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Dehere dies in Turkey Dehere, the champion two-year-old colt of 1993 who went on to a successful career as a stallion, died Friday of a heart attack at the Turkish Jockey Club's stud farm in Izmir. The son of Deputy Minister was 23 years old. Hailed by Hall of Famer Chris McCarron as the best two-year-old he'd ever ridden, Dehere often displayed a superior burst of acceleration during his championship campaign. The Reynaldo Nobles trainee rolled by four lengths in his career debut with Joe Bravo at Monmouth, and rallied in time for Eddie Maple to capture the Saratoga Special. Dehere's partnership with McCarron began in the Sanford, where he powered five lengths clear in an eye-catching effort. The bay went to the early lead for the first time in the Hopeful, withstanding a pace battle through fast fractions to pull away by 2 1/2 lengths, and completed a rare sweep of Saratoga's historic juvenile stakes. His unbeaten sequence was halted in the Futurity at Belmont, but he lost no caste in narrowly failing to catch a future Hall of Famer in Holy Bull, and Dehere rebounded in style with a four-length romp in the Champagne. Bet down to 3-5 favoritism in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, Dehere was in contention before uncharacteristically giving way. He wound up eighth, beaten more than a dozen lengths by Brocco. It was later discovered that he had bled badly, and that was only the first of his misfortunes on the road to the Kentucky Derby. Dehere overcame a minor illness during the winter to make his sophomore bow in a Gulfstream Park allowance, tiring late for second. Two weeks later, he moved forward off that tightener to win the Fountain of Youth over eventual Kentucky Derby winner Go for Gin. Soon after, in early March of 1994, Dehere fractured his right hind cannon bone in a workout at Palm Beach Downs. His Derby dreams were ended, and as it turned out, so was his racing career. A homebred campaigned by Robert Brennan's Due Process Stables, Dehere retired with a record of 9-6-2-0, $723,712. Dehere became a sire of international import, standing at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Kentucky, shuttling to Australia and spending time in Japan before moving to Turkey in 2010. He sired several notable U.S. performers, led by multiple Grade 1 queen and $2.4 million-earner Take Charge Lady and multiple Grade 2-winning millionaire Graeme Hall. Take Charge Lady has become an excellent broodmare, producing 2013 champion three-year-old male Will Take Charge as well as Grade 1 hero Take Charge Indy. Graeme Hall has carved out a solid record at stud himself, his leading runner being Grade 2 winner and $1.9 million-earner Duke of Mischief. But Dehere had particular success in Australia, where his top progeny include 2000 Golden Slipper winner Belle Du Jour, a highweight both Down Under and in Ireland; multiple Group 1 star Defier; 2012 VRC Oaks heroine Dear Demi; Invest, victorious in the same year's Australasian Oaks; and Group 1 vixen Bollinger, dam of Grade 2 winner Friesan Fire. As a broodmare sire, Dehere is also responsible for champion and top young sire Midnight Lute; last year's Donn Handicap winner Graydar and Del Mar Futurity hero Tamarando; 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner More Than Real; 2007 Golden Slipper victress Forensics and fellow multiple Australian Group 1 scorer Rebel Raider; and up-and-coming Hong Kong speedster Divine Ten, who landed the Bauhinia Sprint Trophy on April 6. Named after basketball star Terry Dehere, he was a full brother to the aptly-named Defrere, a stakes-placed sire himself. They were produced by the multiple stakes-placed Secretariat mare Sister Dot, whose other descendants include Grade/Group 2 winners Dixie City and Hanks. Dehere's second dam, the Damascus mare Sword Game, was a full sister to multiple Grade 2-winning sire Diabolo.
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