Deputy Minister (May 17, 1979 – September 10, 2004) was a Canadian-bred

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 c ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

Champion. At age two, he won eight out of his nine starts and was voted both the

Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

and

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

s for Champion 2-Year-Old in Canada and the United States respectively. He also received Canada's

Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, ...

. Although his three-year-old campaign was restricted by injury, Deputy Minister rebounded at age four with several major wins. Retired to stud in 1984, Deputy Minister became an outstanding sire, leading the North American sire list in 1997 and 1998. His most famous offspring were Hall of Fame fillies Go For Wand and

Open Mind Open-mindedness is receptiveness to new ideas. Open-mindedness relates to the way in which people approach the views and knowledge of others." Jason Baehr defines an open-minded person as one who "characteristically moves beyond or temporarily sets ...

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

winner

Touch Gold Touch Gold (foaled May 26, 1994 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of the Classic Belmont Stakes, in which he ended Silver Charm's bid for the U.S. Triple Crown. Background Sired by Canadian Horse Raci ...

and

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 o ...

winner

Awesome Again Awesome Again (March 29, 1994December 15, 2020) was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and stallion. As a three-year-old, he won the Queen's Plate in Canada and the Jim Dandy Stakes in the United States. He was undefeated at age four ...

. Deputy Minister was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1988.

Background

Deputy Minister was a dark bay horse with a small white star on his forehead. He was bred in Ontario by Centurion Farms, owned by Mort and Marjoh Levy. He was sired by

Vice Regent Vice Regent (April 29, 1967 – June 18, 1995) was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse and Canada's leading sire for thirteen years. Owned and bred by E. P. Taylor, he was from Northern Dancer's second crop and out of the mare Victori ...

, a full brother to Canadian Champion

Viceregal A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

. Although Viceregal was the better racehorse, Vice Regent proved to be the better sire, leading the Canadian sire list 13 times. Both horses were by leading sire

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred who, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. He then became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canad ...

and out of the talented racemare Victoria Regina, who was closely related to several Canadian champions including

Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to: Places Australia * Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales * Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse * Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...

and

Canadiana Canadiana is a term used to describe things (e.g., books, historical documents, and artifacts), ideas, or activities that concern or are distinctive of Canada, its people, and/or its culture, especially works of literature and other cultural pro ...

. Deputy Minister's dam Mint Copy was claimed by the Levys for only $6,250 and went on to become a stakes-placed racehorse. She also came from a distinguished female family. Deputy Minister originally raced for the Levys, who sold a half interest to Kinghaven Farms during the colt's two-year-old campaign. Due Process Stables purchased a half interest in the colt in January 1982 for a reported $6 million, then became the horse's sole owner during 1983. Deputy Minister was trained by Bill Marko for his first six races as a two-year-old before he was moved to the barn of John J. Tammaro Jr. In 1983, Reynaldo Nobles became his new trainer. Deputy Minister stood high. He had an excellent shoulder and good hips but according to Tammaro was "unsound in the feet and ankles at all times." Fred Seitz, the owner of Brookdale Farm where he stood as a stallion, said, "He was a tough, masculine horse. He was a handful, but in a good sense."

Racing career

1981: Two-year-old campaign

At age two, Deputy Minister won eight of nine starts, including two

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

wins in the United States. His only loss that year came in the Champagne Stakes where he finished fourth. He won his first start in a maiden special weight race at

Woodbine Racetrack Woodbine Racetrack is a race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, the King's Plate. The tra ...

on May 10, 1981. He then won his next five races, all stakes races: * the

Victoria Stakes The Victoria Stakes is a thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Held in mid June, it has been raced on Polytrack since 2006 over a distance of five furlongs. In 2015 it was changed to six furlongs. O ...

on May 18 at Woodbine over a distance of 5

furlongs A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...

, setting a new track record of :57 * the Youthful Stakes on June 8 at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

over furlongs * the

Clarendon Stakes The Clarendon Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race currently run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Held in early July, the sprint race is open to two-year-old horses foaled in the Province of Ontario and is contested over ...

on June 21 at Woodbine over furlongs * the

Colin Stakes The Colin Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the later half of July at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Open to two-year-old horses, it is contested over a distance of 6 furlongs on Tapeta and currently carries ...

on July 11 at Woodbine over 6 furlongs * the

Bull Page Stakes The Bull Page Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. An Ontario Sire Stakes, it is a restricted race for two-year-old Colts and Geldings. It is raced over a distance of ...

on August 2 at Woodbine over 6 furlongs A part interest in Deputy Minister was sold to Kinghaven Stables, for whom Tammaro was the private trainer. Marko was supposed to remain in charge of the colt with Tammaro acting as the overseer, but Marko reportedly resented the situation. After Marko did not get the necessary visas for the horse to race in the

