Deputy Commander (foaled in 1994 in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

– October 7, 2009) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse.

Background

Bred by Crystal Springs Farm near

Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...

, he was a son of North American Champion sire Deputy Minister and out of the Grade 1-winning turf

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than fo ...

, Anka Germania who captured the 1988 Sword Dancer Invitational over subsequent Eclipse-winning turf horse Sunshine Forever. He was sold by Denali Stud as a

weanling A weanling is an animal that has just been weaned. The term is usually used to refer to a type of young horse, a foal that has been weaned, usually between six months and a year. Once it is a year old, the horse is referred to as a yearling. The ...

at the November 1995 Keeneland Sales to Horizon Stable, a partnership put together by trainer

Wallace Dollase Wallace Arthur "Wally" Dollase (August 1, 1937 – October 30, 2015) was an American trainer and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses. Among his numerous Graded stakes race wins, Dollase won the 1996 Breeders' Cup Distaff with Jewel Princess who was ...

Racing career

A late developer, Deputy Commander never made it to the 1997 Kentucky Derby. However, by autumn he had matured into a powerful colt who won the

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds acco ...

and the Super Derby before running second to

Skip Away Skip Away (April 4, 1993 – May 14, 2010), was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1998 Horse of the Year, 1996 Champion Three-Year-Old, and 1997 and 1998 Champion Handicap Horse. He won 10 Grade One races for $9,616,360 in ...

in the 1997

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...

Hollywood Park Racetrack Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, the original Hollywood Park Casino was added to t ...

Stud record

After being retired from racing, Deputy Commander stood at

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay ba ...

Stonerside Stable Stonerside Stable is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding farm and horse racing operation near Paris, Kentucky. Until September 2008 it was owned by Robert and Janice McNair, who also own the National Football League team, the Houston Texans. ...

and

Airdrie Stud Woodburn Stud was an American horse breeding farm located in Woodford County, Kentucky about ten miles (16 km) from the city of Lexington. It was established in the 18th century as an original land grant property of General Hugh Mercer to ...

, and in 2007 stood at stud at Ballena Vista Farm in

Ramona, California Ramona is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,292 at the 2010 census. The name ''Ramona'' also refers to an unincorporated community (with some plans to incorporate) that includes both the ...

.http://www.ballenavistafarm.com/stud_roster_fr.html Deputy Commander at Ballena Vista Farm Among his progeny are Grab Your Heart and

Deputy Glitters Deputy Glitters (foaled April 27, 2003 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a contender for the U.S. Triple Crown in 2006. Connections Deputy Glitters is owned and bred by Joseph LaCombe Stable Inc. and trained by Thomas ...

as well as Ten Most Wanted, who followed in his sire's footsteps by winning both the Travers Stakes and the Super Derby. Due to a decline in his physiological and neurological health, he was euthanized October 7, 2009.

References

{{reflist 1994 racehorse births 2009 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 16-f