Will Americans be Silenced on Sunday
The three Breeders’ Cup Classic hopefuls from Japan form a powerful trio, with all three having proven themselves in international competition. But they have one other thing in common that explains just how tough they really are, and that is their great-grandsire, the legendary Sunday Silence. ~ Steve Haskin
Will Americans be Silenced on Sunday?
By Steve Haskin
Just picture this potential scene the day after the Breeders’ Cup Classic. There is a kind of hush all over the racing and breeding world. All anyone can hear are the sounds of “silence.” Could it be because a great-grandson of Sunday Silence won the Classic, raising Japanese racing and breeding to new heights? Or could it be because a great-grandson of Sunday Silence finished first and second in the Classic? Could it possibly be because a great-grandson of Sunday Silence finished first, second, and third in the Classic? One of those scenarios could certainly happen, with Forever Young, Ushba Tesoro, and Derma Sotogake all having the credentials to win.
We are all aware that it’s been over three decades since American breeders saw the newly retired Sunday Silence as nothing more than a hunk of glass and not the Pink Star diamond he would become that sold at Sotheby’s in 2013 for $83 million dollars. Sent to Japan, Sunday Silence’s offspring from only 12 crops earned $713 million, according to the Japan Racing Association.
And now through his sons Deep Impact and Stay Gold and their two sons Reel Steel and Orfevre, and Neo Universe and his daughter Amour Poesie, Sunday Silence “returns” to the country that spurned him looking for one or more of his great-grandkids to make history in America’s richest race and add to his already iconic reputation as one of the greatest sires and patriarchs in history.
If there is one thing Sunday Silence has passed on to his three great-grandkids it is his toughness and fighting spirit, a trait he inherited from his fiery sire Halo, who like Sunday Silence could be a real terror.
But now that Sunday Silence the racehorse has drifted far back in our memory and is just the name of a very good horse to the younger generation it is time to discover or re-discover just who he was, as many have no idea what he had to endure as a youngster and the toughness he needed just to survive. The odds of him getting to the racetrack were long enough, but to become a Horse of the Year, dual classic winner, Hall of Famer, and legendary sire, the odds were astronomical.
The first time Arthur Hancock, who was boarding him for his breeder Tom Tatham of Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds, noticed he was special was when Sunday Silence was a foal running wildly in the field, darting around and in between the other foals and the mares.
Later that year he became very ill with some form of intestinal virus and had to be given large amounts of fluids. It got so bad they thought they were going to lose him. What was strange was that he was the only foal on the farm to get it, but somehow fought through it and in a few weeks gained back the weight he had lost. That was the second sign of who this colt was and what he would become.
What followed was a series of rejections that would have given a human being a severe inferiority complex. His grayish coat had turned jet black with a distinctive white stripe down his face. He began to resemble his sire, not only physically, but in temperament. I remember visiting Windfields Farm in Maryland and seeing Halo, who had to wear a muzzle, and hearing stories about him. When he was sent to Stone Farm, the stallion handlers, who decided he didn’t need a muzzle, quickly changed their mind after a vicious attack that nearly killed one of them.
Although Sunday Silence never reached that level, he did inherit his sire’s nasty streak even as a yearling. Little did anyone know he would need that streak and that toughness just to survive as a 2-year-old, and then later on as a racehorse to fight through a foot injury right before the Preakness and then out-duel his arch rival Easy Goer in an epic stretch battle to capture the second leg of the Triple Crown.
When he was being sold as a yearling he was so ornery fighting the bit, they couldn’t get him to walk properly for prospective buyers, not that there were many of those. Although he didn’t have the greatest looking hocks and was a bit crooked, which would turn many buyers off, Hancock still was hoping to get between $30,000 and $50,000 for him. As he explained to Trainer magazine, the bidding reached $10,000 and just stayed there. So he kept bidding and finally bought him back for a meager $17,000.
When Hancock saw Tatham afterward he handed him the ticket and said the colt went too cheap so he bought him back for him. But Tatham said his farm manager didn’t like the colt and they didn’t want him. So Hancock kept the ticket feeling he had just blown $17,000. He now owned a colt who not only had been rejected by buyers, but his own breeder and farm manager.
Hancock felt he might have better luck selling him the following year at the 2-year-old sale at Hollywood Park, so he consigned him in partnership with Paul Sullivan. Again hoping he could bring $50,000, he once again was disappointed when there was no interest and he wound up buying him back again, this time under the name World Wide Bloodstock for $32,000 and then paying Sullivan his $16,000 share.
But that hardly was the end of the story. On the long van ride from California back to Kentucky the van driver suffered a fatal heart attack in north Texas. The van went off the road and flipped over. Several horses were killed, but Sunday Silence was fortunate to escape with cuts and bruises and was treated at a veterinary clinic in Oklahoma, remaining there for a week before being shipped home. Back at Stone farm, he appeared uncoordinated and unbalanced and could hardly walk and it was feared he had wobbler syndrome, which is a neurological disease that affects a horse’s spinal cord, and can be permanent. There was nothing anyone could do but turn him out in a paddock and hope for the best.
A week later, Hancock was called to the paddock and was shocked to see the colt “running around like he was a foal. It was a miracle, almost spooky.”
Having beaten so many odds, Sunday Silence eventually was sent to legendary trainer Charlie Whittingham, who offered to buy half-interest in the colt, which he did, eventually selling half of his share to his friend Ernest Gaillard.
Whittingham took his time with Sunday Silence, knowing he had a volatile disposition. Then one day, as Hancock recalled in Trainer magazine, “Charlie called me at 4 a.m. his time and said, ‘You know what, this big black son of a bitch can run a little.’
As usual, Whittingham’s comment was an understatement. But after the colt’s first four starts, all sprints, no one was quite sure what they had, as Sunday Silence was beaten a neck in his debut at Santa Anita, then romped by 10 lengths at Hollywood Park, then was beaten a head by Wayne Lukas’s highly touted colt Houston in an allowance race, and then won another allowance race by 4 ½ lengths. He was already 3-years-old and still hadn’t been farther than 6 ½ furlongs.
After patiently building a strong foundation in sprints, Whittingham finally stretched him out to two turns in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes and he scored a workmanlike victory by 1 ¾ lengths.
It was now the middle of March and not many people were paying much attention to the California Derby trail, with all eyes on 2-year-old champion Easy Goer back east.
The son of Alydar, owned and bred by Ogden Phipps, had rattled off four straight impressive victories, including the Grade 1 Cowdin and Champagne Stakes before being upset in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile over a muddy track at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Shug McGaughey was smitten with Easy Goer the first time he saw him, but really felt he had something special when he watched him for the time with a set of horses. “He gave the impression he could gallop those horses to death,” McGaughey said.
Easy Goer bounced back with another huge effort in his 3-year old season debut with a resounding 8 ¾-length victory in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes.
Some felt Easy Goer was the closest thing physically to Secretariat, being a powerful and gorgeous-looking chestnut. He even broke Big Red’s early stakes record when he romped in the April 8 Gotham Stakes, winning by 13 lengths eased up in a mind-boggling 1:32 2/5, a fifth of a second off the great Dr. Fager’s iconic world-record mile, He not only looked like a sure thing for the Kentucky Derby, but the Triple Crown.
However, a few hours after the Gotham something unexpected happened at Santa Anita that made even Easy Goer fans take notice. Sunday Silence, who had not shown much brilliance in the San Felipe, demolished his field in the Santa Anita Derby, winning by 11 lengths in a sharp 1:47 3/5. Could this black bullet from California who no one back east had even heard of going into March actually be a threat to Easy Derby in the Kentucky Derby?
While Easy Goer was placed upon a throne at an early age and justified all the adoration he received, Sunday Silence, as we have discussed, was unwanted as a youngster and, unlike Easy Goer, appeared to come into the world with the proverbial black cloud over his head.
And like many in life who have to fight for everything they get, Sunday Silence wanted a piece of everyone and was determined to get it whenever he could. His exercise rider Pam Mabes said every trip aboard the colt was an adventure.
“He’s put me through some of the most hair-raising rides I’ve ever had,” she said. “He used to hit the track leaping and bucking, and he’d rear up easily. Charlie put some long two-mile gallops into him and that took some of the vinegar out of him. It didn’t surprise me when I heard about him surviving that van accident, because he’s so tough.”
Easy Goer made one more start before the Derby and had no trouble winning the Wood Memorial, although his three-length victory in 1:50 3/5 was more professional than brilliant.
Most people in Kentucky were surprised how confident Whittingham was in the days leading up to the Derby. Sunday Silence’s romp in the Santa Anita Derby made Easterners sit up and take notice that perhaps the Triple Crown was not going to be handed to Easy Goer as first thought.
As we are well aware, Sunday Silence took advantage of a deep muddy track and Easy Goer’s disdain for a wet Churchill surface, as he had demonstrated the year before when upset in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile over a similar Churchill surface.
Sunday Silence with Pat Valenzuela aboard wins the 1989 Kentucky Derby.
The Derby was an ugly race, with Sunday Silence running like a drunken sailor down the stretch and still winning by 2 1/2 lengths, and Easy Goer just getting up for second over his stablemate Awe Inspiring. The mile and a quarter was run in a sluggish 2:05 over the tiring track.
Easy Goer’s idolaters claimed it was the track that beat their hero at Churchill Downs and that the tables would be turned at Pimlico. The Preakness, however, was just the opposite, and many still regard the stretch battle between Sunday Silence and Easy Goer as one of the greatest races of all time.
