Deputy Minister | |
---|---|
Sire | Vice Regent |
Grandsire | Northern Dancer |
Dam | Mint Copy |
Damsire | Bunty's Flight |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 1979 |
Country | Canada |
Colour | Dark Bay |
Breeder | Centurion Farm |
Owner | Centurion Stables Kinghaven Farms Due Process Stable |
Trainer |
Bill Marko (1981) John J. Tammaro Jr. (1981-2) Reynaldo H. Nobles (1983) |
Record | 22: 12-2-2 |
Earnings | US$696,964 |
Major wins | |
Colin Stakes (1981) Clarendon Stakes (1981) Youthful Stakes (1981) Laurel Futurity (1981) Young America Stakes (1981) Tom Fool Handicap (1983) Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship (1983) Donn Handicap (1983) |
|
Awards | |
American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse (1981) Canadian Champion 2-Yr-Old Colt (1981) Canadian Horse of the Year (1981) Leading sire in North America (1997, 1998) Leading broodmare sire in North America (2007) |
|
Honours | |
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1988) Deputy Minister Handicap at Gulfstream Park Deputy Minister Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack |
Deputy Minister (May 17, 1979 – September 10, 2004) was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred horse racing Champion. At age two, he won eight out of his nine starts and was voted both the Sovereign and Eclipse Awards for Champion 2-Year-Old in Canada and the United States respectively. He also received Canada's Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year. 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, Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Awesome Again. Deputy Minister was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1988.
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, a full brother to Canadian Champion Viceregal. 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 and out of the talented racemare Victoria Regina, who was closely related to several Canadian champions including Victoria Park and Canadiana. 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.