Hopeful Stakes The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has ...

in the United States in August, Deputy Minister was formally moved to the Tammaro's stable. Tammaro planned to enter him in the Arlington-Washington Futurity but the colt came down with a virus, causing a short layoff. He returned to racing on October 10 in the Grade I Champagne Stakes, finishing fourth. He quickly rebounded with two Grade I stakes wins: * the

Laurel Futurity The Laurel Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late September at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Run over a distance of miles on turf, at one time it was a Grade I stakes race on dirt, and one of the riches ...

on October 24 at Laurel Park over furlongs, and * the

Young America Stakes The Young America Stakes is a discontinued Thoroughbred horse race that was run annually at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Inaugurated in 1977, the Young America Stakes evolved to become an important end of October/early ...

on November 5 at the Meadowlands over furlongs Deputy Minister was named the

Canadian Horse of the Year The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, ...

and also received

and

s as the Champion Two-Year Colt in Canada and the United States respectively. On the

Experimental Free Handicap The Jockey Club is the breed registry for Thoroughbred horses in the United States and Canada. It is dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing and fulfills that mandate by serving many segments of the industry through its s ...

, he was the co-highweight with Timely Writer at 126 pounds, the first Canadian-bred horse to achieve this honor.

1982: Three-year-old campaign

Deputy Minister started 1982 as one of the early favorites for the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. He made his first start of the year on January 27 in the Bahamas Stakes at

Hialeah Park The Hialeah Park Race Track (also known as the Hialeah Race Track or Hialeah Park) is a historic racetrack in Hialeah, Florida, Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenu ...

as the even money favorite, but finished a well beaten fifth behind the lightly regarded

Aloma's Ruler Aloma's Ruler (1979–2003) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the second leg of the 1982 U.S. Triple Crown series, the Preakness Stakes. Background Aloma's Ruler was purchased for $92,000 at the 1981 Hialeah, Florida sale of two-y ...

, who later went on to win the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

. After the race, Deputy Minister was diagnosed with a severely bruised and wrenched right front ankle. Trying to stay on target for the Derby, Deputy Minister returned to racing on February 24 in a $25,000 prep race for the

Flamingo Stakes The Flamingo Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of a mile and one-eighth. Run as the Florida Derby until 1937, the inaugural event took place at Tampa Downs on February 27, 1926. There was ...

but finished ninth. His jockey

Don MacBeth Donald MacBeth (August 29, 1949 – March 1, 1987) was a Canadian Hall of Fame jockey in North American Thoroughbred racing. Born in Red Deer, Alberta, Macbeth rode horses at Alberta racetracks before going to race in the United States. Among ho ...

said the colt felt sound, but Tammaro subsequently withdrew him from the Flamingo. Deputy Minister would not return to racing until October 28 when he won an allowance race at Woodbine. He finished the year with a seventh place finish in the Sports Page Handicap at Aqueduct on November 21.

1983: Four-year-old campaign

In 1983 and now trained by Nobles, Deputy Minister won three straight races: * the

Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship The Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older at a distance of six furlongs on the dirt run annually in early mid-February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event c ...

at Gulfstream Park on January 29 at a distance of 7 furlongs * the

Donn Handicap The Donn Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1959 through 2016 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A race for horses age four and older, it was contested on turf from inception through 1964 at a distance ...

at Gulfstream on February 12 at a distance of 9 furlongs, and * the

Tom Fool Handicap The Tom Fool Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-olds and older at a distance of six furlongs on the dirt run annually in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. The event currently of ...

at Belmont Park on July 17 at a distance of 7 furlongs "You wouldn't believe what this horse's foot looked like in February," said Nobles after the Tom Fool. "He only had half a foot. He'd gotten it all infected with a piece of gravel, and we had to cut half his foot out. But it grew back, and he's all recovered from all his physical problems right now. He's the best he's ever been." The Tom Fool proved to be Deputy Minister's last win. In his last six starts, Deputy Minister finished second twice (in the

Meadowlands Cup The Monmouth Cup Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles annually in early July at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event currently offers a purse of $400,000 ...

and the

Stuyvesant Handicap The Stuyvesant Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in the fall of the year at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Inaugurated in 1916, after its 58th running in 2008, the race was discontinued. A Grade III event for ...

), third twice (in an allowance race and the

Vosburgh Stakes The Vosburgh Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run at the end of September/early October, it is open to horses three-years-old and up of either gender. A Grade II sprint race, it is ...

) and was unplaced twice. In his final start in the Meadowlands Cup, he broke slowly and encountered traffic problem was still beaten by just a neck. Sportswriter Steven Crist called him "game and gallant in defeat."

Retirement

Deputy Minister was retired to stand 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 ...

at the

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

branch of

Windfields Farm Windfields Farm was a six square kilometre (1,500 acre) Thoroughbred horse breeding farm that was founded by businessman E. P. Taylor in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Origin The first stable and breeding operation of E. P. Taylor originated w ...

, where he sired future U.S. Hall of Famer Go for Wand. In 1989, Windfields closed down its Maryland branch after the retirement of Northern Dancer. As a result, Deputy Minister was moved to Fred Seitz's Brookdale Farm in

Versailles, Kentucky Versailles () is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 9,316 according to 2017 cen ...

, where he spent the rest of his life. A career sire of 90

Graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is the ...

winners, Deputy Minister was the leading sire in North America in 1997 and 1998. Several sons went on to become successful stallions while his daughters also became successful producers, causing Deputy Minister to be the leading broodmare sire of 2007. His stud fee reached $150,000 for the years 1999 to 2002. In 1988, he was inducted into the

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The ...

. Deputy Minister died of a

malignant tumor Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal ble ...

at the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

veterinary hospital in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, and was buried at Brookdale Farm.

Selected progeny

Deputy Minister was the sire of 90 stakes winners, 17 of whom were Grade I winners, including: * Go For Wand : Champion Filly at ages two (1989) and three (1990) with seven GI wins, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame (1996) *

: won seven Grade I stakes including Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, voted

American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly The American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both t ...

(1988)

American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly The American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both ...

(1989), Hall of Fame inductee (2011) *

Queen's Plate The King's Plate (known as the Queen's Plate between 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest Thoroughbred horse race, having been founded in 1860. It is also the oldest continuously run race in North America. It is run at a distance of ...

(1997),

(1998), Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (2001) *

(1997),

Haskell Invitational Handicap The Haskell Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event is a signature event at Monmouth P ...

(1997) * Deputy Commander :

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 ...

(1997),

Super Derby The Super Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually in September at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana. Inaugurated in 1980, the Super Derby is open to three-year-olds and the distance is miles on the dirt. Currently a Gr ...

(1997) * Dehere : U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old-Colt (1993) * Mane Minister : won

Santa Catalina Stakes The Robert B. Lewis Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses at the distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt held annually in late January or early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif ...

(1991), third in all three

American Triple Crown In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three r ...

races *

Keeper Hill Keeper Hill or Slievekimalta ()Slievekimalta or Keeper Hill

Las Virgenes Stakes The Las Virgenes Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over the distance of one mile on the dirt scheduled annually in late January or early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The eve ...

(1998),

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday ...

(1998) * Yarrow Brae : won

Illinois Derby The Illinois Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses for three year olds run over a distance of one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on the dirt at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, just west of Chicago in early April each year. ...

, placed in

Derby Trial Stakes The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $500,000. History ...

Jim Beam Stakes The Spiral Stakes (known as the Jeff Ruby Steaks, a homophone of the word Stakes, for commercial reasons) is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race at a distance of a one and one-eighth miles on the synthetic track in late March at Turfway ...

, and Golden State Mile Stakes (all in 1998) Several of Deputy Minister's sons went on to become successful sires themselves. Deputy Minister is the grandsire of such notable horses as: *

Ghostzapper Ghostzapper (foaled April 6, 2000) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2004, outdistancing Roses in May by three lengths in a track record time of 1:59.02. His gate-to-wire Classic victory completed a 4-for-4 season, ...

, by Awesome Again – Hall of Fame inductee, American Horse of the Year (2004), World's Top Ranked Horse (2004) *

Silverbulletday Silverbulletday (foaled January 22, 1996 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred champion racehorse. Bred in Kentucky, she was sired by Silver Deputy and out of the GII winning mare Rokeby Rose. Her damsire was Tom Rolfe, the 1965 Preakness Sta ...

, by

Silver Deputy Silver Deputy (February 25, 1985, in Ontario – October 4, 2014) was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse best known as a top sire in North America. He was a son of Deputy Minister, who was an Eclipse and Sovereign Award winning runner and the 199 ...

– Hall of Fame inductee, American Champion 2-Year-Old Filly of 1998 and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly of 1999. Multiple G1 race winner including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies,

* Wilko, by Awesome Again – 2004

Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup ...

Archers Bay Archers Bay (1995–2002) was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse known for winning the first two legs of the 1998 Canadian Triple Crown. He was sired by Silver Deputy and out of the stakes-winning mare, Adorned, a daughter of the 1975 French De ...

, by Silver Deputy – Canadian Champion Three-Year-Old Colt *

Left Bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography, as follows. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terra ...

, by French Deputy – 2002

American Champion Older Male Horse The title of American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part of ...

* Kurofune, by French Deputy – 1998 Japanese Champion Dirt Horse * Round Pond, by Awesome Again – Breeders' Cup Distaff (2006) *

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 ...