Things didn’t look good for Sunday Silence when the colt showed signs of lameness following a gallop at Pimlico a week before the race. Whittingham immediately summoned noted Kentucky veterinarian Alex Harthill, who flew to Baltimore to work on the colt’s foot, going into his stall and closing the top and bottom doors, something no one had ever seen before. Harthill came out of the stall and met with Whittingham, diagnosing it as a bruise under the sole.
Sunday Silence was scheduled to work the following day and Whittingham said if he was unable to he would have to withdraw him from the race, which would have been a total disaster. Harthill made a print of Sunday’s Silence’s foot and faxed it to Dr. Ric Redden, an equine podiatrist and farrier, in Lexington, Kentucky. Redden then made up a pair of aluminum bar shoes and flew with his assistant on a rented private jet to Baltimore, bringing with them a radiograph machine to X-ray the foot and make sure there were no bone issues, such as a small fracture.
Sunday Silence was fitted with the new shoes and showed such a rapid improvement Whittingham scheduled a work for him on Wednesday without the bar shoes. But because of track conditions he rescheduled the work for Thursday and instead gave him a stiff mile and a half gallop and the colt looked so good he was given a green light to run in the Preakness. The following day, Sunday Silence worked a half-mile in a sensational :47 1/5, out five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 and was right back in the Preakness picture as if nothing had happened. Once again his toughness and amazing recuperative powers got him through an ordeal.
But the last thing Whitingham wanted to see was a gut-wrenching stretch battle and that’s exactly what he got, as Sunday Silence and Easy Goer hooked up turning for home and went eyeball to eyeball the length of the stretch in an epic duel to the wire, with the gritty Sunday Silence refusing to let Easy Goer get his head in front, winning by a nose.
Sunday Silence scores a thrilling nose victory over Easy Goer in the 1989 Preakness Stakes
It was now on to the Belmont Stakes with the Triple Crown on the line. Some easterners abandoned Easy Goer, while others were disheartened over the two defeats and still believed Easy Goer was the better of the two horses. Californians were in all their glory, chiding the New York “snobs” and “crybabies” for their “East Coast bias.”
By now, not only was a heated rivalry building on the track, but in the media as well. When one California columnist wrote that some New York reporters actually had tears in their eyes following the Derby it caused quite an uproar back east.
Meanwhile, the New York Racing Association received a record number of media requests, some from cities which had never requested credentials before.
Several days before the race, the local newspapers began to step up their coverage. The New York Daily News had an eight-page pullout section on the Belmont, and the New York Post also had extensive coverage.
“We’ve definitely put more emphasis on horse racing the last three months, “ said Post sports editor Bob Decker. “I think having a California horse trying for the Triple Crown is good for the sport because pride is at stake.”
Post columnist Ray Kerrison said, “I’ve noticed that this year’s Triple Crown has generated a lot more interest from non-racing people. It just seems that everyone is talking about these two horses.”
Meanwhile, on the backstretch, the strain of the Belmont was taking its toll on the 76-year-old Whittingham, who admitted he had had enough of the Triple Crown. As he looked at a group of people congregating at the barn, he commented, “I hope the day of the race they keep everyone out of here. All they can do is worry your horse. I’ll bet they’re not down there bothering Shug’s horse. They ask the same questions day after day.”
In addition to losing patience with visitors and questions from the press, Whittingham also was losing his battle with Sunday Silence, who was making a habit of sending his trainer to the first aid room. During his stay at Belmont, Sunday Silence managed to bite Whittingham on the leg, bite him on the finger, and kick him in the head. The last incident occurred when the colt became spooked by a camera crew waiting for him at the entrance to the track leading from the paddock. As Sunday Silence emerged from the tunnel, with Whittingham walking alongside, he spotted the cameras and reared up. As he came down, he struck his trainer on the head with what fortunately was a glancing blow. Pam Mabes looked back to see if he was OK and asked what to do, and Whittingham waved to her to continue on to the track and go about her business as usual.
A quick trip to the first aid room, where he had become a regular visitor, resulted only in an application of iodine, which stood out on Whittingham’s bald head. All he would say of the incident was “I zigged when I should have zagged.”
That night, every TV news telecast showed the incident, one of them using the sound of broken glass as Sunday Silence’s foot came down on Whittingham’s head.
The day before the Belmont, a torrential rain fell on Belmont, turning the track sloppy, the last thing McGaughey and the Phipps family wanted to see. The morning of the race, Whittingham became irate when NYRA decided to close the track for training to allow the maintenance crew to get an early start drying out the track. There was no doubt this unusual move favored Easy Goer. By 9 o’clock the track was already fast or close to it.
“Charlie’s starting to run to the end of his tether,” Mabes said. “We had people come in the barn asking, ‘Is Silent Sunday here?’ You’d be surprised how many people want to give him peppermints or pet him. Before you can keep them away, they’re at his stall looking in. Let’s just say we’re looking forward to getting back home.”
Things weren’t much better over at McGaughey’s barn. Many members of Easy Goer’s once loyal legion had gone over the hill, deserting their hero. And McGaughey was receiving a great deal of mail, a good portion of it negative.
“People have written me letters criticizing Pat Day, telling me to change jockeys or to put blinkers on the horse or to put him on the lead,” McGaughey said. “Only two inches separated these two horses in the Preakness, and everybody who jumped off Easy Goer’s bandwagon and went to Sunday Silence is criticizing Pat’s ride. To tell you the truth, I haven’t read a newspaper in four or five days. I actually heard that someone wrote I was going to use Easy Goer as a rabbit for Awe Inspiring.
“I enjoy talking to the press. I’m a big racing fan and the game has been good to me. If I wrap a canvas around myself, it’s not going to help our game. But we’re worn out, truthfully. We’re glad it’s finally over.”
While all this was going on, the New York Racing Association still had one heck of an attractive product to sell to the American public.
Earlier that March, Ed Seigenfeld, NYRA’s vice president of marketing, said, “If only we could have a horse going for the Triple Crown, everything would be perfect.”
Seigenfeld, like everyone else at NYRA, was convinced that horse was going to be Easy Goer, and that their idea of perfection was beautiful weather; fans pouring into HorseFair, the spectacular equine event being held at Belmont the past couple of years; a massive crowd for the races; and Easy Goer drawing off in the stretch with the crescendo building with every powerful stride.
Despite their disappointment at the turn of events, NYRA had its Triple Crown horse, but instead of Easy Goer, their job was now to promote the possible coronation of the California invader who had knocked their hero off his pedestal.
On Belmont day nearly 65,000 fans showed up on a glorious afternoon. HorseFair was a rousing success. “Sunday Silence” and “Easy Goer” T-shirts were a sellout, with hundreds of back orders taken. In some ways it was everything NYRA had hoped for.
The final chapter of the Triple Crown went exactly according to the script. It’s just that no one had counted on Whittingham and Sunday Silence doing a complete rewrite of the first two chapters!
In the Belmont, Sunday Silence was in perfect position, stalking the early pace set by French invader Le Voyageur, but Easy Goer was a menacing presence throughout, sitting right off him and looked ready to strike at any point. Sunday Silence stuck his head in front on the far turn after a brutal mile in 1:35 flat, but Easy Goer quickly pulled alongside and blew right by him turning for home. As Easy Goer drew off, NYRA track announcer Marshall Cassidy gave one final dig, calling, “It’s New York’s Eeeezy Goer in front.”
Easy Goer with Pat Day aboard powers to a dominating win in the 1989 Belmont Stakes.
Following Easy Goer’s resounding eight-length victory, the colt quietly grazed next door at John Veitch’s barn. As for Whittingham and his crew, and Sunday Silence, it had been a long arduous journey, and it was good to go home.
But Sunday Silence was back in action six weeks later in the Swaps Stakes and shockingly blew a four-length lead at the eighth pole and was upset by Prized at odds of 1-5. He bounced back, however, to romp by six lengths in the Super Derby, which set him up for another battle with Easy Goer in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Easy Goer had followed up his Belmont romp with easy victories in the Whitney, Travers, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup, setting up another epic showdown for Horse of the Year honors.
What made this rivalry even more intriguing was that it was Arthur Hancock’s father, A.B. “Bull” Hancock Jr., who owned Claiborne Farm, where Easy Goer’s owner and breeder Ogden Phipps bred and raised his horses and sent them after their retirement. Arthur was Bull’s oldest son and seemed the likely choice to take over the farm after his father died in 1972.. But the estate’s executors, on the advice of Phipps, passed him over in favor of his younger brother Seth. Arthur left and started nearby Stone Farm, and ironically won the Kentucky Derby with Gato del Sol in 1982 before Claiborne Farm (with Swale in 1984) and the Phipps family (who would win with Orb in 2013). Now here he was with a horse no one wanted going against Phipps and his regally bred horse, having knocked them off in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and was one race away from denying them Horse of the Year.
Arthur said his father would be “proud of Seth for the magnificent job he’s done with Claiborne and I think he’d be proud of me, too, for what we’ve been able to accomplish. I think both of us have done alright.”
There would be some changes made before the Classic. Whittingham attributed Sunday Silence’s defeat in the Swaps to shying from the starting gate tracks and losing his focus, so he equipped him with a shadow roll for the Classic. The colt also lost his regular jockey Patrick Valenzuela due to a suspension and Chris McCarron was given the mount in the big race.
In the Classic at Gulfstream Park, Sunday Silence had a perfect stalking trip, while Easy Goer, coming off a mile and a half race and fractions of :48 3/5 and 1:13 4/5, dropped almost a dozen lengths back off a much quicker pace in :46 1/5 and 1:10 2/5. He was able to pull within a couple of lengths of Sunday Silence on the far turn, but couldn’t keep pace when Sunday Silence kicked into gear. He made a big late run, but Sunday Silence dug in after taking the lead from a stubborn Blushing John inside the eighth pole and hung tough, winning by a neck over his arch rival in a sharp 2:00 1/5 and clinching Horse of the Year.
