes to become a national hero in Canada. That was how long it took the stocky, bay colt, ridden by Bill Hartack, to run the mile and one-quarter distance of the Kentucky Derby on May 2, 1964, defeating Hill Rise by a neck. Not only was it one of the most thrilling stretch runs in Derby history at Louisville’s Churchill Downs, it was the fastest time in which the most famous horse race in the United States had been run, a record that was later surpassed by Secretariat in 1973. For more information on Northern Dancer, click here.

The footage of Northern Dancer’s iconic ‘Derby’ win appears below.

To have a look at Northern Dancer's Timeline, click here.

(With files from the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame)