Sunday Silence, 1989 Kentucky Derby Winner

Sunday Silence was born in Paris, Kentucky on March 25, 1986. He was born to the prestigious Stone Farm's foundation stallion Halo, out of an Understanding mare named Wishing Well. He was a sickly foal, slab-sided and unimpressive, and nearly died of an illness in November of his weanling year. Twice, Stone Farm tried to sell him, and twice he was returned to the farm unsold. Arthur Hancock III, who always wanted a Derby winner, had no idea he was trying to sell the colt that would lead him to the roses.

Sunday Silence made it to the races late in his 2-year-old year. In a maiden race on October 30th, he ran 2nd. In his 2nd start, another maiden race run on November 13th, he crushed the field by 10 lengths in a scintillating time. Seeing his talent for the first time, his owner and trainer decided to see how he'd do with a step up in class, and entered him into an allowance race in December. He ran a game 2nd, and was then given a break until March, when his long road to the Kentucky Derby would begin.

March 19th, 1989 was Sunday Silence's debut as a 3-year-old and his debut into stakes company. He was entered in the Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita, and in that race he stamped himself as a legitimate contender by winning again in respectable time. It was followed by an absolutely dominating victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, where he left the field behind with an 11 length win. He was on his way to the Derby.

Derby Day 1989 dawned wet. The track, which dries out very quickly, was too wet that day, and even as post time approached it was still cuppy and heavy. The favorite, Easy Goer, was a bright chestnut colt who had dominated his East Coast rivals, winning his last race (the Gotham) by 13 lengths and only 1/5th off the world record. He was billed as the 2nd coming of Secretariat, and no one was paying attention to the black colt with the crooked blaze. Unfortunately for Easy Goer, the wet going didn't agree with him, and at the end of the long mile and a quarter, Sunday Silence had the lead by 2 1/2 lengths and the win.

The blanket of roses gave Hancock and Charlie Wittingham, the colt's trainer, their 2nd Derbies each (Hancock in 1982 with Gato Del Sol, and Wittingham in 1986 with Ferdinand), and the colt's jockey, Patrick Valenzuela, his first Derby win. None of the men involved could have predicted the astounding race that was to follow, however.

The 1989 Preakness Day dawned bright and sunny. No mud would hinder Easy Goer today, and the fans responded by making him the favorite yet again. Sunday Silence was again disregarded as a lesser challenger. His owner was angry at the continued dismissal of his horse, but as the gates opened, it seemed that perhaps the bettors were right. The race began with both horses hanging back, stalking and waiting- but then, at the top of the stretch, Easy Goer swept around Sunday Silence and seemed as if he was going to go on. Sunday Silence, an athletic and agile horse, leaped to the challenge, however, and ran after the chestnut, pinning his rival on the rail and creating a stretch duel that has lived on in history.

The two horses were never more than a head apart- indeed, Easy Goer had the larger lead at one point, but Sunday Silence fought back and would not allow the other horse to escape him. Finally, just as the wire was in sight, Sunday Silence managed to get a nose in front, and squeak out the win.

He had won the first two legs of the Triple Crown!

The third leg, however, was on Easy Goer's home turf, Belmont Park, and the longer distance suited his white collar pedigree (by Alydar out of a Buckpasser mare) more, as he proved by sweeping past Sunday Silence at the top of the stretch and denying the black colt his chance at immortality. His connections were disappointed, but they went home to regroup. Sunday Silence ran twice more over the summer, running 2nd in the Swaps, and winning the Super Derby.

Then, the rematch between the rivals. The 1989 Breeder's Cup would give the horse that won it Horse of the Year honors- Easy Goer had more victories over the year than Sunday Silence did, but could his Derby and Preakness victories outweigh his rival's wins? If he could beat Easy Goer again, they would. And so he did, using his agility to get the jump on the other horse and powering to a 1/2 length win to cement his place as 1989's Horse of the Year and 3-year-old Champion.

Sunday Silence underwent surgery to remove bone chips, and didn't return to the races as a 4-year-old until July, winning the Californian the day before Easy Goer's last start of his career. It was counted as a tragedy then that the rivals never raced each other at 4. Sunday Silence raced once more, coming in 2nd in his final start in the Hollywood Gold Cup. After that race, a tendon tear was discovered, and rather than risk the colt's soundness, he was retired.

His owner had hoped to syndicate him and stand him at stud in Kentucky, but interest in the colt's pedigree was tepid in the US, and after an offer of $10 million from a Japanese investor named Zenya Yoshida, it was announced that Sunday Silence would stand at Shadai Stud in Japan. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sunday Silence's first foals were born in 1992, and first raced in 1994- his first starter was his first winner, and his first stakes winner emerged a mere month later. From 1995 through 2005 he dominated the leading sire standings, and his progeny has earned well over an estimated $500 million. He is a proven sire of sires, and his sons will probably continue his dominance on the sire standings.

Sadly, in 2002, the great champion and sire contracted an infection, and on August 19th, he finally lost the battle that he fought so bravely. Horse racing fans took his death hard, for he had been a favorite of many. His rivalry with Easy Goer will stand as one of the greatest in racing history.

In Japan, his sons and daughters carry his legacy on. Here in the US, he will always be the 1989 Kentucky Derby winner, and "rivalry," to me, will always mean Sunday Silence and Easy Goer.