Sunday Silence ran only twice at 4, winning the Californian Stakes before getting beat a head by eventual Horse of the Year Criminal Type in the Hollywood Gold Cup, after which he was forced to retire with a ligament injury.
Earlier that year, Japanese breeder Zenya Yoshida purchased 25 percent of the colt. Because Hancock was having problems getting America breeders interested in breeding to Sunday Silence, he and the other partners sold the horse outright to Yoshida for $7.5 million to stand at his Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido.
Sunday Silence at stud at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan.
Sunday Silence was so dominant as a stallion, he led the sire list 13 years in a row and singlehandedly helped turn Japan into an international powerhouse.
Unfortunately, Sunday Silence died on August 19, 2002 at the age of 16 after having been treated for laminitis for several months, as well as an infection in his leg. Like with everything he had to endure in his life he fought through it and was able to lie down for the first time in a week. But he never got up, as his great heart finally gave out.
Now, 22 years later, here are his three great-grandsons traveling thousands of miles to attempt to win the same race that clinched Horse of the Year honors for him. Whether or not one of them emerges victorious, you can be certain all three will fight tooth and nail to the end and never give up. Their great-grandsire wouldn’t have it any other way.
Photos courtesy of Shadai Stallion Station, Churchill Downs, Skip Dickstein and Bob Coglianese/New York Racing Association.
Racing historian, author, and award-winning retired journalist for the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse, Steve Haskin was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame’s Media Roll of Honor in 2016. Known for his racing knowledge and insightful prose, he has been an exclusive contributor to Secretariat.com since 2020.
Hi Steve! I have always loved and admired Sunday Silence. He was the epitome of not shown the respect and admiration he so deserved. I want to thank his Japanese owners for believing in him and Sunday Silence did not let them down. I was so happy when Forever Young won the Classic knowing this was a horse w/tremendous heart and talent through his sire and grandsire.
Just as an aside why do these breeding farms not use grazing muzzles on these stallions and give them regular exercise – so many of them die far too young from laminitis. The most known cause of laminitis is the horse being overweight and unfit. Thank you!
Wow, Steve! What a story! It made me want to just go and hug Sunday Silence (although I don’t think that would have been a very smart thing to do). Thank you.
Betsy, 2 year old colt, Heart of Honor, by Honor A. P. Is running at Southwell (AW) tomorrow . Could be a very nice colt. They paid €160,000 for him as a 2 year old. The dam by Scat Daddy was a Group 1 winner in Chile.
Good luck.
Hey David – it’s today, actually! Hopefully I’ll be able to watch it live!
Yeah, he was a nice pin hook – looking forward to HAP’s first European runner!
Thanks!
Betsy, we should have had a flutter. Heart of Honor came in second at 22 – 1. It’s not often you get those odds and make money. Ha ha Good lad!!
David, I forgot that I could watch the race on Twin Spires, so I missed the race, but he ran a very promising race to finish 2nd. Apparently he closed well to just be beaten 1 1/2 lengths by the favorite
Excellent, encouraging debut!
Very encouraging indeed… specially because he was very green in the first quarter and was very strong in the last 2 furlongs of the race…
Hey Nelson!
I love hearing that from my Euro friends – thank you !
The description on Racing Post said he was hampered early on …and to not get discouraged by that is a good sign. I always love seeing “kept on” – that’s really encouraging, and a sign the horse wants to go on
I was shocked to find that the winner had already won, so really this was an allowance race and not a maiden. Is that unusual on the all-weather track? He was by no means the only first time starter in the race
Betsy, it was a novice stakes race – open to maidens but also open to winners of either one or two races. There are weight penalties and there are limits on how many times horses can run in them.
Thanks, David! I need to bone up on my English racing conditions, lol
Beautiful and powerful 2-year-old with a beautiful name is Heart of Honor … I see he has a blaze heart in his forehead hence his name.
Heart of Honor will be a very good one at longer distances.
Thanks for the reminder Davids…!
Nelson, he sold for £160,000 at Arqana Deauville in May – you can see on the site that he really is gorgeous. I love his little heart!
It’s hard for me to tell by his breeze if he’s truly a turf horse because I’m not used to seeing horses run clockwise, lol, but bidders must have thought he did
He certainly wants to run long. But they debuted him on all-weather, so I wonder about that …
Betsy, they have a Winter Derby at Southwell at Group 3 level. Next running is February 22, 2025. The race is for 4 year olds +.
So if Heart on Honor doesn’t like the turf there is the AW Derby as an alternative.
Hi David
But as a 3 year old, he wouldn’t be eligible ?
No, Betsy , I’m thinking 2026 for the Winter Derby with Heart of Honor in case he doesn’t like turf or dirt.
We’ll have to keep an eye out if they run him in the Kentucky Derby point system in Europe.
All options are open at this stage.
Oops, my bad!
I saw the replay – he not only raced greenly, but the jockey had to yank his head as a horse cut in front of him – in fact it was the eventual winner. I’m surprised he wasn’t DQ’d
Heart finished with so much energy, didn’t want to be pulled up!
While I’d love to see him do well on grass, I can’t say that it wouldn’t be fun to see him on dirt, maybe attempting to get into the Derby!
Nelson, I was surprised at the odds but the English punters are very conservative and rather parochial in the betting. Sometimes you can earn a tidy sum.
I know the owners had another colt in the race – I kind of had a hard time reading the odds, but it looked like Heart took more money than him
I have to assume that English racing fans aren’t familiar with HAP. I know there was also a Kingman colt that was expected to take money – I assume he did
Kaizen, End of Romance and Via con Me took a big chunk of the betting money … but you are right about Heart of Honor odds swelling from 8 to 1 in the Morning Line to 22 to 1 at post time…
Super day for my favorite Euros, Kyprios and Charyn!
I thought Charyn’s win, particularly, showed just how much depth and heart he has. I hope they give him one more start, but if not, he is entirely deserving of a career at stud. Too bad he will be half a world away!
His stud career should be an interesting one to follow. His dam, Polished Gem, has produced EIGHT stakes winners, five of them Group 1 or 2 winners. I’ve heard his sire, Galileo, is no slouch either.
It is nice to see Affirmed as the broodmare sire of Polished Gem … Kyprios joins Yeats and Stradivarius as the best European stayers this Century.
Kyprios eight (8) Group One wins is the record for an Aidan O’Brien trainee…
Ms Blacktype, I’d be surprised if Kyprios didn’t start in Coolmore’s National Hunt division initially.
With the Breeders’ Cup weekend rapidly approaching, I’ve selected my picks for Friday’s five Juvenile races. They are as follows:
BC Juvenile: Chancer McPatrick
BC Juvenile Turf: New Century
BC Juvenile Fillies Turf: Thought Process
BC Juvenile Fillies: Non-Compliant
BC Juvenile Turf Sprint: Governor Sam
Next on the agenda, Saturday’s BC card.
I would welcome others to post their respective selections on Friday’s BC card.
Yes, I know, it’s very early.
Nice selections, Bill, especially New Century for the DB Juvenile Turf. He was very impressive in the Summer Stakes.
Thanks Ms Blacktype
Gone a year from a ligament injury—Locked 1:21 flat today….
Locked (winner of last year’s Breeders Futurity) is not connected to Sunday Silence, but did anyone catch his return race at Aqueduct today? It was race 1, so I hadn’t even turned on the TV. Must have been special, since he won by 7 lengths in 1:21 for the 7 furlongs defeating some nice horses (Gun It and Lord Miles, a veteran of this year’s triple crown trail ). Connections are hoping to get Locked to the Pegasus Cup early next year. What a welcome return!
Saw it and very impressed with it !!!
Steve,
Thanks for presenting to us another informative and interesting article. Whenever I see a horse racing story and I see the name Charlie Whittingham it always perks my interest as he is considered by me one of my top 5 trainers. I consider Sunday Silence a horse that American Breeders let get away. I was glad he got to prove himself in Japan.
Japan looks to be sending a formidable bunch over for the Breeders Cup Classic and Forever Young recent win , which he won nicely, will be leading that group. I also think City of Troy will be tough in the Classic. They have trainers that know how to put a solid foundation in a horse.
The American contingent will have their work cut out for them to beat any of them. I was hoping Cox would have given Highland Falls before the Classic but he didn’t I am not as high on him as I was earlier. Look for him to finish middle of the pack. I am zeroing more on Newgate. Will see what kind of workouts Baffert gives him to see if I stick with him. Fierceness , now that it looks like he can be rated, will put in a good race but I think he will fall short.
Yes, too me it looks like the internationals will hold the upper hand in this year’s BCC.
On another note “Locked” looked very impressive winning the 1st race at Aqueduct today. He looked determined and full of run. I actually thought he would have been Pletcher’s best hope to win the Kentucky Derby before he got hurt.
Top 5 trainers that I have ever see (1960 thru present)
Baffert, Charlie Whittingham, Woody Stephens, H Allen Jerkens, & D Wayne Lukas with his son Jeff Lukas.
Best training job for one season…. Buddy Delp during Spectacular Bid’s 4 year old season…. none better !!!
Steve, would be interested who your top 5 that you have seen?
Steve,
Thanks once again for a stroll down memory land… Never gets old !!!
That should have been …. “I was hoping Cox would have given Highland Falls another race before the Classic.”
Downthestretch, glad you caught Locked’s return since I didn’t. I’ll check the video later once it’s up at BH.
Downthestretch, your best 5 trainer list is daunting but I may have Bobby Frankel, Bill Mott, Richard Mandella in there but who would I knock out?
It would be cheating putting in your 5 favorites wouldn’t it? Ha ha
It was close with Lukas and Frankel but Frankel definitely #6 not the other 2 but they would definitely be top 10.
After thinking it over, I would have to whimp out and have equals to fit them all in. I can’t any out.
“I can’t knock any out.”
I know that many will think of it as a gimmick, but Next is on track to compete in the Breeders Cup. I love this horse, and think it’s a shame that the BC Marathon no longer exists. Either way, I will put aside any of my other loyalties to pull for Next in whichever spot they pick for him. (I wonder if he might like Del Mar’s turf course?)
Apharoah12 (Sean Collins) on YouTube has some great morning work footage of this sweet, mint-loving, professional gelding. He breathes so well in the work!
My love for Next made me think of Music Merci, foaled in 1986 in the same crop as Sunday Silence, Easy Goer, et. al. Music Merci was a grey gelding, and one of my favorites of the late 80s-early 90s. He was a fairly consistent racehorse for quite a few years, with 35 starts through 1993. A MGSW winner, he also finished 3rd in both the 1989 Santa Anita Derby and Haskell Stakes, and earned just over $1.5 million. Like Sunday Silence, he was bred from the Hail to Reason sireline. His legacy was as a high-profile retiree, whose care in retirement brought attention to Thoroughbred Aftercare, although it didn’t have that proper noun name yet. He was fortunate to be sponsored by several of his fans, and lived at United Pegasus Foundation in California until he was 27.
The foal crop of 1986 made some impacts on the industry beyond the races and breeding shed. Thoroughbred Aftercare is something more folks are aware of, and efforts in this area continue to improve. I like to think that Music had a role in that.
I remember Music Merci, a beautiful dappled grey by Stop the Music. Stop the Music died at 35 years, remarkable. Stop the Music also sired Temperance Hill and Missy’s Mirage.
I remember him, too….
Missy’s Mirage was a fantastic filly
David’s I used to see horses sired by Stop the Music and think it must have been another horse! He came from the Secretariat crop! 35!
Yes Matthew, 1970 was an incredible crop. Besides, Mr. Prospector, Secretariat, and Stop the Music there was Allez France, Forego, Desert Vixen, Linda’s Chief, Ancient Title, Dahlia, La Prevoyante, Sham to name just a few from the top of the head.
Memories, come flooding back…
Kalpana (Study of Man(IRE) – Zero Gravity (GB) by Dansili (GB)) won the British Champions Fillies and Mares convincingly at Ascot for Juddmonte and piloted by William Buick.
Her victory at the 1 1/2-mile Group 1 is relevant to this article as his Sire, Study of Man, is one of the 9 successful European sons of Deep Impact.
Study of Man got 10 Blacktype horses already in only 2 crops with Kalpana looking ready to continue her Group 1 bids in Europe …
Nelson, the QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot was a resounding success overall. Blessed with sunshine and exciting races.
The 148th running of the prestiegous Caulfield Cup, at a packed Caulfield racecourse, goes to – Duke de Sessa. The run for the Melbourne Cup goes to Buckaroo.
Onward to ‘the Cup’!!
Amatomy of a longshot player….Keeneland tomorrow race nine The Raven Run Gr2….Fibber #1….10-1 odds….was stakes placed three year old and Chris Hartman claimed her from Bret Calhoun for $100K—and it was a great claim! She seeks graded placing tomorrow…in her last race a very good filly beat her easily—that filly My Mane Squeeze is in Tom’s field—Fibber got washy wet before her last race, she was inside of the speed but part of the pace, got out and put up a nice run of her own, no threat 2nd but she’s a nice filly….it’s a nice price…Bejarano will sit back inside….Keeneland used to have that golden rail, a huge longshot rode the rail today, and got up….I’m betting on Fibber..
Snap, Matthew. I like Fibber as well. Just in passing, another Australian website to catch the races is Racingnsw dot com dot au
Not a bad third with Fibber.
And she got washy again….I want to see her stalk outside, that’s twice being inside speed, washy….maybe next time, or maybe she’s not as good as those top fillies…
A lot of the Frosted progeny are the antithesis of there Sire’s name they get ‘hot’ prior to the race. I want Post Time to take the Dirt Mile at Del Mar or an old favorite Three Technique.
With the Breeders’ Cup you just hope for the best, anyone can win.
The King and Queen of England arrived in Sydney, Australia, last night. No doubt in preparation for the racing at Royal Randwick today. Alas, ‘Soggy Sydney’ will have rain again for the 20 million The Everest, 2 million The Kosciusko, and 1 million The Silver Eagle. They must like mountains in Sydney. Ha ha Mount Kosciusko is the highest mountain in Australia.
Here in Melbourne, we have a lovely Spring day for the historic 5 million Caulfield Cup, a major prep for the universally renowned Melbourne Cup on November 5. Public holiday here for the Melbourne Cup. Going to watch both cards at home on television. Enjoy the races.
Not sure if you can get the Australian races in the US but the website 7plus dot com dot au covers the Melbourne and Sydney races. Coverage is excellent.
Wow THANK YOU for sending me to Randwick, there’s a big race at Caulfield, too but.. .I LOVE Stefi Magnetica in The Everest! Did you see her last race? Safe trips, safe home!..
Matthew, I’m hoping for a Storm Boy win.
Bella Nipotina wins The Everest – the mare has won nearly 19 million (AUS).
The seven and a half million dollars invested by Japan to have Sunday Silence must be the greatest deal in the history of the breeding world.
Sunday Silence became the most solid pillar of the Japanese breeding industry. The son of Halo was so prolific that his success permeated to premier races in Europe, Australia and the Middle East; and his grandsons and granddaughters are still garnering international triumphs 32 years after his first breeding season in Japan.
If Japan breeders paid $10 million for Forty Niner in 1995 I am pretty sure that the tag prices of other legendary runners and giant names imported to be stallions in Japan were also greater than the initial investment for Sunday Silence.
When Sunday Silence started his meteoric stud career there were 600 sires in Japan and he continued competing with an average of 450 stallions until his last season. The black stallion dethroned Japan’s best sires of the time: Northern Taste, Tony Bin, Real Shadai and Brian’s Time.
The list of prominent horses that challenged Sunday Silence in the Japan breeding realm included the following:
Hector Protector, Helissio, Dancing Brave, Commander in Chief, Forty Niner, Ibn Bay, Cacoethes, Try My Best, Secreto, Crystal Glitters, Diamond Shoal, Dr. Devious, Rousillon, Baillamont, Polish Navy, Awe Inspiring, Rodrigo de Triano, Opera House, Afleet, Carnegie, Last Tycon, Lamtarra, Captain Steve, King Glorious, Timber Country, Generous, Royal Academy, Arazi, Sunshine Forever and El Condor Pasa.
No matter how big their fame or their running feats were, no one could avert Sunday Silence to be leading sire for 13 consecutive years (from 1995 to 2007). His eleven crops show 290 Stakes horses and 41 Group one winners (an astonishing average of 26 Stakes winners including 4 G1 winners per year) … The progeny of Sunday Silence have earned more than 730 million dollars worldwide.
On top of that record, Sunday Silence was the leading broodmare sire from 2006 to 2019. So, in 2006 and 2007 Sunday Silence was the dual champion Sire and Broodmare sire.
The rule of Sunday Silence in Japan remains strong with his sons Agnes Tachyon and Manhattan Cafe topping the 2008 and 2009 sire lists respectively. Sunday Silence’s best son, Deep Impact, is folllowing his dominant path by amassing 11 Sire championships (from 2012 to 2022). Deep Impact is the leading broodmare sire this year.
The late Duramente (maternal grandson of Sunday Silence) was the top sire in 2023 despite producing only five crops. Also Kizuna (by Deep Impact) is the current leading sire with earnings of more than 3.85 Billion Yens (25.8 million Dollars) to date.
Sunday Silence won the war in the field against a superhorse named Easy Goer and then conquered the breeding realm in Japan against a myriad of elite stallions.
Thanks to Sunday Silence dynasty the Land of the Rising Sun also became the Land of the Rising Horses … these eyes that fell in love with Sunday Silence see inside the red sun in Japan’s flag a silhouette of a Black Stallion rearing gloriously into eternity.
Nelson, with too much success there are always certain consequences. Over the past decade, the Japanese have been buying stock overseas that are free of Halo blood. Both broodmares and sire prospects as well as yearlings etc.
The Japanese breeders appear to have a slightly lesser problem than Australian breeders have with the oversubscribed Danehill blood, Northern Dancer blood in Europe and Mr. Prospector blood in the US.
Again, the Japanese are/were one step ahead of the rest. Good post.
Thanks Davids.
Indeed, the Japanese evolution is worth examining to capture some valuable lessons…
I am convinced that the likes of Mind your Biscuits, Defrong and Sinister Minister would not have had the success in the US as they are having in Japan.
Regarding the Halo blood, more than 720 daughters of Sunday Silence plus the mares by his sons are already infusing enough of that Hail to Reason lineage in Japan.
This Breeder’s Cup Championship could be a very succesful episode for the largest Japanese representation ever. Awesome Result, American Bikini, Satono Carnaval, Forever Young, Ushba Tesoro and Derma Sotogake seem to be the leading chances for the proud Nippons.
Just on the Halo line, More Than Ready never gets the credit to keeping the line going worldwide. A much more attractive horse conformation wise than Sunday Silence. Thank Argentina for the success of Southern Halo that the breeding world had More Than Ready.
Too late here for a longer post.
Nelson, shame SS passed at fairly young age. Also, saw Hat Trick several times in Kentucky. Disgrace HT ended up spending his last few years in an obscure country.