, by Deputy Commander –

Ohio Derby The Ohio Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-to-late June at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio. The Grade III stakes for three-year-olds is run on dirt over a distance of 1 miles. The race currently offers a purs ...

(2006),

Tampa Bay Derby The Tampa Bay Derby is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old horses over the distance of miles on the dirt scheduled annually in March at Tampa Bay Downs racetrack in Oldsmar, Florida. The event currently carries a purse ...

(2006) * Ginger Punch, by Awesome Again – multiple G1 winner including 2007 Breeders' Cup Distaff, Champion Older Female Horse of 2007 * Paynter, by Awesome Again –

(2012) *

Oxbow __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term " oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-shaped meander in a rive ...

, by Awesome Again –

(2013) *

Game On Dude Game On Dude (foaled April 26, 2007 in Kentucky) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse gelding. He won fourteen graded stakes races, including eight Grade I stakes: the Santa Anita Handicap in 2011, 2013, and 2014 the only horse to have wo ...

, by Awesome Again – multiple graded stakes winner Deputy Minister was also an outstanding broodmare sire, leading the North American list in 2007 thanks mainly to Horse of the Year Curlin. One of his daughters,

Better Than Honour {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Better Than Honour , image = , sire = Deputy Minister , grandsire = Vice Regent , dam = Blush With Pride , damsire = Blushing Groom , sex = Mare , foaled = 1996 , country = United States , colour ...

, became

Kentucky Broodmare of the Year The Kentucky Broodmare of the Year is selected each year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. The title is considered the highest honor an American thoroughbred broodmare can receive, as the majority of American breeding s ...

after siring back-to-back winners of the

Jazil Jazil (February 11, 2003 – October 11, 2014) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2006, Jazil dead-heated for fourth place in the Kentucky Derby but then won the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown. Connections Ja ...

and

Rags To Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...

. Deputy Minister is the damsire of many notable horses including: *

Sarava Sarava (foaled March 2, 1999 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2002 Belmont Stakes. Background Sired by the 1984 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Wild Again, Sarava was out of the mare Rhythm of Life, a ...

: winner of the 2002

Halfbridled Halfbridled (foaled February 2, 2001 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2003 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. Background Halfbridled is a bay mare bred by in Kentucky by the French-based Wertheimer et Frère, who ...

: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (2003), U.S. Champion 2-Yr-Old Filly (2003) *

Kane Hekili Kane Hekili (February 26, 2002 -May 25, 2016) was a Thoroughbred racehorse named after "The Thunder God" in Hawaiian mythology. In 2005 and 2006 he won four Grade 1 races on dirt in Japan and finished fourth to Electrocutionist in the 2006 Duba ...

, multi-millionaire colt, won four Grade 1 races in Japan including the 2005

Japan Cup Dirt The Champions Cup ( JPN G-1, formerly the ''Japan Cup Dirt'' until 2013) is a thoroughbred horse race contested in Japan in early December. It is run for three-year-olds and older at a distance of 1,800 meters. In recent years, the race has follow ...

* Bob and John :

Wood Memorial Stakes The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memorial ...

(2006) *

Curlin Curlin (foaled March 25, 2004, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the American Horse of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. He retired in 2008 as the highest North American money earner with over US$10.5 ...

: 2007 and 2008 American Horse of the Year, Preakness Stakes, Breeders' Cup Classic, Dubai World Cup, two-time winner of the

Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the s ...

Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...

(2007),

(2007) *

Man of Iron ''Man of Iron'' ( pl, Człowiek z żelaza) is a 1981 film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It depicts the Solidarity labour movement and its first success in persuading the Polish government to recognize the workers' right to an independent union. Th ...

Breeders' Cup Marathon The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up, and contested on dirt at usually at a distance of miles. The race has a purse of US$350,000. It is run as part of the underca ...

(2009) * Tapizar : 2012 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile *

Frosted Frosted (stylised as FroSTed) was an American pop punk band, founded by ex-Go-Go's guitarist and singer Jane Wiedlin in 1995. The band was so-named because ''"it sounds sweet"''.''The Daily Aztec''link) The letters S and T were capitalised in tr ...

: 2015

Wood Memorial The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memoria ...

, 2016

Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 furl ...

and

Whitney Handicap The Whitney Stakes (run as the Whitney Handicap through 2013 and still sometimes referred to as such) is an American Grade 1 stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of miles. The current purse is $1 ...

Pedigree

References

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Deputy Minister's pedigree and racing stats
1979 racehorse births 2004 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in King, Ontario Racehorses trained in Canada Horse racing track record setters Eclipse Award winners Sovereign Award winners Canadian Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires American Champion Thoroughbred broodmare sires Thoroughbred family 10-a