Highest Honor (Fr), France’s leading sire in 1995 and 2000, died of a heart attack on Thursday at Haras du Quesnay in Deauville, France. He was 26.

Pensioned following the 2008 season, Highest Honor sired Group or Grade 1 winners Sagacity, Marotta, Dedication (Fr), Admise (Fr), Reve d’Oscar, and Medaaly among 71 stakes winners from 19 crops of racing age. His progeny earned $37,920,839 through Thursday.

Dedication and Admise both were graded stakes winners in the United States. Highest Honor’s son Verglas (Ire) stands at the Irish National Stud and sired recent Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1) (French Two Thousand Guineas) winner Silver Frost.

Bred by Petra Bloodstock, Highest Honor was France’s highweighted older horse between seven and 9 ½ furlongs in 1987, when he won the Prix d’Ispahan (Fr-G1) and finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Hollywood Park.

Trained by Pascal Bary for Issam Fares, the breeder of Curlin, Highest Honor won four of 14 career starts and earned $288,100.