Hat Trick was sold to Brazil after his US crops performed below expectations. In a super competitive breeding landscape of the USA it is better for those good horses to try fulfill their potential in another country. It is what happended with the move of Put it Back, Agnes Gold (Sunday Silence), New Year’s Day (sold afterward to Japan), Can the Man, Kentuckian, Drosselmeyer, Camelot Kitten, Verrazano… all of them are among the top 10 sires in Brazil by winnings this year.
The latest Brazilian acquistions were Hoffburg, FIRST CAPTAIN (CURLIN) and BC Juvenile Turf champion Outstrip.
I don’t think Brazil is an obscure country specially in terms of horse racing. You may remember the exploits of Sandpit, Siphon, Romarin, Virgine, Cagney, Riboletta, Einstein, Pico Central, Leroidesanimaux, Bal a Bali, Ivar, Redattore, Jolie Olimpica, Royal Ship, Macadamia (a daughter of Hat Trick), Planetario and most recently Filo di Arianna in Canada.
I believe that outcrosses with South American female families will eventually render better offsprings…
Thanks Nelson! Interesting info, always liked WIn WinWin.
Love your post Nelson!
Nelson Maan for a well written and informative article about Sunday Silence and his prominence as a stallion and broodmare sire in Japan and throughout the world.
It was really a blessing that he was sold to Japanese breeders. He would never have the influence on the breed anywhere else in the world.
It remains a mystery why American breeders were not interested in a son of Halo who won the KD, Preakness & BCC and whose pedigree didn’t reflect either Mr. Prospector or Nothern Dancer. Could the lack of interest have been driven by the lack of success in the breeding shed of another KD winning son of Halo?
Sunday Silence was preceded in KD victory six years earlier by Sunny’s Halo another son of Halo. Sunny’s Halo like Sunday Silence had neither Mr. Prospector nor Northern Dancer in his pedigree. He was syndicated for $7.5M and retired to stand at Domino Stud in Lexington. His subsequent relocation to Texas suggested his first and possible 2nd crops were uninspiring.
The grandsire of the two KD winners cited above was Hail To Reason a champion 2YO and a leading sire in North America in 1970. He sired Epsom Derby winner Roberto who subsequently delivered a shocker in the 1972 Benson & Hedges Gold Cup when he defeated the seemingly invincible Brigadier Gerard who entered the race with 15 undefeated career starts.
From a historic perspective Sunday Silence was from a sire line that had proven success. With no Mr. Prospector and Nothern Dancer in his pedigree he was an ideal outcross for the litany of mares carrying the genes of two most influential foundation stallions on record.
The last KD winner from the Hail To Reason sire line was the ill-fated Barbaro who recorded the fastest final quarter in a KD since Secretariat. He was a son of Dynqaformer a son of Roberto the Epsom Derby winner highlighted above.
Dynaformer like Sunday Silence had neither Mr. Prospector nor Norhtern Dancer in his first 5 generations. Barbaro was produced from a mare sired by Carson City a son of Mr. Prospector. The pedigree of La Ville Rouge the dam of Barbaro reflects both Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector.
The two Japanese entrant in the 2024 KD are from the Sunday Silence sire line.
TO Password (5th) His dam was sired by Granson of Mr. Prospector.
Forever Young (2nd) His dam is inbred to Mr. Prospector and Norther Dancer
It is very possible Barbaro from the Hail To Reason line could have been a very influential stallion. His loss might not be as impactful as the sale of the remining 75% ownership of Sunday Silence to the Japanese based breeder who owned the remining 25%. But we will never know.
When Sunday Silence was sent to Japan the breeders there didnt like him either because he was so crooked, which is probably why American breeders didnt want to breed to him. He only became popular in Japan after his offfspring started winning everywhere..
Thanks Mr. Haskin for compelling story of SS.
David, you mentioned Awe Inspiring below …I loved that horse as he was a son of Slew o’Gold …he was a terrific horse, and very underrated
I was not a fan of Easy Goer, lol – I was so happy that Sunday Silence existed! I do still find it annoying that so many fans think Easy Goer was better – I’m from the East Coast, and I think it just has to be EC bias
Le Voyageur ran a remarkable race in that Belmont
Betsy, Easy Goer had upright pasterns. Enlarged ankles, a slightly clubbed foot, and slightly turned out left knee. This poor confirmation of the foreleg along with a large stride made it difficult for Easy Goer to corner with great aptitude.
I have to admit that I was extremely pleased that Easy Goer won the Belmont Stakes because at the time Lasix was banned in New York. Many believe Sunday Silence was dependent on Lasix to perform to his best.
Subsequently, with Easy Goer having the advantage of more relaxed corners at Belmont and with Sunday Silence denied Lasix, Eady Goer triumphed. Obviously, to your chagrin. Ha ha
Betsy, that’s Easy Goer not Eady Goer. Ha ha
PS: I saw “Tina – the Musical” last night with some apprehension beforehand. The show was absolutely sensational – the finale had the 3 tiered Princess Theatre audience roaring and stomping with adulation. Don’t miss it. Ha ha
Tina Turner?
Yes, Tina Turner. Her life story in music.
I think anyone who thinks that of Sunday Silence just hates him because he wasn’t Easy Goer, and because he beat him in 2/3 meetings
I wasn’t a fan of either horse in the sense that I loved them, so I had and have no skin in the game. I just found EG fans rather snobby
Betsy, there was quite a few who were utterly opposed to the introduction of Lasix into the state of New York. Moreover, the East vs West antithesis was much more pronounced then than it is now. Perhaps, generational.
Oh yeah, I remember that East vs West rivalry ….if I recall correctly, EC horses never shipped there, but WC did ship to the EC
That’s right, Betsy. The Triple Crown races are always slanted in favor of the East coast horses. In the 1990s there was actually talk about shifting the Preakness Stakes to Santa Anita. The Triple Crown races were losing interest at the time.
What?! That’s insane, lol – wow, I don’t remember that talk
And now CA racing is weak…shame
Betsy, it was when they first started talking about how rundown Pimlico was and needed urgent repair and Maryland racing was spiraling downward. Conversely, California racing was at its highest ebb.
Amazing how there could be such a reversal of fortunes. The idea was only mooted in the racing magazines- early 1990s.
Attn: Matthew W
You were absolutely right when you stated, “I’d be surprised if Prat got off Sierra Leone”.
Per David Grening, Prat is committed to ride Sierra Leone in the BC Classic.
Luis Saez with ride Highland Falls in the Classic.
That said, I’ll stay with Highland Falls as my pick in the Classic.
How about a Sierra Leone/Highland Falls exacta? Works for me.
Good luck Matthew W.
Bill,
I was an early fan of Sierra Leone. In fact, I enquired why he wasn’t featured on your early 2024 KD, list just as I did recently regarding East Avenue. I have seen enough of Sierra Leone’ BOW to be convinced he should be reassessed as a grinder.
His defeat at the hooves at opponents he finished 18 & 25 lengths ahead in the KD, warranted a reassessment. In addition, to not being explosive enough in the stretch, his paddling action seem to be a handicap. The two in combination makes reeling in high cruisers that can accelerate out of their cruising speed and remain resolute to the line, a challenge almost impossible to overcome.
The removal of blinkers from a horse underachieving can have a positive effect. However, the colt’s trainer seems oblivious to this fact. The colt has won with and without the headgear. Why not remove them to seem if a difference will be made.
A horse’s eyes are a significant part its disaster alert and responses system. Horses can almost see 360 decrees. Being an animal of prey, a horse has to be on the constant look out for predators that can stalk and attack from many angles. Its eyes can cover wide angles thus allowing it to detect lurking predators.
Restricting ahorse vision has to discomforting. But they are such willing animals that many give of their best, but some underperform.
The short stretch at Del Mar is deep closer unfriendly. At your earlies convenience, revisit the two BCCs wub at Del Mar. You will note that both were won in gate to wire fashion with deep closers making very little impact on the eventual winners.
Hey Counter Point
Your points are well taken. I’ve noticed several comments regarding the “short” stretch at Del Mar. I would think the riders on the “closer types” will attempt to have their horses closer to the pace to compensate for that short stretch.
In eight career starts, Sierra Leone have never finished out of the money (3-3-2).
I expect that pattern to continue in the BC Classic. In nine career starts, Highland Falls’ record is 5-2-1, which in my view is more impressive.
Fierceness (3-0-1 is the big question mark. Will he regress, or has he finally figured it out?
From my perspective, Highland Falls, Sierra Leone and Fierceness are the top three colts entered in the Classic. As it stands now, I’ll probably box those three in a large trifecta wager.
Good luck, Counter Point.
Thanks Steve ; heartwarming article of one of the greats.
Although there are 4 Group 1 races in the QIPCO British Champions Series on Saturday at Ascot the best race might be the Group 2 Long Distance Cup. Will Trawlerman finally get the better of Kyprios or will Kyprios show his defiance once again? You have 2 miles of track to watch this enthralling spectacle- don’t miss it!! My heart is with Trawlerman. It’ll be a cracking race.
In the QBC Sprint Stakes, Kinross gets the nod, both heart and head.
QBC Fillies & Mares Stakes, Kalpana looks too good here.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, the heart is begging for a return of form with Nashwa – 33 – 1
QIPCO Champion Stakes, is another cracker with Economics just tipping Calandagan or will that be the reverse? – too close to call – so you’ll have to watch the race. What else is there to do? Ha ha
Will Trawlerman finally get the better of Kyprios?
The Godolphin web site reflects the following title -Trawlerman chasings repeat win in G2 British Long-Distance Cup.
