Sunday Silence

Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence at Shadai Stallion Station Hayakita(Abira), Hokkaido, Japan.
Sire	Halo
Grandsire	Hail To Reason
Dam	Wishing Well
Damsire	Understanding
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1986
Country	USA
Colour	Black/Brown
Breeder	Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds, Ltd.
Owner	H-G-W Partners Racing colors: Gray, yellow sash, sleeves and cap
Trainer	Charlie Whittingham
Record	14: 9-5-0
Earnings	$4,968,554
Major wins
Santa Anita Derby (1989) San Felipe Stakes (1989) Super Derby (1989) Californian Stakes (1990) American Classics / Breeders' Cup wins: Kentucky Derby (1989) Preakness Stakes (1989) Breeders' Cup Classic (1989)
Awards
U.S. Champion 3-Year-Old Colt (1989) United States Horse of the Year (1989)
Honours
United States Racing Hall of Fame (1996) #31 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century Sunday Silence Stakes in Louisiana Downs Leading sire in Japan 1995 through 2007
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)
Last updated on January 12, 2008

Sunday Silence (1986–2002) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a three-year-old he won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic, earning distinction as 1989 American Horse of the Year. He was also noted for his rivalry with American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse and Hall of Famer Easy Goer, whom he had a 3-1 record against, with two of those victories coming by very narrow margins of a nose and a neck, showing his grittiness. This was shown in the fact that, in his career, he had three losses by margins of a head or a neck, two wins by a nose and a neck, and a win and a loss by less than a length. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century, Sunday Silence is ranked #31. Sunday Silence was retired to Japan, where he became the leading sire and one of the most successful(mainly restricted in Japan) in the history of Japan's insular racing, along with the 10 time leading sire, Northern Taste.

Early years

He was foaled in 1986, sired by Halo out of Wishing Well by Understanding. Though he was registered as a dark bay/brown, he was in fact a true black.Sunday Silence was bred by Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds, Ltd. He was passed in twice at the sales ring as a yearling, before he was finally sold in California for $50,000 as a two-year-old in training. Arthur B. Hancock III bought him as a "buy-back" (he had bred him), hoping to ship him to Kentucky. However, an accident kept Sunday Silence in California. Hall of Fame inducted trainer Charlie Whittingham bought a half share of the colt and then sold half of that to Dr. Ernest Gaillard. (Ownership designate: H-G-W Partners)

Racing record

1988: two-year-old season

Although he showed ability, he didn't make it to the races until late in his two-year-old season, winning a maiden special weight race and finishing second in a maiden race and an allowance race from three starts.

1989: three-year-old season

Sunday Silence began his three-year-old year by managing to win an allowance race. In the build-up to the first of the Triple Crown races ("the Race to the Roses"), Sunday Silence won the San Felipe Stakes and the Santa Anita Derby to allow him to qualify for a slot at the Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby

In the build up to the 1989 Triple Crown, a rivalry developed between the West-Coast Sunday Silence and American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse Easy Goer, an East-Coast Thoroughbred with superior breeding. Easy Goer was also the media darling and favorite of the East-Coast dominated sports media, who picked him ahead of Sunday Silence in each race of the Triple Crown. In the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown, Sunday Silence and jockey Pat Valenzuela won by 2½ lengths in a slow time of 2:05, from Easy Goer, who was said to have had a tough time running on the muddy track that day, according to his jockey Pat Day(who stated he didn't even get out of second gear, and was very uncomfortable on that specific track) and trainer Shug McGaughey.

Preakness Stakes

The media widely accepted the excuse by his trainer, and again picked "Big Red" to win the Preakness Stakes. However, Sunday Silence again prevailed, this time by a nose, in a head and head battle the entire stretch, over Easy Goer. This race has been proclaimed by many experts to be the "Race of the Half Century." Some Easy Goer loyalists in the media maintained their horse's superiority, attributing the loss to the fact that Easy Goer had dwelt at the start and his jockey Pat Day reined Easy Goer's head to the right when he had a short lead in the home stretch. Pat Day has called his ride "absolutely rider error."

Belmont Stakes

In the Belmont Stakes, known as the "Test of the Champion", the final and longest race of the Triple Crown at 1½ miles, Sunday Silence was the betting favorite with Easy Goer the underdog. Easy Goer won and defeated Sunday Silence by eight lengths in the second fastest Belmont Stakes in history, behind only Secretariat, and denied Sunday Silence the elusive Triple Crown. In the process, Easy Goer seemed to vindicate his reputation as the reigning champion two year-old. By virtue of his two Classic wins and his runner-up performance, Sunday Silence was awarded the third $1,000,000 Visa Triple Crown Bonus for best three-year-old in the series.

