Sunday Silence Dies

Provided by Brisnet.com
20 August 2002 _______________________________

Hall of Famer and 1989 Horse of the Year SUNDAY SILENCE (Halo), who couldn't be sold at public auction and later became virtually priceless, both on the track and in the breeding shed, died Monday in Japan of a heart attack. The 16-year-old leading Japanese sire had been suffering from laminitis recently and was taken off stud duty in May. He stood at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, after being purchased for stud duty.

Sunday Silence is best remembered on the racetrack from his duels in 1989 with Easy Goer. He defeated his eastern rival three times in four tries, the wins coming in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness S. (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The latter guaranteed his honor as Horse of the Year, and in a strange sort of way, the favorite lost all four of their races.

Easy Goer, an Ogden Phipps homebred, gained a measure of revenge when he captured the Belmont S. (G1), thwarting Sunday Silence's bid for a Triple Crown. They were 1-2 in each of their matchups, thus preventing either from a Triple Crown of their own. Since 1978, only Sunday Silence and Easy Goer and then Real Quiet and Victory Gallop in 1998 have achieved this dominance.

Sunday Silence and Easy Goer almost certainly had the best rivalry since Affirmed and Alydar in 1978, and there arguably hasn't been one in that same league since. Easy Goer, a son of Alydar, was able to get one leg of the classics that was denied his sire. He died in May of 1994.

Trained by the late Charlie Whittingham, who called Sunday Silence the best horse he had ever saddled, Sunday Silence raced only three times as a two-year-old, losing his first start before breaking his maiden by 10 lengths. He then lost by a head to another distinguished member of the 1986 crop, that being Houston, a son of Seattle Slew who brought $2.9 million as a yearling.

Ridden primarily by Pat Valenzuela, and once by both Aaron Gryder and Chris McCarron, Sunday Silence began his three-year-old season with an allowance victory, followed by a score in the San Felipe S. (G2) and then an 11-length annihilation of his nearest pursuer in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Despite those impressive showings, the bettors at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby weren't so impressed, sending Sunday Silence off at 3-1 and making the entry of Easy Goer and Awe Inspiring the heavy favorite.

Sunday Silence handled the mud with alarming ease in unseasonably cold Kentucky weather and defeated Easy Goer by 2 1/2 lengths. Awe Inspiring came in third.

Despite the Derby win, Sunday Silence went off the second choice to Easy Goer once again in the Preakness. In what was probably one of history's top 10 races, Sunday Silence got his head in front in the nick of time and was up on his rival two to zip.

Handling Easy Goer on his home track of Belmont Park proved too much, however, and Sunday Silence finished eight lengths back in second.

Just over a month later, Sunday Silence was upset by an emerging Prized in the Swaps S. (G2) at Hollywood Park. Sunday Silence then took the Super Derby (G1) at Louisiana Downs by a commanding six lengths and didn't race until the Breeders' Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park.

It was in the Classic where McCarron rode the near-black colt, and the Hall of Fame rider, ever the smart tactician, used Gulfstream's relatively tight turns to full advantage. As the field entered the far turn, Easy Goer was right to the outside of his rival and appeared poised to pounce at any moment, but McCarron helped Sunday Silence spread out the margin to two lengths as they entered the stretch. This had the effect of leaving Easy Goer with too much to do, and the chestnut was too late to get his rival.

Sadly, it was the last time the two would meet. Sunday Silence competed twice as a four-year-old, winning the Californian S. (G1) and then losing by a head to eventual Horse of the Year Criminal Type, another son of Alydar, in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1). Easy Goer's last race came two weeks later on Independence Day in the Suburban H. (G1) at Belmont.

Prior to beating Sunday Silence in the Gold Cup, Criminal Type defeated Easy Goer in the Met Mile (G1), thus becoming the only horse ever to defeat both giants.

Sunday Silence earned $4,968,554 from a line of 14-9-5. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1996.

He was sold for stud duty at Shadai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido, and the rest is history. Among those he sired include champions Dance Partner, Marvelous Sunday, Bubble Gum Fellow, Air Shakur, To the Victory, Stinger, Dance in the Dark, Cheers Grace, Fuji Kiseki and Mejiro Bailey.