Trawlerman defeated Kyprios in the 2023 renewal of the long-Distance Cup.
You have obviously never watched the races between Kyprios and Trawlerman. Trawlerman goes out and does all the heavy lifting and would appear to most that he deserves to win but Kyprios comes along in the final furlong to just take the glory. Again, you would have had to watch the races to appreciate what has been written.
Watch the race this time to get a better understanding of what is written. Even better, listen to some English commentary on these races ‘everyone’ says will Trawlerman finally get the betterment of Kyprios.
When Trawlerman beat Kyprios the latter had a valid excuse on not winning. Anyway, watch the races this time to appreciate the drama taking place.
David’s TERRIFIC slate of races on British Champions Day! Those straight miles amaze me, they must start them on the outskirts of town! I always wonder anout 1 15/16 mile races, WHY not make it TWO miles? But Brits like to be exact–a mile and fifteen-sixteenths, at eighteen to five odds!
Matthew, expect some major upsets as there are a lot of showers around. If you’re having a bet I’d be seriously looking at those who improve on soft ground.
Nashwa is out of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes so I’m going for Tamfana with the mercurial Oisin Murphy on board.
Calandagan is now favored over Economics in the Champion Stakes which is very intriguing.
I wish they had these races at Newmarket which has better weather overall than Ascot while the track drains better. Ascot is the flagship racetrack but at this time of year. Good luck, matey, picking the winners. An Ouija board could be in order here. Haha Still, it’ll be great to watch.
Davids I’m fashioning a wager on Royal Rhyme, whose trainer was looking forward to rainy conditions!…
Good luck, Matthew, the soft ground form is pretty impressive for Royal Rhythm . They’ve entered Nashwa in the Champion Stakes so the heart will be with her. Both Royal Rhythm and Nashwa are 50 – 1 at this stage so I hope one of us is lucky.
The weather might be ok as they are expecting sunny periods with a few showers but the ground will definitely be soft.
I’m off to see “Tina – The Musical” tonight which has had rave reviews. Champagne early to get in the mood. “Nightbush City Limits” is the opening song. Should be a fun night.
Matthew, did you make a nice little investment with Royal Rhyme? Well spotted.
I really like both of these horses, but I’m still with Kyprios!
Kyprios just played with them today. It was over a mile from home.
He truly is Kyprios, the King, isn’t he? I honestly think he is Aidan O’Brien’s best horse. He looked like he wanted to go another 2 or 3 miles when they brought him back in after it was done! I’m surprised that they plan to campaign him another season. Is his marathon ability a niche market in Europe? Or is his pedigree just too redundant? Either way, we get the treat of seeing him go again!
Katy, that’s an interesting question. After the race, Aidan O’Brien said Kyprios’ best distance is 12 furlongs. However, Kyprios doesn’t have a quick turn of foot so the send him longer.
Coolmore will no doubt stand Kyprios in the National Hunt first off then try some speedier mares to see what happens. The pedigree is there.
Wow Steve…! You should prepare a class about how to write catchy titles.
This headline about Sunday Silence takes the top spot in my list of your twenty most compelling titles the last seven years. The list (in no preferential order) reads as follows :
“Lady’s Secret: Racing’s Pocket-Sized Dynamo”
“The Fierceness of Holy Bull”
“White”, “Wish” and Wonderful
“Spencer and Luna: A Love Story”
“The Ire of the Tiger at the Kentucky Derby”
“Images from the Heart”
“Chrome Sweet Chrome”
“Twin McPeeks”
“The Spirit of the Time”
“TV Or Not TV”
“A Case of Vino”
“The People vs. Storm the Court”
“Z One and Only”
“Normandy Invasion Revisited”
“With Catholic Boy, Always Keep the Faith”
“Catholic Boy at a ‘Cross’ Roads'”
“Summers Made Biscuits From Scratch”
“The Day The Haskell Struck Gold”
“Second Chance at a Dream”
“The Greatest Performance No One Has Seen”
I am pretty sure that many of those articles were very effective in capturing the reader’s attention and curiosity after just a quick glance. It seems to me that you your riveting headlines are more frequent at Secretariat website ….
Interesting to know which one was the easiest to be crafted and which ones are your most liked…
My goodness, how did you dig all those up? I am so flattered you would do all that work. Thanks so much. I really enjoyed seing those old heads. As you can tell I love coming up with heads, even though the vast majority of them are totally ignored. Thats why this was so special for me. I actually like one I wrote a couple of weeks ago that most people probably read right over. It was the column about honoring Curlin in Paris, Ky.and writing his entire story and I switched it around with “A Life in the Day of Curlin.” Nothing exceptional bui I kind of liked the reversal.
I think the one you mentioned that fit perfectly telling the story was Kenny winning the Oaks and Derby with the head “Twin McPeeks.” I felt if you never heard of the show…tough. LOL
One of my favorites was back in 2003 during the Funny Cide Triple Cown. Barclay Tagg had a reputation of being grumpy and short with the media and he had no patience for them, but I found him kind of refreshing and liked talking to him. So I wrote a column and titled it, “Is His Barclay Worse than his Bite?”
Thanks for the memories.
Thank you for showing us the way on enjoying reading and writing about the beautiful world of horse racing…
Steve, if you type your name in the search box on the top right hand corner all your Titles come up. You can go through them all they are listed all in chronological order.
Yes, I’ve done that several times to look up an old column. What amazed me about Nelson’s list were the columns from way back in the Blood Horse days.
All good, Steve. The British Champions series should be interesting at Ascot on Saturday. The weather usually ensures some wacky results and large payouts.
Economics performance in the Champion Stakes will be closely watched.
What an awesome read, thank you Steve for sharing it.
Thank you, Rich.
And THANY YOU STEVE, for including the Marshall Cassidy race call remark—“NEW YORK’S Eeezy Goer”–I loved that horse but was repulsed by his Homer style, which was not necessary, we all knew he was a NY based horse! Sunday Silence did well just to finish second! Belmont was made for Easy Goer, he was not a good turn-runner, but oh boy was he ever a straight runner!
Speaking of bad turnrunners …Doug O’Neill’s Mixto is terrible around turns, he would THRIVE over Belmont’s softer turns, WATCH for him when Doug takes him east, to Belmont!..
I agree that was over the top homer and not professional. On the other hand I got a kick out of Dave Johnson’s call on national TV. With Easy Goer 6 in front inside the sixteenth pole and still drawing away from SS, Johnson said “Sunday Silence appears to be beaten.” Easy Goer was not a good turn horse because he had horrible ankles, which is why he loved Belmont with those sweeping turns. SS was exceptional on the turns because he was very athletic and easy to steer.
I never knew that about Easy Goer’s ankles. Nice!
Steve that race call soured me on Caddidu from thereafter, of course then came Durkin, who is my all time favorite–and I grew up on Harry Henson, everywhere on the track property you could hear his distinctive bark, he was much beloved…and Frank Miramahdi has become a terrific caller, able to ramp up the excitement, when the race calls for it—guys like Miramahdi and Durkin could do it COLD, they could rise to the occasion without pre-planning their excitement, they could do it spontaneously….
(Cassidy)….
At the time—Whittingham had rarely sent a three year old east— for The Derby….he got a taste in 1986, and like Frankel he started running horses in The Derby, after decades of dismissing the race…
I can’t add much, as so many comments express my feelings about the time, the horses, and your superlative storytelling. I do believe Sunday Silence going to Japan was the very best thing for his stud career. And as history is proving it was the best thing that happened worldwide for our sport and history in a long time. Thank you as always for your wonderful writings and the wonderful places, people, and the horses we get to visit again.
Thanks Marlaine, I appreciate it.
Marlaine, that is an excellent point. Sunday Silence’s most successful progeny have been on turf, not dirt, in Japan. Would Sunday Silence have made such an impact in the US is extremely debatable. Especially at the time.
There were a host of noted top European noted who somewhat failed at stud in Europe only to find success in Japan. The melting pot in Japan, over the years, have come to fruition and Japanese runners can challenge for the best races around the world either on turf or dirt.
Marlaine, I agree! I drafted a response that included a similar observation, but I tend to need to just hush, so I deleted it. I, too, think it was exactly what Sunday Silence needed in the end: being a big fish in a small pond made it all but certain that he would get the best mares on offer.
I find it interesting that his unpredictable nature doesn’t seem to have passed on to his grandson, Forever Young – ham and pet of Churchill Downs for Derby Week 2024!
I had forgotten about that, Katy. The Kentucky Derby morning show filmed Forever Young being taken to fans by the rider/jockey around the apron of the track and the fans patted Forever Young as he passed them by.
One of the best bit of racing PR work seen since Zenyatta was mobbed by fans,
The Japan is driven by one of the many provocative quotes by Sheikh Mohammed –
‘In a race for excellence there is no finish line’
I’ve often wondered how SS progeny would have turned out had he stayed in the US. He was so dominating as a sire in Japan I believe he would have had equal success here. Of course we’ll never know.
I have absolutely no interest in Sunday Silence’s 3 great grandsons likely to contest the BCC. I am of the opinion none possess the profile to win.
My opinion might just be driven by my exclusive focus on Godolphin/Cox Highland Falls. Sometimes a blocking out of the likely opposition is required for focus to be maintained. But there will be no blocking out of another great grandson of Sunday Silence.
The major underachiever Crown Pride is again on my focus. He is my early pick to win the BC Dirt Mile. Yes! I am putting it inwriting. This grand looking great grandson of Sunday Silence promised a lot but hasn’t delivered. However, that might not be due exclusively to him but rather the unsoundness that appears to plague him ala Godolphin’s Maxfield.