Breeders' Cup Classic

After the Belmont Stakes, Sunday Silence finished second to eventual Breeders' Cup Turf winner Prized in the Grade II Swaps Stakes on July 23, and won the Super Derby on September 24. Easy Goer came into the Classic with 5 consecutive Grade I wins, consisting of the Belmont Stakes, Whitney Handicap, Travers Stakes, Woodward Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup, with three of those wins against older horses. Easy Goer's final race before the Classic was the 1½ miles Jockey Club Gold Cup at a longer distance than the 1¼ miles of the Classic.

This set up one final face-off between Easy Goer and Sunday Silence at the season-ending $3 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park, run on November 4. The contest was highly-anticipated and expected to decide the winner of the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year award. Sunday Silence's jockey Pat Valenzuela had earlier been suspended for cocaine use and was replaced by veteran Chris McCarron. Sunday Silence started as the 2/1 second choice behind Easy Goer at 1/2. Sunday Silence overtook Blushing John at the top of the stretch and pulled ahead by a length. Easy Goer made one last late surge, making up over 4 lengths in the stretch, but Sunday Silence held on by a neck.

At this point, Sunday Silence had won seven times in nine starts for the 1989 campaign, earning him Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Male Horse and Horse of the Year honors. For the latter award, he received 223 of 242 votes, making him the most decisive winner since John Henry only eight years earlier. Though former New York Times racing writer and current Daily Racing Form chairman, Steve Crist, stated in his N.Y. Times article in January, 1990, that had the question on the ballot been, "Who is the better horse, Sunday Silence or Easy Goer?" a lot more than 19 would have voted against Sunday Silence. In 1996, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

1990: four-year-old season

At the age of four, Sunday Silence won the Californian and placed second in the Hollywood Gold Cup behind Criminal Type. He suffered an injured ligament that eventually led to his retirement. Out of 14 career races, he never finished worse than second. He won nine of his races and placed second in the other five.

Stud record

After being ignored by most American breeders, Sunday Silence was eventually sold to Japanese breeder Zenya Yoshida to stand at his Shadai Stallion Station in Shiraoi, Hokkaido. Yoshida had acquired a 25% interest in Sunday Silence early in his 4-year-old season and bought out the other partners for an undisclosed amount.

Sunday Silence flourished in Japan and became their leading sire in the last decade of his life, taking over from perennial leading sire in Japan Northern Taste (10 time leading sire in Japan), and topping their sire list from 1995 through 2007. His progeny have won many races, mainly in Japan, including the Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen.

Progeny

Descendants of Sunday Silence break earnings records, mainly in Japan where the purses are significantly higher than the rest of the world. Conservative estimates on total winnings made by Sunday Silence descendents place the total near JPY 80 billion (approximately $800 million.)

Agnes Tachyon.

Some of his more notable progeny includes:

• Admire Vega (1996), won 1999 Tokyo Yūshun (Japanese Derby) (JPN Domestic G1).
• Agnes Flight (1997), won 2000 Tokyo Yūshun (Japanese Derby) (JPN Domestic G1).
• Agnes Tachyon (1998), a full brother to Agnes Flight, undefeated winner of the Satsuki Shō (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (JPN Domestic G1), sired Daiwa Scarlet (a half sister of Daiwa Major) and Deep Sky, became 2008 leading sire in Japan.
• Air Shakur (1997), won 2000 Satsuki Shō (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (JPN Domestic G1), 2000 Kikuka Shō (Japanese St. Leger) (JPN Domestic G1) and fifth in 2000 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1).
• Daiwa Major (2001), won 2006 & 2007 Mile Championship (G1), 2007 Yasuda Kinen (G1), 2004 Satsuki Shō (JPN Domestic G1), and 2006 Tenno Sho (JPN Domestic G1).
• Dance in the Dark (1993), won 1996 Kikuka Shō (Japanese St. Leger) (JPN Domestic G1), sired Delta Blues, won 2006 Melbourne Cup.
• Dance in the Mood (2001), a full sister of Dance in the Dark, first Japanese racehorse of Sunday Silence descent to run in the American Oaks (US-G1), but lost to English filly Ticker Tape by a length in 2004. Previously, she had won the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (JPN Domestic G1), but lost in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (JPN Domestic G1).
• Dance Partner (1992), a full sister of Dance in the Dark, winner of 1995 Yushun Himba (JPN Domestic G1) and 1996 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (JPN Domestic G1), second in 1995 Prix de la Nonette (G3) and sixth in Prix Vermeille (G1).

Deep Impact winning Kikuka Sho 2005 on October 23.