Crown Pride won the UAE Derby and had his fair share of support in the KD as he left the gates at 17/1. Although he finished 13th by 18L, he was involved in the race for the first 8 1/2F and in fact had assumed the lead momentarily exiting he final turn.
The fractions recorded for the first 2 panels of Kentucky Derby 22 were a blistering 21.78 & 45.36. Crown Price was right in the mix in as he was travelling closely 2nd. So, this great grandson of Sunday Silence has excellent tactical speed. But it appears he lacks requisite level of stamina to consistently win roue race at the top level.
In 10 graded stakes starts over 9F to 10F, CP has only recorded 3 wins. It is noteworthy that over the period covering the referenced 10 starts, CP record reflects significant gaps between starts. His most recent win was gate to wire win in the 9F Korea Cup (G1) 7 months between starts. Given his long layoff, he should be better for the run next out.
The cut back to 8F in the BC Dirt mile might just suite Crown Pride. He has tactical sped and ton of 9F foundation to carry his speed over the shorter distance. Given the listed probables/possibles for the race. I am of the opinion that Crown Pride should be able to secure the lead early and prove resolute in the lane.
You wrote an awful lot of words on three horses you “have absolutely no interest in.” I wish I had the ability to spew out so many words with such in depth analysis and opinion on something I have no interest in, and do it where it doesnt even belong.
Counter Point or Coldfacts reminds me of a Degenerate Railbird who kept droning on to himself while no one around him was listening! It’s just the Cold Truth and Cold Facts. I just had to get that off my chest Steve. Thanks
LOL, Good analogy. His posts are well researched but often misplaced.
When thinking of Sunday Silence ,I always recall the line spoken by the Sheik in Ben Hur: “there’s Messala and his Black Devils!”
Steve, you may be the only one out there who can write an article that actually brings us the feelings of exuberance when backing a winning racehorse, immense satisfaction of picking a sire to become a legend, and the smugness that comes with beating the odds. This column was a gift of all that, and was the lightning in a bottle version of nostalgia I needed this morning. Love it, still love Sunday Silence, and love the foal crop of 1986. Thank you!
That is so kind of you Katy. Your words mean a lot. Thank you!
You’ve lost nothing Steve.
Thank you Ron. When you do something you love after so many years its reassuring to hear it.
Great piece Steve, I b still feel Easy Goer was the better horse. His fall campaign was one for the ages
Steve, what a pleasure to read your recollection on the 1989 Triple Crown series. Arguably, the most exciting TC series since Affirmed and Alydar. Thanks for mentioning Houston, Awe Inspiring, and Le Voyageur along with the two main protagonists.
Hard to imagine that Houston won the Derby Trial only a week before the Derby and was the third favorite. Sunday Silence had beaten Houston by over 16 lengths in the Santa Anita Derby.
Awe inspiring ran extremely well in the Kentucky Derby but was not the same in the Belmont Stakes. La Voyageur was very brave in the Belmont Stakes all things considered. Racing was so much more exciting then.
I always thought the names Sunday Silence vs Easy Goer were perfect for a family movie about horse racing. Moreover, Black horse vs Chestnut horse. East Coast vs West Coast. The spurned son gets revenge. Etc, Etc. Will the flamboyant, genius Lukas take the Derby with the erratic, expensive, glamour boy, Houston.
All gone to the mists of time. Thanks Steve, for bringing back the memories when US racing ruled the headlines of newspapers and not just in the sport’s section.
Beautifully said David. Thank you very much.. you bring back even more memories
Great article, well written. I watch SS several times with Pat V. I loved his horse and still do. He was and still is a horse to be respected and all his off-spring as well.
Thank you!
You knocked it out of the park again, Steve! All those little details about Sunday Silence’s history and temperament just slayed me. What a horse — so flawed, so brilliant in spite of all the obstacles he overcame, and so great in his duels with Easy Goer, one of my favorite horses. I’m all in for a horse from his line to win the Breeders Cup.
I only hope we can see something of Sunday Silence’s brilliance from this year’s 2YOs in the Breeders Cup Juvenile.
Thank you Ms. B.
So intertwined Sunday Silence and Easy Goer, a rivalry for the ages. Lovely piece by Steve Haskin, emphasizing the SS connection to this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic through his grandsons carrying on his legacy.
As always, couldn’t look away, Steve!
Thank you , Alice
I always thought of Sunday Silence and Easy Goer as Walter Farley’s Black Stallion and Flame (Island Stallion) come to life. Great article, Steve.
Beautiful idea, Karren! I always had a soft spot for Flame, even though he couldn’t possibly have been a thoroughbred. And wasn’t there some Sci-Fi mixed into those books?!
Into the Black Stallion books? No
And the Black wasn’t a thoroughbred either ….pure Arabian.
Walter Farley said that Slew was his Black Stallion
My favorite BS book was the Black Stallion’s Courage, where the Black faces off against Casey, the golden horse from the West, and Eclipse, the big, blaze faced, “burly” 3 year old. The racing scenes are incredibly realistic – I think I got into racing because of this book – all of them, really
For kids like me, the Sunday Silence-Easy Goer rivalry was like getting to see “The Black Stallion Returns” play out in the flesh. I truly believe it helped the popularity of the 1989 Triple Crown. The movie version had debuted in 1983, so pretty fresh in horse-crazy kids’ minds. Cover illustrations for the book (from 1945 on) almost all featured the big race with The Black and chestnut Sagr, dueling to the finish. And what do you know? That was exactly what the Preakness looked like. Sunday Silence’s irascible nature, and Easy Goer’s more willing one even paralleled the book!
The magic of VHS and hometown video rental stores of days gone-by may need a shout-out. (You kids get away from that curtain!) That was how I saw the Black Stallion movies (repeatedly), which still gets an eye-roll from my Dad.
I couldn’t get behind Flame or suspend my disbelief for his stories the way I just accepted The Black.
In the real-life rivalry, I was on Sunday all day. I had a black pony, thought Charlie Wittingham might be God, and had not forgiven Shug and Personal Ensign for taking down Winning Colors (another grouch) at the previous BC.
I LOVED the Black Stallion Returns book – I’ve only ever seen the movie in bits and pieces. I can picture the Black and Sagr now – such a wonderful description, such a wonderful book
The Black Stallion movie is phenomenal. Remember the scene where Alec’s dad tells him about Bucephalus ? I’ve been low key obsessed with Bucephalus since. I actually have a mini bronze figurine of a horse that reminds me so much of him – it’s a cherished possession
I used to watch the race over and over again, just the thrill of a boy and his horse running for the love of it …
I had $155 to bet on the 1989 Kentucky Derby, my brother and I were in awe of Easy Goer, who many were calling possibly the best horse EVER, my brother advised me to key Sunday Silence over Easy Goer on a Derby trifecta, and I did just that, playing three $51 trifectas Sunday Silence first…Easy Goer second…and one of my tris had Dansil third, he ran fourth but Awe Inspuring was coupled with Easy Goer, sp my $51 trifecta paid me $5100—all because of a theory of my brother’s, that came right, he kept watching how EASY—Easy Goer’s wins were, and he figured he wouldn’t get things so easy, in the Churchill mud, and he didn’t…..the race that followed was the best horse race I ever saw….
Coming for a Californian, I thought and still to this day think Easy Goer was better, he wasn’t handled right—going 12 furlongs before the Classic, and Cryptoclearance made him earn it—cost him HOY, they needed every edge, against Sunday Silence, who himself was a great horse—1989 Classic was for those two three year olds….
What a great read. Auguste Rodin who looks so like Sunday Silence was originally aimed for the Classic but it is over to his younger stable mate now. What a legacy Sunday Silence left for Japanese racing and breeding.
Thank you for writing this article. Sunday Silence earned his place as Horse of the Year. It is ironic that his “lack of breeding” resulted in his being a cast off, sent to Japan where he excelled in the shed to create the foundation of the emerging Japanese triumph. I have read about other horses with a “mean streak” who have excelled on the track but wrecked havoc in the barn. John Henry comes to mind. Sharon Pepper of Lismore Australia trains my horse (grandson of Street Boss) says she doesn’t want him to be a pet and that he needs to be tough.
I wrote the book on John Henry. The stories about his personality are legendary.
Man O War’s dad was a dangerous horse…
Man, who started cutting onions in here while I was reading that last paragraph?
Lovely piece.
LOL. Thank you very much Nicole. Racing stories and onions often go together and have for centuries
How I remember those 2 great horses. I was a fan of Easy Goer at the time although I admired Charlie Whittingham so much, I expected Sunday Silence to be a tough competitor.
I predicted a few years ago that Japan would one day be a dominant force in racing. I love the way they train their horses. Would love to visit Shadai to see some of my favorites, like Mind Your Biscuits, Hot Rod Charlie. And Arrow stud to visit the one and only Califoria Chrome.
Another great article about a horse that, being a huge Easy Goer fan, I never gave the credit due him. Easy Goer died very young and didn’t get enough crops to stand a chance of matching his track rival in the breeding shed. I didn’t realize that Sunday Silence had also died relatively young, but not before proving his mettle as a stallion.
It was so sad to lose Easy Goer at such a young age. What might have been.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for transporting me back to the summer of ‘89 and renewing the fantastic memories I have of Sunday Silence. A friend of my best friend had “the nerve” to get married in Nashville on Preakness Day so we drove from Lexington to get to the hotel early to watch the race. I don’t remember much of the wedding, but I remember EVERY SECOND of that race. 😄
It was my pleasure to take you on that journey back in time. The nerve of some people. They shoould have known better. Glad you stored the right memories away. Lol.
Beautiful Steve! 1989 was a very special year for racing and Sunday Silence was a large part of that. Well I remember sticking to my choice even though many of the people around me questioned my perspective (and possibly sanity!) in choosing Sunday Silence over Easy Goer. As if the Sunday Silence – Easy Goer rivalry wasn’t enough, 1989 also marked the first time the Canadian Triple Crown had been won in 26 years. And yes, I was early on the With Approval bandwagon too (FYI a horse as different in temperament from Sunday Silence as night and day).
Your column took me back to a very special time in horse racing and some very special horses and I thank you so much.
Thats what I always hope to do. Sadly, there isnt much transportaton left these days that go that far and stop at all those special places we remember,..
Great story, Steve, as always. When I think of Sunday Silence, Easy Goer’s name goes right along with his, just like Affirmed-Alydar. In my mind they’ll be forever linked.
Thanks Beth. Totally agree about the names.
Steve, yours is a beautiful account of Sunday Silence, one of my all-time favorites. As usual, you somehow find all the bits and pieces to fill in the nooks and crannies of Sunday’s remarkable story. You detail all the obstacles that Sunday Silence had to overcome as he fought to go on to be a champion on the track and a marvelous producer of champions at stud.
Sunday’s legacy to his progeny was true grit and the will to win. He was an inspiration to all his fans to never give up…. no matter what hardships life throws at you. I loved that horse and thank you, Steve for the great photos of Sunday Silence, especially the
first and last photos. He reminds me a bit of the Black Stallion….. a majestic, proud and beautiful horse.
I would be happy to see any one of his three grandsons win the BC Classic, but my heart has been captured by Forever Young this year. He has so much heart and never gives up. If he should win, I’d be over the moon.
Thanks again, Steve, great story.
I really appreciaate it, Dewey. Thank you so much. Thhe photo credit goes to Leonard who found all those photos, which I agree are fantastic.
Steve,
In asserting that the 3 likely Japanese starters in the BCC have the credentials to win. Did you dismiss pertinent cold facts, with some being profoundly historic, that supersedes credentials.?
Forever Young:
Fully extended to grind out a last stride to the line win over Book Em Danno who is best at sprint distances.
He engaged in a bump and grind match with Sierra Leone the entire stretch in the KD with both failing to reel in the tiring and stamina challenged Mystik Dan. Neither Mystik Dan nor Sierra Leone have returned to win subsequent to the KD.
I have reviewed the list of BCC winners and the deep closers that emerged the winner were not grinders in the mode of Forever Young, but rather energetic stretch runners. The short stretch at Del Mar isn’t grinder friendly.
Forever Young’s record against American based stamina challenged opponents, suggest he will have serious difficulties passing the likes of Highland Falls who is loaded with the requisite stamina to sustain his newfound tactical speed.
Ushba Tesoro
The caption horse is a 7YO. No 7YO entrant has ever won the BCC. It is highly unlikely that one with 35 starts and miles travelled will be the first.
Further, there isn’t a BCC winner that finished off the board in the race in a particular year and returned to win it the next.
Derma Sotogake:
I cannot find a BCC winner that made only 3 starts in the 12 months between BCC renewals. This likely entrant has finished 5th, 6th & 5th in his 3 starts since finishing 2nd in the 2023 BCC. He enters the race with the worst form line of the 3.
I am probably too facts based, which could negatively impact my analysis of the 3 Japanese invaders. There are many in the race with the credentials to win. To focus heavily on credentials at the expense of pertinent and historic facts, renders an analysis incomplete.
The column is about Sunday Silence. Hold on to your cold facts until the Breeders’ Cup. You peaked too soon. Now you have wasted all that on a column that merely uses them as a bridge to the main subject. When it comes time to handicap the race all these facts will have been used up prematurely.
He “popped, then stopped”….
It’s not easy to nit-pick Forever Young’s record! Book’em Dano is a top level sprinter! Forever Young beat him during an extremely long ship and run three-race sequence, his Derby run was top notch! He took three hard bumps and was beat two noses!
David, I can’t reply under your comment for some reason …
I know I come off that way, but it’s only because I love HAP so much, and I feel like he has no room for error – he has to get runners NOW because breeders are not supporting him. He’s not had good books, he’s been bred to only 39 mares the last 2 years, and his sales prices are mediocre at best. Breeders here thoroughly rejected his sire, & I don’t want HAP to suffer the same fate
Honor Code had 14 winners in his freshman season. HAP won’t approach that, but overall he’s still been much better
Glee is a really good filly – I just have no idea what Steve is doing with her; she deserves another chance in graded stakes.
And I like a filly named Hollywood Beauty – who had an brutal trip in her recent Delaware Park Stakes race yet overcame it to get 4th
Todd’s AP Kid scratched due to fever on Saturday, and there’s still Dazzle AP, Tremendously, and a wonderful little filly named Little Mo
Rank ran really well today – so I’m genuinely very happy. I’d love it if he could win a stakes, but for now I’m thinking maiden win!
You’re right about AWD – it’s way too early to bother with that stat
Betsy, unfortunately, it’s so cutthroat these days and the window of opportunity to shine as a future shire are somewhat limited but black type wins/placings are the essential ingredients to keep a new sire in the public.
If Rank can pull off a graded stakes win this year would be the fillip that Honor A. P. needs to boost his numbers next year. Fingers crossed for more winners.
Tiz the Law is doing phenomenally well this year, with only 84 named foals he tops the Freshman sire list and General Sires of 2 year old list. Coolmore have always had a knack of promoting there young sires.
David, that’s so true…..but I’m also an admitted worry wart. HAP has done well with his opportunities.
One thing I’ve discussed with my friend is that most of his offspring have run/won at minor tracks – he’s had few runners at the big tracks. That’s because his offspring that have sold have generally sold poorly – and they are sold to owners who can only afford those prices. Rank is one of the few HAPs to have run at a big track, one of the few with a big trainer. Some of the horses I mentioned above ARE with top trainers like Asmussen, Pletcher, O’Neill, Clement, Eurton, Lynch…and Spurgeon is with McPeek
These are the runners who have the most opportunity because of their connections, and I think if even just a few can be successful, that will make it easier for HAP
I couldn’t agree more about Rank. The future is bright!
Tiz has been so impressive. I haven’t really been rooting for him, but I should because his success keeps the Slew/Indy/Tapit line going
You are the master story teller of nostalgia! I remember that triple crown series like it was yesterday. Pure whittingham genius. Horse wasn’t bad either lol.
Thanks ve.ry much Doug.
Great piece Steve, thanks for filling in some of the blanks that I didn’t know. That was a great year and we were still relatively young but racing tends to keep us thinking like we still are!
Beautifully said Derek. Thank you.
Steve, thank you for this extraordinary story. What an incredibly tough horse “Sunday” was! I saw that same toughness in Forever Young as he battled down the stretch in the Derby. I’d be thrilled to see any of Sunday Silence’s great-grandsons win the BCC, but especially Forever Young.
I read somewhere that at one point, 10% of all Thoroughbreds in Japan were descended from Sunday Silence.
Thank you very much. His influence has been remarkable,
Matt, Dr. Ruben M went wire to wire – a boring race
Rank ran ok, but IMO he’s not as good as his connections thought (they thought he was their Derby horse), and I’d try him on turf…
Scratch that post, lol – I wish I could delete it, lol
Rank ran really well – made a long, sustained run against his loose on the lead stablemate, and just missed. TVG mentioned that SA was biased against closers – we saw that here
Rank will want to go much further than 1 mile…
Betsy, I posted in Steve’s previous column that Rank ran well today, which he did.
David, the column is gone – so sorry I missed your comments
Rank also lost a lot of ground – far more than he lost by
Unfortunately, they don’t run longer races at SA, so I’m kind of hoping Doug ships him elsewhere
Betsy, last week’s column is there in the top right hand corner. I’d say, after that run, they will send Rank to the Los Alamitos Futurity in December. It’s 8 1/2 furlongs, perfect, with a long straight.
Weirdly, not on mine. I see a link to Steve’s articles, but last one is gone
Oh that’s interesting – they could do that, and we know that both Calumet and Doug don’t mind running maidens in stakes. Of course he may not be a maiden by then, lol…but it still makes sense
Is Ferocious going to the BC?
Ferocious is going as of now but it’s a long wait to the first weekend in November.
I found it!
See also my first reply to you!
That’s odd. On TVG I believe two picked Rank – and they talked about how he looks like a true router.
My first reaction was disappointment, but I got over that. Rank improved in every aspect today – he broke well, he ran smoothly, he made a willing, long sustained run, and he closed strongly (on a dead track biased against closers). He looked so much more comfortable going long
My friend thinks he’ll get a good Thoro-graph # because he was so wide. I look forward to what USTimeform fig he’ll get. Beyer? The other mile race was 4 seconds slower, but I’m always wrong about BSF anyway, lol
Betsy, I watched the race on the Santa Anita website not TVG. I gave up TVG a long time ago. I like listening to Millie Ball’s opinion on horses, not so much who she tips, but what she thinks of a horse.
I thought Rank showed marked improvement this time round. You seem a hard taskmaster sometimes. Ha ha Fingers crossed for Rank to win a stakes race by the end of this year.
Honor A. P. has over 9% black type horses which is good, don’t worry about the AWD at this stage it’s meaningless really. We just have to convert those black type placings into wins.
Fabulous article. He has stamped his mark across continent. One of his progency Win Legend is a successful sire here In India and his progency Sir Cecil named after legendary figure is the most famous race horse in India.
Tegbrir Brar of Dashmesh stud is a great admirer of Sunday Silence and is the owner of Win Legend. I have shared this article with him on X.
If you could give your X handle.