• Deep Impact (M) (2002), winner of the 2005 Japanese Triple Crown, 2006 Japan Cup (JPN-G1),　2006 Arima Kinen (JPN Domestic G1), 2006 Takarazuka Kinen (JPN Domestic G1) and 2006 Tenno Sho (Spring) (JPN Domestic G1). Also ran third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France, before being disqualified to last place for a positive drug test.
• Durandal (1999), won 2003 & 2004 Mile Championship (G1) and 2003 Sprinters Stakes (G1).
• Fuji Kiseki (1992), won 1994 Asahi Hai 3 sai Stakes and sired Kane Hekili (won 2005 & 2008 Japan Cup Dirt), Sun Classique (won 2008 Dubai Sheema Classic).
• Genuine (1992), won 1995 Satsuki Shō (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (JPN Domestic G1) and 1996 Mile Championship (G1).
• Hat Trick (2001), won 2005 Mile Championship (G1) and 2005 Hong Kong Mile (G1), sired Dabirsim.
• Heart's Cry (2001), winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) and Arima Kinen (JPN Domestic G1), and only horse to ever beat Deep Impact in Japan.
• Manhattan Cafe (1998), won 2001 Kikuka Shō (Japanese St. Leger) (JPN Domestic G1), 2001 Arima Kinen (JPN Domestic G1) and 2002 Tenno Sho (Spring) (JPN Domestic G1), became 2009 leading sire in Japan.
• Neo Universe (2000), won 2003 Satsuki Shō (JPN Domestic G1), 2003 Tokyo Yūshun (Japanese Derby) (JPN Domestic G1), sired Unrivaled, Logi Universe and Victoire Pisa (won 2010 Satsuki Shō, 2010 Arima Kinen and 2011 Dubai World Cup).
• Silence Suzuka (1994–1998), won six consecutive races in 1998, including the Takarazuka Kinen (JPN Domestic G1:then). Injured in the Tenno Sho (JPN Domestic G1), requiring euthanasia.
• Sixth Sense (2002), winner of $2.5 million, won G2 Kyoto Kinen, second in Hong Kong vase, Sha Tin, G1, Satsuki Shō (2000 Guineas), Nakayama G1.
• Special Week (1995), won 1998 Tokyo Yūshun (Japanese Derby) (JPN Domestic G1), 1999 Japan Cup (G1) and Tenno Sho (Spring and Autumn) (JPN Domestic G1), retired in 1999 with lifetime winnings of $9,346,435, sired Buena Vista and Cesario (won Yushun Himba and American Oaks).
• Stay Gold (1994), earned $8,682,142 in his lifetime, won the Hong Kong Vase (HK-G1) at Sha Tin racecourse and the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G2:then) at Nad Sheba in 2001, sired Orfevre (winner of the 2011 Japanese Triple Crown), Dream Journey, and Nakayama Festa.
• Still in Love (2000), winner of the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown.
• Tayasu Tsuyoshi (1992), won 1995 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (JPN Domestic G1), with lifetime total Earnings over $3,325,000 USD.
• To the Victory (1996), a $5,303,281-earning mare that finished second in the 2001 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1).
• Zenno Rob Roy (2000), won three Domestic G1 races including the Japan Cup, named Horse of the Year for 2004 and champion older male by the Japan Racing Association, and earned $8,994,210 in two years.

Other descendants

• Natagora (2005), a daughter of Divine Light, who won the 2008 1,000 Guineas Stakes and 2007 Cheveley Park Stakes, and was honored as 2007 European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.

Death

In August 2002, Sunday Silence finally lost his battle with laminitis, suffering a fatal heart attack. In May, infection in his right leg brought on laminitis in his left leg. His owners had been discussing whether to euthanize him or not for days. On the day of his death, he lay down in his stall, could not get up, and eventually died of heart failure.

Sunday Silence was buried at Shadai Stallion Station.

Tabulated pedigree

Pedigree of Sunday Silence (USA), brown or black stallion, 1986

Sire Halo black 1969	Hail to Reason brown 1958	Turn-to (IRE) bay 1951	Royal Charger (GB)
			Source Sucree (FR)
		Nothirdchance bay 1948	Blue Swords
			Galla Colors
	Cosmah brown 1953	Cosmic Bomb dark brown 1944	Pharamond (GB)
			Banish Fear
		Almahmoud chestnut 1947	Mahmoud (FR)
			Arbitrator
Dam Wishing Well brown 1975	Understanding chestnut 1963	Promised Land gray 1954	Palestinian
			Mahmoudess
		Pretty Ways brown 1953	Stymie
			Pretty Jo
	Mountain Flower bay 1964	Montparnasse (ARG) brown 1956	Gulf Stream (GB)
			Mignon (ARG)
		Edelweiss bay 1959	Hillary
			Dowager (Family: 3-e)

Pop culture

In the horse racing game Derby Owners Club, Sunday Silence is one of the sires available to breed in the game. He is also pictured on one of the official game cards.